The Canadian junior team received a good dose of humility, Wednesday in Edmonton, in its opening game of the World Junior Championship.
Posted at 9:22 p.m.
Updated at 10:01 p.m.
Canada beat Latvia 5-2, but until late in the third, staunchly defended a two-goal lead.
The Latvians, remember, were in their first appearance in the World group since 2017. They lost their two previous meetings against the Canadians by marks of 16-0 and 10-2.
Canada obviously dominated this match, but the coaches, led by Dave Cameron, will have work to do to improve the collective game of their troops.
Young Canadian players have tended to stretch their appearances and attempt the perfect game too often; in short, they lacked effectiveness. Discipline too. Luckily, they will then face Slovakia, deprived of its three best players, Juraj Slafkovsky, Simon Nemec and Filip Mesar, this Thursday, then Czechia on Saturday, certainly not world powers.
Canada is without its two best defenders, Owen Power, first overall pick in 2021, and Kaiden Guhle, the Canadian’s first round pick in 2020, it is true; quality forwards have also forfeited: Cole Perfetti, tossed between the NHL and the American League last winter, Shane Wright, fourth overall pick in 2022, Dylan Guenther, Jake Neighbors, first-round picks as well.
But we were facing Latvia and we still had two choices in the first two lines in the top 5 in 2021, Mason McTavish, third overall, and Kent Johnson, fifth overall, both nine-game strong in the NHL.
Bedard hosts the show
There is also Connor Bedard, 17 for three weeks, likely first overall choice next summer. The young man from North Vancouver, employed to the right of McTavish and CH prospect Joshua Roy in the first line, also animated Canada’s attack by scoring the first goal of the game with a shot crisp and dry, and added an assist in the third period.
PHOTO JASON FRANSON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Connor Bedard
It’s always a good feeling to score, especially in the first game of the tournament. It’s exciting no matter who counts, but yeah, it was obviously special to me.
Connor Bedard, after the meeting
At 16 in January, Bedard had had time to score four goals and add an assist in just two games before the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. There he is with seven points from three games at the World Junior Championship in 2022, although his first two games will be excluded from the statistics.
Roy in the front row
Normally, a Quebec prospect from CH, first overall pick in the QMJHL, author of 119 points in his previous season, member of a first line at the World Junior Championship would thrill fans.
Because he offered a more modest production in his year of eligibility, in 2020-2021, because he was drafted in the fifth round only, Joshua Roy is less talked about than Slafkovsky, Guhle, Mesar and company.
And it is undoubtedly a blessing for him. He will not have to know the pressure suffered by the Latendresse, Ribeiro and Leblanc before him.
The fact remains that his progress is phenomenal. He got an assist on his team’s second goal on the power play on Tuesday. He will probably play another season in the junior ranks, in Sherbrooke. But Roy must be considered among the leading hopes of the CH.
Another Canadian hopeful, Riley Kidney, drafted in the second round in 2021, almost a hundred rows ahead of Roy, was inserted into the lineup at the last moment, in a role of 13e attacker. He played little, but generated some good scoring chances, and gave a hard-hitting check.