Connor Bedard fired two lasers, leaving the opposing goaltender unresolved, and gave Canada a 5-3 win over Finland on Friday in Halifax in the final preseason game of the World Junior Hockey Championship.
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The host country of the tournament had recorded two victories without too much difficulty against the Swiss and the Slovaks, but they had their hands full against the Finns.
In the third period, the Canadians tried everything to regain the lead after Joakim Kemell’s equalizing goal on the power play. The big guns of the maple leaf opened the machine. Bedard even attempted a Michigan shot, but goaltender Jani Lampinen didn’t flinch. The young Canadian recovered with five minutes to go in the game by having the upper hand on the doorman with a good shot in the top corner.
After an uneventful first period, it was the Finns who opened the scoring thanks to a net from Nico Huuhtanen at the start of the second period. It was the first time since the beginning of the preparatory phase that the adversary led on the Canadian team.
This lead did not last long. Canada reacted quickly with Brennan Othman’s net. The New York Rangers prospect got in front of the net and deflected a perfect shot from teammate Olen Zellweger. The Finns, motivated by the idea of winning this game, regained the lead on the power play after an infraction by Quebecer Nathan Gaucher.
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Injured in the second period, Shane Wright left the game for a few minutes. On his return, he won an important faceoff before going in front of the net to deflect the puck behind Lampinen. It was ultimately defender Brandt Clarke who was credited with the net.
Who else but Connor Bedard to give the Canadiens the lead? The one everyone is waiting for as the next first overall pick in the National Hockey League (NHL) found the back of the net with a major league shot that few goaltenders could have stopped. He had four assists since the beginning of the preseason schedule, but he was still looking for his first goal.
Logan Stankoven completed the scoring in an empty net.
Now that the preparatory matches are behind them, Canada’s players can therefore think of the preliminary round, which will begin next Monday against the Czech Republic.