3 Takeaways from Canada's 4-0 win vs. Finland – Hockey Writers – World Junior Hockey Championship

Canada opened the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship (WJC) with a 4-0 win over Finland. This one was convincing enough to admit the two goals of the latest insurance they did to make the Finnish return from impossible to impossible. What are the three biggest takeaways from the night?

Canada Dominates Puck Possession But Not The Scoreboard

Against one of the better teams in the tournament, Canada didn't give an inch. They threw the Finnish defenders tirelessly for most of the game, so their 4-0 victory—aided by two goals in the final five minutes—was devastating on the scoreboard. While such a solid on-ice production against a good team is a good thing, not being able to capitalize on multiple opportunities could be a concern going forward. After the United States scored 10 goals against Germany, the Canadians may want more next time.

Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship

This is not to say that Canada hasn't had its moments of glory, however. The sequence that saw 17-year-old Gavin McKenna record the opening match was promising. A passing lane opened up after a good sequence in the offensive zone—frame fit Matthew Schaefer took advantage and McKenna did it all.

17 year old Gavin Mckenna gets the crowd going!🇨🇦💥 #WorldJuniors #MONEY @hockeycanada pic.twitter.com/m9wo1CvTlw

– IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 27, 2024

Toronto Maple Leafs player Easton Cowan capitalized on the Finnish advantage and put the puck in the back of their net. To put the game out of reach late in the third period, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Luca Pinelli beat Seattle Kraken's Caden Price to make it 3-0. A long point blank count from Schaefer closed it out, 4-0.

It's silly to face a game that saw Canada put Finland on the ball for 60 minutes. But since there are so many tall things in the offensive zone, most of them should go for goals. Even though they won by four, the team was not very smart in that regard. If these contests become do-or-die in January, those extended periods of control will diminish. It is important that you hit when you get the chance.

This amounts to a power play in Canada. He didn't do badly, but he didn't have the energy needed to open the game—they went 0-for-3. The second unit looked better than the first in the eye test, so that could be a building block.

Canada's defense will make or break the WJC

Sometimes, the best defense is the best offense—Canada's defensemen show that to a tee. Everyone did their part to keep the puck in the offensive zone, whether it was squeezing or making great passes like those of Schaefer and Price to allow teammates to flourish.

The Canadian defenders were very impressive. They spend less time in their area and are remarkably clean when they leave, which enables them to return to the end of Finland. They also blocked the most dangerous shots until the last few minutes when the Finns broke through and emptied their net.

Overall, the number of defensemen is below the best in hockey. Although this was not the case in these games, there is often back and forth in these high level games. Canada needs its defenders to constantly make the right plays to first get out of their zone and get another chance. The more the puck is in your position, the greater the chance of fouls—it's the blueliners' job to get it right. Not only did they do this, they delivered some outrageous fireworks to boot.

Carter George Made a Statement

Selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Carter George was given the big task of opening the tournament. He didn't face a ton of high quality rubber, but he was standing between the pipes and ready for whatever came his way. He stopped all 31 pictures of Finland.

George's performance should give Canada confidence going forward. There is a good chance that this squad will be at the top of the game when the championship is on the line. When that happens, your goalie has to be the star—anything short can cost you everything, even if you were the better team throughout the game.

Considering Canada's lack of ability to finish until very late, perhaps there was a country where this did not favor them or was stronger than it ended up being. George's composure in net will be crucial if they are to go far this winter. Goals will be hard to come by at times, so scoring must be there to improve. George understood the assignment, especially in the final two minutes when Finland had an empty net—that's where he really shined, keeping out despite being presented with scoring opportunities. Her place was spotless all night.

Next up, Canada will take on Latvia at the Canadian Tire Center at 7:30 pm EST on Dec. 27. It will be Latvia's opening competition for the 2025 WJC.

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