Canucks Army Postgame: Canada downed by host Finland, by a score of 6-5

From the opening game forward, this Canadian team never seemed to click. In the sparse stretches with quality goaltending, the offence was nowhere to be found and vice versa.

Today’s game against the Finns was a great example, as the Canadians finally found their second and third offensive gears, before having their effort derailed by a poor performance in net. MacKenzie Blackwood, who was inarguably the best option in net for the Canadians, was on the hook for six goals on twenty-nine shots.

The Canadians problems extended well beyond the net, though, as costly penalties from Jake Virtanen took his team off the power play on two separate occasions – including a pending 3-on-3 and two minors in just the one play. Consider these the bows on which Virtanen wraps up an ugly World Juniors, which saw the D+2 player pot just the one point, a primary assist on the Canadians third goal by Lawson Crouse.

Travis Konecny provided the opening marker on a nifty passing play, which he took forehand to backhand, to put past the Finnish netminder. The goal was assisted by Mitchell Stevens and John Quenneville. For Konecny, who’s been one of the better Canadian players throughout this tournament, it was no small reward to open the scoring in an elimination round.

Not long after, the Canadians padded their lead on a 2-0 marker from Arizona Coyotes prospect, Dylan Strome. It was Strome’s fourth goal of the tournament, which put him head and shoulders above his teammates in scoring for the tourney. 

A series of Finnish goals from Patrik Laine and Antti Kalapudas knotted this game at two, before the Canadians regained the lead on a goal from Crouse, assisted by Canucks prospect, Virtanen. It was Crouse’s second goal of the tournament and Virtanen’s first point, which in a way, says a lot about where the Canadians went. They certainly could’ve used more production from their veterans.

The Finns and Canadians traded barbs again, taking the score to evens at five. Mitch Marner had two of the Canadian goals, while Julius Naatinen and Sebastian Aho found twine for Finland. This is, more or less, where the wheels fall off. While pressing offensively, Virtanen takes a slashing penalty, before upping the ante with a slashing penalty. All on the same play. Talk about getting your moneys worth.

To make matters worse, Joe Hicketts would launch the puck for a delay of game penalty, just past the expiration of the first Virtanen minor, which gave Finland a 5-on-3 power play. They would capitalize by way of a Patrik Laine goal and seize the game from that point onward.