Connor Bedard was talked about again on Monday night at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton, in Canada’s final preliminary round match against Finland.
Updated yesterday at 11:05 p.m.
For his two other points, including a superb goal on a lightning shot to extend the Canadian lead to three goals at the end of the first period, but also for his poor use by coach Dave Cameron.
After a first period filled with success offensively, we hardly saw him on the ice again in the last two games, which did not fail to raise the ire of some observers.
But the stars, young and old, have this gift to fascinate, to hold the attention. Bedard, a likely first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, took his points total to seven in just four games since the start of the tournament, ranking fourth in the competition in scoring, in a 6-3 victory over the Finnish.
His meager nine minutes of use can be explained by the fact that his work in defense is still to be fine-tuned, that he is more puny than his opponents and that, as a result, his presence is less essential when you hold the lead in the encounter. We forget, however, that he has just turned 17.
The numerous penalties awarded to Canada in the third period, three minors and a five-minute major, allowed Finland to come within two goals after more than eight minutes on the power play. They also allow us to understand a little better why the young man made a single presence, of 30 seconds, in this ultimate engagement.
“I went with my best tonight,” defended Dave Cameron after the game.
The talent is undeniable in this young man, and he will grow over the months, years, but for now, it’s just flashes. Extraordinary flashes, but flashes.
Two years and seven months older, more mature, stronger, his center Mason McTavish was once again transcendent, with three more points, for a total of 13 in 4 games, and amazing efficiency in all facets of the game.
PHOTO JASON FRANSON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Mason McTavish (23) and Dylan Garand (31)
He had no words to comment on his young line partner’s goal. “He’s just… I don’t know. He’s an elite player. His shooting is insane. It doesn’t even need that much power. I saw him stand out, I gave him the puck. I was tired after a long time, he picked up speed and fired. It was impressive. »
Coach Cameron, or is it one of his assistants, had the idea of bringing together the two best scorers in the QMJHL, the prospect of the Canadian Joshua Roy and the burly William Dufour, with the center Ridly Greig, 20 years old , a late first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators, to face Finland’s top line.
Roy, who never ceases to accumulate enriching experiences, has shown that he could manage well in such a role, even if Greig was the locomotive of this trio.
With an assist on Monday, Roy now has six points since the start of the tournament, one point behind Bedard and second on the Canadian team.
Finland had interesting attacking players like Joakim Kemell, Aatu Raty, Roni Hirvonen, but Canada understood that they preferred to play on the periphery. We blocked the center by placing all our players there to limit the opposing threat.
One of these Finnish players, Brad Lambert, whom the Winnipeg Jets dared to draft at the end of the first round this summer despite obvious stagnation, had another difficult game. He claims a point in this tournament and was not used on the power play by his coach in the third period, even though he was a headliner for Finland at the start of the competition.
PHOTO JASON FRANSON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Joakim Kemell scored a goal in the third period.
“The many power plays in the third helped us out,” admitted Kemell, a first-round draft pick from the Nashville Predators this summer, who had a goal and an assist in that game. ” But [les Canadiens] were very effective outnumbered. They blocked shots, they were aggressive, and we didn’t put enough pucks on the net. »
Canada will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Wednesday. It shouldn’t cause him much trouble.