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PARDUBICE, Czech Republic — Oshawa Generals whiz kid John Tavares was given a regular shift for the first time at the 2008 world junior championship, but that didn't prevent Canada from appearing rather ordinary against the overmatched teenagers from Denmark.
Tavares, the 17-year-old phenom who could be the top pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft, scored his team's first goal in Canada's 4-1 win against Denmark to give the Canadian juniors a 3-1 record after the round-robin portion of the event.
Canada finished second in its division behind Sweden, 4-0. The Canadians will play Finland, 2-2, in quarter-final play tomorrow and the winner will advance to play the United States, 4-0, in the semi-finals on Friday. The other quarter-final will feature the host Czech Republic against Russia and the winner will meet Sweden in the other semi-final.
The Canadian juniors defeated Finland 4-2 in an exhibition game a few days before the tournament began, but they will have to kick their game up a notch to beat the Finns, who in November won the Four Nations tournament over Sweden, Russia and the Czech Republic.
Canada's John Tavares celebrates after scoring against Denmark during a IIHF World U20 Ice Hockey Championships game in Pardubice, Czech Republic on Monday. (Petr David Josek/AP)
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"We're going to win the gold medal," Tavares boldly predicted. "We're going to play hard, we're going to do whatever it takes. Trust me, we want to win."
The Canadians kept Denmark's capable goalie Christian Moller busy, outshooting their opponent 43-16. Moller, a backup goalie for the last-place Herlev Hornets in the Danish Elite League, was sharp.
Moller agrees with Tavares, even though Sweden hammered the Danes 10-1 last week. The difference, Moller said, was that his team was not as sharp in that game.
"We played our best game against Canada and they still beat us 4-1," said Moller, who after the game had his picture taken with Tavares for a story a Danish reporter was working on. Moller made a glove-hand stop on Tavares in the second period.
"We collapsed against Sweden. Compared to Sweden, Canada is stronger because they come at you harder."
Canadian goalie Steve Mason of Oakville, Ont., lost his bid for a second shutout in two games when Denmark's Mikkal Boedker scored from in close on the power play midway through the third period. Boedker, 19, plays for the Kitchener Rangers.
A goaltending decision faces coach Craig Hartsburg and his staff as they prepare for Finland. Will it be Mason or Jonathan Bernier of Laval, Que.? The latter is the more experienced, but he suffered a meltdown in Sweden's 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Canada last Saturday.
Hartsburg will announce his starter today.
"They're both good goaltenders, good kids, and there's going to be one disappointed one, for sure," he said.
Another sticky situation for Hartsburg is whether to keep increasing Tavares's ice time and possibly play him on the top unit with Kyle Turris, who scored two power-play goals yesterday, or keep him on a line with Shawn Matthias.
After receiving only spot duty, mostly on the power play, in the first three games, Tavares had a regular shift with Matthias and Matt Halischuk against Denmark. There was chemistry between the three and Matthias enjoyed a strong game with a power-play goal and solid penalty killing.
But would Canada's lack of finish on offence — only 12 goals in four games — benefit more from Tavares being on the top line?
Matthias of Mississauga also has been outstanding. He plays for the Belleville Bulls, who play their home games on an Olympic-sized ice surface and that has benefited the lanky centre, nicknamed Danger after the awkward gym-rat character in the movie Million Dollar Baby.
Matthias was the prospect the Detroit Red Wings traded to the Florida Panthers in the Todd Bertuzzi trade last year. "It made me realize that it's really just a business, and it was cool to see my name mentioned on TSN, but I don't want it to happen again," said Matthias, who in the game after that trade struck for a goal and four assists.
