Canada wins big in closing Showcase
Juniors look great against Czechs but, hey, it’s the middle of summer
Yes, Canada beat the visiting Czech team 6- 2 Thursday night.
And yes, for what it’s worth, their only blemish of this week’s fourgame exhibition series — the World Junior Showcase — was Wednesday’s 3- 2 shootout loss to Russia.
Anyone will tell you that Hockey Canada’s summer development camp was only a small sample size of player performances and team chemistry. There is plenty of hockey left to measure before their national junior team starts defence of their gold medal on Boxing Day versus the U. S. in Helsinki, Finland.
But Scott Salmond is no different than the hockey- starved fans at WinSport — Hockey Canada’s Calgary- based headquarters — who couldn’t help designing a potential 22- man roster.
“This gave us a real good look at what we’ve got,” said Hockey Canada’s vice- president of hockey operations. “Any time you can play meaningful games in August and have that type of intensity, I think it tells you a lot.
“We’re not going to get too caught up in that — there are still a lot of decisions to be made. But it gives us a chance to see where we are and where we need to go.”
Which, really, is no different than where they went this past winter.
“( Before last year) we were chasing ( gold),” Salmond said. “I’ve seen the feeling in the room from the coaches and the players. We know what it takes to win ... it’s in the players minds. To go there and defend as opposed to chasing, it’s just a different feeling.”
Brayden Point is one of five returning players from the 2015 edition.
Including Thursday’s secondperiod marker — his sixth point of the tournament which also gave Canada a 2- 0 lead — the Moose Jaw Warriors forward understands this week wasn’t the be- all, end- all.
“Obviously, it’s early in the year,” Point said.
“But, at the same time, this camp is pretty important to make a good first impression. I think a lot of guys did that. It’s good to contribute offensively ... obviously, the formula we had ( at the 2015 world juniors) worked so we are going to stick to that.”
Truth be told, Canada struggled at puck drop Thursday night at WinSport’s Markin McPhail arena.
Twenty- one seconds into the
Obviously, it’s early in the year. But, at the same time, this camp is pretty important to make a good first impression. I think a lot of guys did that.
game, Mitchell Marner was caught for hooking and gave the Czechs an early power play while it took 4: 46 for them to get their first shot on net.
Their first legitimate chance of the period came when Marner deked around Filip Chlapik, leaving Dylan Strome alone to deposit the rebound but no luck.
It wasn’t until a five- on- three advantage midway through the opening frame — which came from a skirmish involving Point — that Canada started to pick up their feet and started shooting the puck.
Canada, with four forwards on the power play including Point, Robby Fabbri, Michael Dal Colle and Marner, managed to generate a bit of traffic in front of Czech goalie Karel Vejmelka.
That created the momentum and, eventually, the Nashville Predators prospect cracked.
Olivier Leblanc gave Canada its first goal, a stunner from the point shortly after their five- on- three power play expired.
At that point, they were outshooting the Czechs 8- 2 and would go on to direct 38 shots on net.
Two Arizona Coyotes 2015 draft picks were also noticeable.
Calgary’s Nick Merkley, who was selected 30th overall, scored fouronfour with 39.9 seconds left in the second period. He padded Canada’s lead in the third period while Strome, the third overall selection, also had a pair.
Team Canada’s brass also tested two of their three goaltenders. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped all 15 shots he faced in the first half while Samuel Montembeault made seven saves while allowing both Czech goals from Boston Bruins prospect Jakub Zboril and Jiri Cernoch.
“They were put in a taxing situation this week,” said Canadian team coach Dave Lowry.
“To play these games with that much emotion and physicality, I thought the guys did a real good job.” So now what? Following individual meetings, players disperse to their respective Canadian Hockey League/ NCAA outposts.
Some ( Jake Virtanen? Strome? Dal Colle? Marner?) may even crack their respective National Hockey League squads.
But, wherever they are, a good start to their season improves their chances because the annual Subway Super Series games and Hockey Canada’s December camp come quick.
Salmond indicated they want to be in Europe by Dec. 15.
“We talked to them about our expectations, about our plans,” he said. “There are some guys here who, in their own minds, think they’re going to start in the National Hockey League. And they probably will. Good for you, we want you to be in the NHL.
“But, when it comes down to it, we’d also like to have you back.”