PRAGUE, Czechia — Owen Power had a goal and two assists as defending champion Canada remained undefeated at the world hockey championship with a 5-3 win over Finland Saturday.
Dylan Cozens — with a goal and an assist — Brandon Tanev, and Brandon Hagel also scored before Dawson Mercer added an insurance goal into an empty net.
Captain John Tavares pitched in with two assists, and netminder Jordan Binnington made 29 saves.
Hagel tapped home a feed from Tavares with 8:28 remaining to give Canada a 4-3 lead, its first of the game. Canada trailed 2-0 and 3-2 in the game.
“We might have underestimated (Finland) a little bit at the start, but our response was incredible," Hagel said. "We were able to come back, settle things down and from there we really took over the game.
"It is a different game when you come to the world championship. A lot of these teams play together more frequently, and they play a different style than what we see (in North America), but it is something that we have been able to adapt to quickly.”
Jesse Puljujarvi scored twice and Valtteri Puustinen added another goal for Finland. Harri Sateri stopped 17 shots.
Canada joined Switzerland in second place in Group A, a point behind leader the Czech Republic. All three sealed playoff-round spots.
Canada meets Switzerland Sunday.
“I loved the way we battled back (after falling behind 2-0)," head coach Andre Tourigny said. "The guys came out hard, won puck battles and they responded really well.
"The team showed a lot of pride and character, and our guys played with a lot of emotion. All things considered, it was a great performance and we have a lot to be proud of.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2024.
The Canadian Press
