Now that the early\u002Dround blood\u002Dletting is over, it’s time to get serious.
No question about it. Finland is not Slovakia, Latvia or Czechia. This isn’t a team that’s going to take an 11-1 defeat as a valuable lesson. This is a formidable opponent with the ability to take Canada down.
That’s the new era of Finnish hockey talking. With three of the last nine World Junior gold medals, just as many as Canada and the United States have won over that span, Finland takes a back seat to nobody. Finland also won the Olympic gold medal and the world championship this year, so national pride is at an all-time high. They came here with the same expectations Canada did: gold.
Monday afternoon’s preliminary round finale will decide top spot in Group A and mean a slightly easier quarterfinal matchup for the winner in the elimination round. As much as Canada wants to finish first in its pool, head coach Dave Cameron wants to stay in the habit of winning. The last thing they need heading into the medal round is a stumble.
Both teams are undefeated and picking up speed as the tournament moves along. For the Canadians, Monday is all about establishing their own game and imposing their will.