Canada made a strong statement in its tournament-opening win over Finland at the world junior hockey championship on Thursday night.
Over a short period of time this Christmas, the teenagers proudly wearing the maple leaf crest are clearly becoming a family.
Coach Dave Cameron summed up it best when he was asked what he liked about the 4-0 victory at a packed Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.
“Everything,” said Cameron. “It was a real good check mark for the character of your hockey team.”
Only three of the 20 skaters on the roster failed to test Finnish goalie Petteri Rimpinen at least once as Canada wound up outshooting its opponent by a 41-31 count.
The marksmen you expected to provide the offence came through.
There was Gavin McKenna, who turned 17 just last week and, before arriving in Ottawa for the world juniors, was the top scoring player in the Canadian Hockey League. He opened the scoring in the first period, burying his own rebound high over a sprawled Rimpinen.
Easton Cowan, the Maple Leafs prospect who has picked up at least one point in each of his past 56 games with the London Knights, made it 2-0 in the second, wiring in a short-side shot.
And Luca Pinelli, who has scored 64 times in his past 94 games over the past season season and a half as the captain of the Ottawa 67’s, converted a lovely pass from defenceman Caden Price in the third to all but clinch it.
The last goal was an empty-netter by 17-year-old defenceman Matthew Schaefer, who is considered a top candidate to be selected first in next spring’s NHL entry draft.
But this win was a total team effort.
Proud to be black and blue
While a final tally on Canada’s blocked shots wasn’t available, let’s just say that a lot of guys got in on that act.
This would be a shutout with a much-shared credit.
“All of the boys want to lay out for each other, which is a great sign in the first game of the tournament,” said defenceman Oliver Bonk. “You definitely don’t want a team that’s getting out of the way of blocks, and I think when the boys are diving head first into blocks, huge one-timer blocks from a couple of guys, it’s good to see.”
Said Pinelli: “Blocking shots is a big thing and at the end, that was amazing there. It was great to see that. It just brings everyone closer as a team.”
Canada’s goaltending is in good hands
The decision to go with Carter George, a Los Angeles Kings draft pick who plays for the Owen Sound Attack, was made days ago and the coaching staff stuck with it, even though George let in a couple of questionable goals in the final tuneup.
But on Thursday, the Thunder Bay native was flawless, especially coming up big in the third period with the Canadians short-handed.
“(Getting a shutout in a world junior championship game) is something you dream about as a kid, and for it to actually happen, does it really feel real,” said George. “It’s definitely something special.”
Home ice advantage
The crowd of 17,977 was very much into the first world juniors game in the national capital since 2009.
“They were obviously up for the game,” said Bonk, whose dad Radek played 10 seasons for the Ottawa Senators. “I’ve been to a lot of Sens games and I don’t remember it that loud in here. When the fans are into as much as they are and it’s that big, it give you get this extra boost of adrenalin and block shots don’t feel as bad, you don’t feel as tired. So it really helps.”
McKenna noticed it after his first goal and said the reaction gave him “goosebumps.”
George heard them chanting his name at the end of the game.
“It was definitely a cool experience,” he said. “It was just incredible. I definitely soaked it in.”