The Easton Cowan Show is officially underway at the World Juniors.

Cowan led Canada to a commanding 4-0 victory over Finland during its opening game of the tournament, scoring a key insurance goal in the second period. The 19-year-old picked off an errant pass from Finland’s Joona Saarelainen, then beat Petteri Rimpinen short-side to make it 2-0 for Canada.

Widely expected to be one of the best players in this year’s World Juniors as a returnee who is currently riding a 56-game point streak in the OHL, Cowan is off to a flying start and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top prospect could be in the running for some major awards. Cowan previously recorded a hat-trick in a pre-tournament victory against Switzerland, and could be in the running for tournament MVP.

“That’s just who I’ve always been. I like having pressure,” Cowan said post-game. “I like people always watching you and seeing what you’re doing.”

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis is covering the tournament, and here’s his analysis of Cowan’s game:

Cowan recently joined Leafs Morning Take, where he outlined his goals and ambitions for this year’s World Juniors. It’s clear that his line, featuring Calum Ritchie and Bradly Nadeau, will be relied upon throughout the tournament, as a combination of high-end scoring and experience — all three players are 2023 first-round draft picks. This is just the beginning for Cowan, who is looking to lead Canada to the gold medal, after a disappointing fifth-place finish last year.

Cowan and Canada resumes its schedule on Friday against Latvia, where we’ll get another extended look at the Leafs’ top prospect.

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