3 takeaways from Canada’s 4-0 win over Finland – The Hockey Writers – World Junior Hockey Championships

Canada defeated Finland 4-0 to kick off the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship (WJC). Even allowing for the two late insurance goals that took Finland's comeback from improbable to improbable, it's pretty convincing. What were your top three takeaways from the night?

Canada dominates possession of puck, but not on scoreboard

Facing one of the best teams in the tournament, Canada didn't give an inch. They kept pummeling the Finnish defense for much of the game, so a 4-0 win in the final five minutes, aided by two goals, put their performance on the scoreboard Not outstanding. While such decisive on-ice production against a good team is a positive, the inability to capitalize on numerous opportunities could become a concern going forward. After the United States scored 10 goals against Germany, the Canadians may want more in the future.

RELATED: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championships

But that doesn’t mean Canada doesn’t have its moments of glory. It was a promising start as 17-year-old Gavin McKenna set up the game's opening score. After getting a good sequence in the offensive zone, a passing lane opened up — draft-eligible Matthew Schaefer took advantage, and McKenna did the rest.

17 year old Gavin Mckenna moved the crowd! #worldjuniorteam #FINCAN @hockeycanada pic.twitter.com/m9wo1CvTlw

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 27, 2024

Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Easton Cowan took advantage of Finn's mistake and put the puck in the net. To put the game out of reach late in the third quarter, Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Luca Pinelli knocked down Seattle Kraken's Caden Price Pass the ball to make the score 3-0. Schaefer's long-range empty-net goal sealed the victory, 4-0.

It would be foolish to get excited about a game where Canada made Finland struggle for 60 minutes. But with so many long possessions in the offensive zone, more possessions have to produce goals. Although they won by four points, the team wasn't particularly good in that regard. When these competitions become life-or-death in January, long-term control diminishes. It’s important to strike out when you have the chance.

This also gets to the heart of Canada’s power play. It wasn't a bad performance, but it lacked the roar needed to open the game — they went 0 for 3 from the field. The second unit looks better than the first through visual testing, so that might be something to draw from.

The Canadian Defense Force will make or break the worldJC

Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense – and Canada's defenders are proof of that. Everyone does their part to keep the puck in the offensive zone, whether it's double-teaming or making beautiful passes like Schaeffer and Price that allow the team's forwards to shine.

The Canadian defense is very impressive. They spent very little time in their zone and had a noticeably clean exit, allowing for a smooth transition back to the finish in Finland. They also stopped high-danger shots until the final minutes, when the Finns scored and cleared the net.

In general, defensemen are undervalued in hockey. While that wasn't the case in this game, there tends to be a lot of back-and-forth in these high-stakes games. Canada needs its defensemen to keep making the right plays, first exiting their zone and then bringing the puck up the ice for opportunities in other ways. The more the puck is in your zone, the more potential there is for something to go wrong – it's the blueliner's job to get the puck out smoothly. Not only did they do that, they also brought some offensive firepower.

Carter George issued a statement

Carter George was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft and will be tasked with opening things up with a big game. He wasn't facing a ton of premium rubber, but he was balanced between the pipes and ready for whatever came his way. He stopped all 31 of Finland's shots.

George's strong performance should give Team Canada some confidence moving forward. This team has a good chance of playing a tight game in a game with the championship at stake. When this happens, your goaltending has to be excellent – any flaw could cost you everything, even if you were consistently the better team throughout the game.

Considering Canada's lack of finishing ability until late, maybe the world was stacked against them, or tighter than it ended up being. George's composure in front of the net will be crucial if they want to go far this winter. Sometimes it's hard to score goals, so the goalkeeper has to fill in the gaps. George understood the task, especially in the final two minutes when Finland had an empty net – that's when he really shined, keeping the block shut despite being riddled with scoring chances. His positioning was perfect all night.

Next up, Canada will face Latvia at the Canadian Tire Center on December 27 at 7:30 pm ET.

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