Canada runs roughshod over Slovakia
Dominant Canadian squad allows just six shots on net in posting its second straight win
TORONTO — OK, we understand the idea that the Canadians are going to have to play as a cohesive 22-man unit at the 2017 world junior championship.
To have success, and ultimately a gold medal, that has to be paramount. Few would have predicted that Canada would become a force as quickly as it has.
Yes, we’re just a couple of days into the event, but Canada is taking charge as the team to beat in its group at the Air Canada Centre.
A 5-0 win against Slovakia on Tuesday couldn’t have been much more dominant on the part of the Canadians.
Canada outshot the Slovaks 44-6, and when the second period ended, had more goals (four) than the opponent had shots (three).
Canada tied a team record in the world junior for fewest shots against in a game. The previous and only other time Canada allowed just six shots on goal was in 1983 in a game against Norway.
Consider this coming 24 hours after Canada beat Russia 5-3, allowing just 17 shots on goal and registering 37.
Next up is Latvia on Thursday. Expect some sort of hockey slaughter. Or laugher. Either one will apply.
Canada’s ability to be fast on the puck went into overdrive, and the Slovaks had no counterattack. It didn’t matter which line went over the boards. There was little to differentiate in what Canada did shift after shift.
In an ACC that had rows of empty seats, goalie Connor Ingram registered the shutout, and we’re willing to bet lots of money he never has had an easier night in the crease.
Canada never has lost to Slovakia in 12 meetings at the world junior, the closest coming in 1999, when the teams tied 0-0 in Winnipeg.
Slovakia managed to get through the first period without giving up a goal, though it was outshot 14-2.
The Canadians weren’t quite thrown off by their inability to beat goaltender Adam Huska and went to work in the second period, taking a 4-0 lead and allowing just one shot on goal.
That was not a team record for fewest shots against in one period at the world junior, though it could not have come closer to tying the mark. Three times in the tournament the Canadians have not allowed a shot on goal in a period, the most recent in 2015 versus Denmark.
Often in the world junior, the players who begin as the seventh defenceman or the 13th forward often find a time to shine.
For defenceman Jeremy Lauzon, that time came quickly. Lauzon played just four minutes 32 seconds against Russia in Canada’s tournament-opening win on Monday, the lowest total among Canadian blueliners.
There was Lauzon trailing the play 5 1/2 minutes into the second period, picking up a pass from Tyson Jost and firing the puck past Huska.
Canada scored three power-play goals against Russia and got two more in the middle period against Slovakia. The first came off the stick of Taylor Raddysh, who scored with an NHL-type shot that fans of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League know well. A nifty pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois from behind the goal-line made the play take shape. Raddysh finished it nicely, beating Huska high.
Anthony Corelli deflected a Lauzon shot past Huska, with Dillon Dube creating havoc at the net, for Canada’s third goal at 12:37. That one was at even-strength.
At 16:25, a point shot by Thomas Chabot got past Huska, giving Canada another goal with a man advantage.
A period after Lauzon found himself making an impact, it was forward Michael McLeod’s turn.
Through Canada’s first five periods of the tournament, McLeod had played a total of less than eight minutes.
That didn’t matter early in the third, as McLeod drove to the net and put a pass from Corelli behind Huska.