In an exhilarating display of hockey prowess, Team Canada began their title defense at the IIHF World Junior Championship with a commanding 5-2 victory over Team Finland. This match, played at the historic Scandinavium for the first time by a Canadian national team, extends Canada’s winning streak against Finland to five games since 2020.
The opening period showcased stellar goaltending from both sides. Canada’s Mathis Rousseau and Finland’s Niklas Kokko were in top form, but it was Nate Danielson who broke the deadlock. Danielson capitalized on a rebound from Denton Mateychuk’s shot, sneaking the puck past Kokko at 16:24. Despite Kokko’s earlier brilliance, including a glove save off Matthew Poitras, Rousseau’s acrobatic save off Lenni Hameenaho’s attempt was the highlight of the period.
The second period saw an exchange of goals after an early miss by Canada’s Jordan Dumais. Owen Allard extended Canada’s lead to 2-0 with a precise shot, assisted by Danielson. The Finns, however, quickly responded with a power-play goal. Arttu Karki’s shot was expertly tipped by Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, narrowing the deficit.
Canada asserted dominance in the third period, with Macklin Celebrini scoring after a video review confirmed the puck had crossed the line. The Canadians effectively controlled the game thereafter, with Poitras scoring an empty-net goal. Finland’s captain, Jere Lassila, managed to score in the closing minutes, but Lamoureux’s final empty-net goal sealed a 5-2 win for Canada.
The officiating team, led by the experienced Tobias Bjork and accompanied by the relatively new Daniel Eriksson, both from Sweden, ensured a fair and smoothly conducted game.
Canada looks forward to maintaining their momentum against Latvia, while Finland aims for a comeback against Germany in their upcoming fixtures.
