Canada passes first tough test at world juniors as medal round looms
Canada celebrates the team s win over Finland after a game at the World Junior Hockey Championship. (Jason Franson/CP)
Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec December 31, 2020, 11:32 PM
EDMONTON They have been referred to, this pesky country of hockey hard workers, as a stone in every nation’s shoe that dares go into hockey battle against tiny but mighty Finland. Smaller in population than either Quebec or Ontario, the Finns have won three of the past seven world junior titles.
Well, sometimes the book is better than the movie.
If this was truly Canada’s first big test at the 2021 tournament, then they passed it like a kid that’s homeschooling with the internet at their fingertips.
World Juniors Wrap-Up: Day 6 by Staff Writer MapleLeafs / MapleLeafs.com
It was a busy day at the World Juniors for Maple Leafs prospects, with five taking the ice and combining for eight points as the round robin stage nears its conclusion.
Finland remained unbeaten in the early game, shutting out Slovakia 6-0 with Leafs prospects accounting for a combined four points on the scoresheet. Roni Hirvonen (2020, 59th overall) had a helper on the game s opening goal and added another in the third. He s now racked up four assists in three games.
Topi Niemela (2020, 64th overall) remains the tournament s top scoring defenceman after a two-point effort, including his second goal of the tournament to extend Finland s lead to 2-0, a wicked shot from the top of the circle that whipped through a traffic jam in front of the
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Team Canada forward Quinton Byfield exploded for six points, including two goals, Tuesday against Switzerland and his teammates say what you’re witnessing is “just a glimpse of what he can do, Mark Masters reports from Edmonton.
TSN Hockey Reporter Mark Masters reports on the World Junior Hockey Championship. Team Canada practised at the Downtown Community Arena inside the Edmonton bubble on Wednesday.
Quinton Byfield posted just two assists in his first nine games at the World Juniors. On Tuesday, the Sudbury Wolves centre exploded for six points, including two goals, as Canada blanked Switzerland 10-0.
World Juniors Wrap-Up: Day 5 by Staff Writer MapleLeafs / MapleLeafs.com
Three Maple Leafs prospects were back in action at the World Juniors Tuesday night, helping lead Russia to a 7-1 victory over Austria.
It was the first game of the tournament where all three Leafs prospects on the Russian team were in the lineup, and each contributed to the successful bounce-back win.
Rodion Amirov (2020, 15th overall) opened the scoring on a penalty shot, showing off his silky mitts and quick release. The goal was his first of the tournament, and he quickly added an assist 10 minutes later, giving him three points (1G, 2A) in as many games.
Four Maple Leafs prospects were back in action at the World Junior Championships in Edmonton on Sunday.
Finland improved to 2-0 in the tournament on Sunday, helped to a 4-1 victory over Switzerland with a pair of assists by Topi Niemela (2020, 64th overall) on the winning goal and the insurance marker. Niemela now has four points (1G, 3A) for Finland in their first two games and leads the tournament in points by a defenceman.
Roni Hirvonen (2020, 59th overall) also had a helper in the victory, giving him assists in each of the tournament s first two games. Mikko Kokkonen (2019, 84th overall) logged over 17 minutes on the blue line for Leijonat, keeping the Swiss team to just 14 shots on goal.