Canada Collectively Sighs As McDavid Manages Three Points In Win
9 years ago
Canada defeated Germany 4-0 on Saturday for their second victory in as many days. When scoring the first goal of the game, Canada is now 2-0 in the 2015 World Juniors. If they want to win gold in the tournament, they should look to do that every game.
The Rundown
Canada started quickly enough, managing two goals through the first thirteen minutes of the first, both on the power play.
Through forty minutes, Canada was still riding the same two-goal lead they had picked up in the first twelve minutes of the game. Canada then scored their first even strength goal of the night on Max Domi’s unassisted goal 9:14 into the third period, before Madison Bowey added another insurance marker, again on the power play in the final five minutes of the third to make it a 4-0 final.
Connor McDavid had three points, with the first goal of the game and two assists on the night. Ottawa Senator loan Curtis Lazar scored the other goal of the first period, on McDavid’s strong feed.
Jets prospect Nic Petan potted three assists on the night. He’s quietly sitting at six points through two games so far, leading the tournament in scoring and has consistently looked like one of Canada’s best players.
Another Jets prospect in Eric Comrie got the start for Canada, making every save he needed to in Canada’s second straight shutout. Comrie was solid all night, including a big stop on a breakdown by the Canadian defence on the penalty kill that led to a German breakaway late in the second period. Comrie’s looked every bit the part of a starting goalie going forward, but will still likely battle out for the job with Zach Fucale over the next few days.
This wasn’t one of those games where Canada dominated per se on the scoresheet, but also didn’t really appear to be in serious trouble or outplayed for extended periods of time. Of note, it was Germany’s first game of the tournament while Canada was on the second half of a back-to-back. Six points in their first two games sets Canada up nicely for matchups against Finland and the USA.
While the game wasn’t a true blowout like the previous night’s affair, history shows it doesn’t always have to be. Canada defeated Germany just 3-1 at the 2007 tournament, raising questions of the team’s potential, but went 6-0 for their third straight gold medal. Outscoring their opponents 12-0 through two games, Canada isn’t having a bad start by any means.
If you’re looking for analytics from the tournament, check out Canucks Army writer Josh Weissbock’s site here, with team stats updated shortly after each game. Tracking individual player possession stats for most of the tournament appears to be @RealDavidWood.
MAPLE WARRIOR
While all the talk’s about Connor McDavid at the tournament, it’s with good reason. Had McDavid not scored a goal and set up Lazar early, this could have been an entirely different game. Here’s a look at McDavid’s goal, with a Nation Network ExclusiveTM on-ice audio.
AROUND THE TOURNAMENT
Leafs prospect William Nylander scored his second goal in as many days, both in Swedish victories.
Oilers prospect William Lagesson managed an assist on Sweden’s second goal of the game. Slovakia upset the defending champion Finland in a weird fashion, getting outshot 38-12 yet winning 2-1. Slovakian goaltender Denis Godla made 37 saves in the win, and Finland faces a steep road ahead earning just one point in its first two games. Switzerland topped Czech Republic 5-2, scoring their third and fourth goal just 44 seconds apart in the second period.
Kevin Fiala contributed two of Switzerland’s goals, both on quickly released shots:
Fiala was taken 11th overall by the Nashville Predators this past spring.
Switzerland takes on Russia tomorrow while the Germans’ schedule won’t get any easier, facing the United States and Jack Eichel in the only two games of the day. Canada takes on Finland Monday, and closes out the round robin with a New Years’ Eve matchup against the USA.
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