Forward Mark Stone earned a hat trick and helped Canada kick off the 2012 World Junior Championship with an 8-1 win over Finland.
As expected, Canada started the game with guns blazing as they pressured the puck and swarmed the net. It took them all of 2:14 to cash in as Ryan Strome corrals the loose puck along the goal line and passes it behind the net to Jonathan Huberdeau who got it off quick to Mark Stone who was streaking through the slot and fired it past Finnish goaltender Christopher Gibson.
Just 2:11 later it was 2-0 as Jaden Schwartz sends a blooper of a shot Brendan Gallagher bangs home a cross crease pass from Jaden Schwartz
Finland had their opportunities in the first period as Canada gave them two consecutive power plays midway through the period. It didn't generate many offensive chances but gave them some confidence as they were able to finish the period strong with a flurry of shots on Canada goalie, Mark Visentin.
In the second period, their momentum carries over as Alexander Ruutu fires a shot from the top of the circles that goes past defenseman Mark Pysyk and over the shoulder of Visentin to make it a one goal game just over a minute into the period.
Canada restored their two-goal lead a minute and a half later as Stone got his second of the game thanks in large part to a Finnish defenseman without a stick. Huberdeau got the primary assist for finding Stone wide open in the circle who fired it home - different spot on the ice, but very similar to his first goal.
Then, Huberdeau earned his third point of the game and made it 4-1 Canada with a wrist shot from the circle on the power play midway through the period. Three minutes later, it was 5-1 with a bomb from the blue line that found the far corner by Dougie Hamilton and that's how the second period would end.
Less than a minute into the third, Brett Connolly went streaking down the wall and fired a wrist shot high glove side to make it 6-1. Three minutes later, Stone completed the hat trick by cleaning up the garbage in front of the crease to make it 7-1 Canada.
Strome got his fourth point of the game with a shot from the point that make it 8-1 not even mid way through the period. Canada took two needless penalties in the third period allowing Finland to get something going offensively, but that's how the game would end as Canada wins the first game of the 2012 World Junior Championships.
Finland will play USA on Wednesday, while Canada will take on Czech Republic.
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