Canadians wrap up exhibition with another win
So far, so good for Team Canada.
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John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals and Zach Boychuk of the Lethbridge Hurricanes each scored a pair of goals to help Canada to a 7-0 win over Slovakia in their final pre-tournament warm-up game on Tuesday in Hamilton.
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Cody Hodgson of the Brampton Battalion picked up three assists for his third straight three-point game. Hodgson was Canada’s top scorer with nine points in exhibition wins over Sweden, Finland and Slovakia.
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Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats opened the scoring with a powerplay goal in the first period. Tavares added a powerplay goal early in the second and Boychuk counted with an even-strength marker later in the middle frame.
Patrice Cormier of the Rimouski Oceanic scored a short-handed marker early in the third before Tavares and Boychuk counted powerplay markers less than a minute apart. Jamie Benn of the Kelowna Rockets rounded out the scoring in the final minute of the game.
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P.K. Subban of the Belleville Bulls, Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires and Tyler Ennis of the Medicine Hat Tigers all had two assists in the win.
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Chet Pickard of the Tri-City Americans turned aside all 20 shots he faced.
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Canada is looking for its fifth straight gold medal at the World Junior Championships and begin that quest for real on Boxing Day against the Czech Republic (7:30 p.m. Eastern on TSN and RDS).
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Photo: Terry Wilson / OHL Images