Bedard's seven-point night leads Canada in rout over Germany
In the second and final game of Day 3 at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, the hosts, Canada, took on a German squad that gave Sweden a run for their money on Tuesday.
Canada got the scoring started early in the first period on the powerplay. Following a beautiful tic-tac-toe with Olen Zelleweger, Connor Bedard and Dylan Guenther, the latter found the back of the net to give Canada a 1-0 lead.
Dylan Guenther finishes off an incredible passing play, Canada opens the scoring in Halifax! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/ughgMXXzoo— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 28, 2022
Just under nine minutes remaining in the opening frame, Germany tied things up. Forward Roman Kechter skated into Canada's zone, received a pass and fired the puck on net and it trickled through the five-hole of Thomas Milic to make it 1-1.
Roman Kechter squeaks one through Thomas Milic, as Germany ties the game at 1! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/oCRcR6jh3N— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 28, 2022
A couple of minutes later, Canada regained the lead. Captain Shane Wright was poking at the puck in Germany's crease when defenceman Leon van der Linde shot it into his own net, giving Canada a 2-1 lead.
Shane Wright throws it on goal and it finds a way through! Canada strikes again on the power play! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/SVgUzSkXQZ— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Canada added a third goal with under three minutes left in the period. Habs prospect Joshua Roy forced a turnover, picked up the pass and gave it to Logan Stankoven. Stankoven then found Connor Bedard, who was in alone on a breakaway and the projected first overall pick next Summer ripped a shot glove-side on Simon Wolf to extend Canada's lead to 3-1.
Connor Bedard continues his electric start to the #WorldJuniors, as he makes it 3-1 Canada! pic.twitter.com/EE4Cw9Rkxj— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Canada blew the game wide open in the second period as their offense exploded to score six times, extending their lead to 9-1 after 40 minutes.
Connor Bedard picked up his second of the night just over a minute into the second, capitalizing on a mistake by the Germans and tapped the puck over the goal line.
A fortunate bounce for Canada, as Connor Bedard scores his second of the game! It's now 4-1 Canada! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/bhzWaqp0bG— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Nearly 13 minutes later, Bedard completed the hat-trick on the powerplay, sniping a shot short-side top-corner on Simon Wolf to make it 5-1 Canada.
Here come the hats!! Connor Bedard rips home his third of the game to make it 5-1 Canada! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/yPGCkGcTMx— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Germany then got into some penalty trouble as Rayan Bettahar was given a match penalty for illegal check to the head of Adam Fantilli. Canada used the five-minute major to extend their lead, scoring four more powerplay goals before the end of the period.
Dylan Guenther ripped home his second of the game on a sweet feed from Connor Bedard to give Canada a 6-1 lead.
Bedard to Guenther, again! Make that four power play goals for Canada! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/bh4cDbVw6L— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Canada's seventh goal of the night came courtesy of Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke. Clarke got the puck at the point on pass from Adam Fantilli and blasted a shot past Simon Wolf.
Brandt Clarke hammers one from the point as he makes it 7-1 Canada! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/jGAJ5Ibo9Y— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Guenther scored his third of the night just over a minute later. Guenther and Bedard were passing it back-and-forth in the middle of Germany's zone, when the Coyotes rookie fired one home, similar to his second of the game, to give Canada an 8-1 lead.
Bedard to Guenther, one more time! Guenther completes the hat trick with 3 power play goals! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/Lax8l8AVac— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Then, in the dying seconds of the middle frame, Dallas Stars prospect Logan Stankoven scored his first of the tournament on a turnover from Germany. Stankoven was alone in front when the puck came to him and he put it under Simon Wolf's blocker, making it 9-1 Canada.
Logan Stankoven is on the board! Canada makes it 9-1 with yet another power play goal! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/v1IEgFsmFV— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Ottawa Senators prospect Zack Ostapchhuk added to Canada's lead early in the third period, firing a shot past German goaltender Rihards Babulis, who came into the game in relief of Simon Wolf. 10-1 Canada.
Zack Ostapchuk has Canada in double digits! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/wA14vMCG1z— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Just under ten minutes to play in the final frame, Montreal Canadiens prospect Joshua Roy swiped at the puck and it found a way past Babulis making it 11-1 Canada. With his assist on Roy's goal, Connor Bedard tied the Canadian single-game points record with seven.
Joshua Roy finds the back of the net as Canada's lead grows to 10!
With an assist on the play, Connor Bedard has now tied a Canadian tournament record for points in a game with 7!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/dAaz9Qzd0s— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Later in the period on the powerplay, Germany scored their second of the night. Phillip Sinn's rocket of a shot found its way through a screen and past Thomas Milic.
Germany strikes on the power play with a blast from Phillip Sinn! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/0qNUquP3Q4— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2022
Canada would end up walking away with a 11-2 win over the Germans led by hat-tricks from Connor Bedard and Dylan Guenther. Canada will be back in action on Thursday night against Austria, while Germany has Thursday off and will face Austria on Friday.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Zachary Werenski | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| Sean Monahan | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jesper Bratt | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Frederick Gaudreau | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Jack Hughes | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Mackenzie Weegar | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Kent Johnson | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Alexander Wennberg | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Mitchell Chaffee | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matthew Coronato | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Marcus Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Nick Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Conor Geekie | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Stefan Noesen | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Corey Perry | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Igor Sharangovich | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||