Canada, Russia Win Big

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Playing in their second game in 24 hours, Canada looked no worse for the wear as they posted ten goals on their way to a 10-2 victory over Denmark.

Both Quinton Howden and Jonathan Huberdeau registered points in the victory, with Howden recording three, including the game's first goal.

For the third straight game, Canada got on the board less than five minutes into the game and it was the Panthers first round pick (25th overall) in the 2010 NHL Draft netting his first of the tournament that did it.

Howden got behind Denmark's defense and snapped a wrist shot past netminder Sebastian Feuk 2:34 into the game. That was the first of four goals in the opening period for the Canadians.

Tampa prospect Brett Connolly scored a shorthanded goal 6:17 into the period while Ottawa's Mark Stone recorded his fifth of the tournament with 3:55 left on the clock. Islander's Ryan Strome scored 90 seconds later to make it 4-0. Huberdeau recorded the second assist on the play, his sixth assist in three games.

In the second twenty minutes, it was more Canada as they scored three more goals to go up 7-0. Defenseman Scott Harrington scored on a blast from the point just 25 seconds into the period (Howden with second assist) and then Stone netted his second of the game as he tipped in Harrington's point shot a little over four minutes later. Freddie Hamilton recorded the third goal of the period with 4:29 left on the clock.

Denmark would ruin Mark Visentin's bid for a shutout with a goal by Nikolai Meyer 3:05 into the third and scored a power play goal with 8:48 gone off a rebound by Emil Kristensen to make it a 7-2 game. But Canada closed it out with three straight in the last ten minutes of the game.

Brandon Gormley scored on a point shot on the power play with 8:28 left to play and then scored once again with 4:33 on the clock as Howden set up the second tally. Brendan Gallagher finished out the scoring with a shorthanded goal with 3:01 remaining.

Despite the score, there was some cause for concern as Canada gave Denmark plenty of opportunities in the game as they gave the Danes eight power play opportunities on the night. Canada did outshoot Denmark 51-26 in the game.

Howden finished with the goal and two assists on one shot and was a plus-3 while Huberdeau finished with the assist on five shots and a minor penalty and was a plus-3.

Canada now gets a day off before playing the United States on New Years Eve in a huge tilt.


RUSSIA 14 - LATVIA 0

Latvia was game for all of 20 minutes against the talented Russians. The final 40? Not so much as Russia scored at will in a 14-0 victory in Calgary.

It was a 1-0 game heading into the second period as Mikhail Grigorenko scored 10:29 in.

The underdogs could not keep up in the second however as Russia scored six times in the period including a pair from each Yevgeni Kuznetsov and Nikita Gusev. Four of the six goals came via the power play as Latvia had trouble staying out of the box.

Up 7-0, Russia really poured it on, doubling their score in the single period. Alexander Khokhlachev netted two while Kuznetsov picked up his third of the night on his way to a nine point night. Panthers prospect Yaroslav Kosov picked up his first goal of the tournament, recording Russia's 13th tally of the night 11:36 into the period.

Kosov finished with the goal on three shots and was a plus-1.