WJC Pre-Competition: Cirelli’s pair leads Canada to 5-0 blanking of Czech Republic
OTTAWA – Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Anthony Cirelli (Oshawa Generals) scored a pair of goals while fellow Lightning selection Connor Ingram (Kamloops Blazers) turned aside all 21 shots he faced in a 5-0 Canada win over the Czech Republic.
Canada’s second straight 5-0 pre-tournament win also featured goals from Dylan Strome (Erie Otters) and Julien Gauthier (Val-d’Or Foreurs) as they outshot the Czechs 31-21, going 2-for-4 on the power play.
Canada was limited to just one shot in the third period, but made it count as Cirelli buried his second of the night at 14:09 to cap the 5-0 win.
“Overall, we were better than Monday [against Finland],” said Canada head coach Dominique Ducharme (Drummondville Voltigeurs). “We took fewer penalties, [and] were more consistent through all 60 minutes. We aren’t yet perfect, but we’re happy with how we’re progressing.”
The Czech Republic’s pre-tournament roster features 10 CHL players including first round NHL draft pick Jakub Zboril (Saint John Sea Dogs/Boston Bruins).
Canada’s National Junior Team will conclude its pre-tournament schedule on Friday night (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT), facing off against Switzerland at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
It opens the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship on Boxing Day against Russia (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).