TORONTO, ON ? If first impressions mean anything, then Canada's National Junior Team is all business as it prepares for the 2009 World Junior Championship.Cody Hodgson (Markham, ON/Brampton, OHL) had a goal and drew an assist on goals by John Tavares (Oakville, ON/Oshawa, OHL) and Zach Boychuk (Airdrie, AB/Lethbridge, WHL) in a 4-2 victory over Sweden at the Air Canada Centre on Friday. Jamie Benn (Victoria, BC/Kelowna, WHL) scored Canada's other goal.
Dustin Tokarski (Watson, SK/Spokane, WHL) started in net for Canada needed to make just eight saves before being replaced by Chet Pickard (Winnipeg, MB/Tri-City, WHL) midway through the game with the home side ahead by two.
Oscar Moller, who is on loan from the Los Angeles Kings, scored Sweden's first goal when scored a beautiful goal on a 30-foot backhand in the final minute of the second. Victor Hedman scored a shorthanded goal at 19:36 of the third.
The game was first of three pre-competition games the Canadians will play in preparation for the World Juniors, which begin on Boxing Day in Ottawa.
The game also renewed a rivalry between the junior hockey powers that was rekindled at last year?s tournament in the Czech Republic ? the Swedes ended Canada's 20-game winning streak in the preliminary round but the Canadians had the last laugh, topping the Scandinavians 3-2 in overtime in the gold medal game for their fourth straight world title.
Friday's match-up also featured the consensus top two picks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Tavares and Hedman. Both players are key components to their team's possible success in Ottawa and both turned in strong performances in front of the close to 12,000 who braved a winter storm to see the game.
Tavares ignited the crowd at the ACC just 4:22 after the opening face-off, taking a pass from Hodgson on a Canadian power play and beating a sprawling Mark Owuya, who made 39 saves in a losing cause for the Swedes.
Hodgson made it 2-0 seconds after the goaltending change in the second period, deflecting an Alex Pietrangelo (King City, ON/Niagara, OHL) point shot past a frozen Owuya.
After Moller cut the lead in half heading into the second intermission, Boychuk erased any Swedish momentum early in the third, driving to the net to knock in the rebound of a Hodgson shot and restore Canada?s two-goal advantage.
Benn and Hedman traded goals in the final seven minutes to round out the scoring.
The Canadians return to the ice on Sunday night when they take on Finland in Mississauga, ON. That game can be seen live on TSN, beginning at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST.
(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)
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