After a disappointing loss to defending champions Sweden in their opening game of the U18 World Hockey Championship, Canada bounced back with a dominant 8-0 victory over Germany on Friday.
Led by a hat trick from Nick Lardis, a forward for the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, Canada relied on their power play to jumpstart their offense and earn their first win of the tournament. Lardis scored Canada’s first goal of the game on the power play late in the first period and added two more goals in the final five minutes of the third period to complete his hat trick.
Matthew Wood, Lukas Dragicevic, Porter Martone, and Calum Ritchie also contributed goals for Canada, with Wood scoring twice and adding an assist.
Canada’s power play proved to be a major factor in the game, as they scored three of their eight goals with the man advantage. Wood scored his first goal of the game on the same five-minute power play that led to Lardis’ first goal, giving Canada a two-goal lead. Dragicevic and Martone also scored power-play goals, helping to widen Canada’s lead.
Goaltender Carson Bjarnason, who started in net for Canada after allowing five goals on seven shots in the loss to Sweden, bounced back with a shutout performance against Germany. He made 20 saves to earn the win and help Canada secure their first victory of the tournament.
While the loss to Sweden was a setback for Canada, they showed resilience and determination in their win over Germany. With several more games left in the tournament, Canada will look to build on this momentum and continue to improve as they compete for the U18 World Hockey Championship title.