CANADA KICKS OFF WORLD UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIP WITH WIN

RAUMA, Finland – Jamie Arniel (Kingston, ON/Guelph, OHL) and Steven Stamkos (Unionville, ON/Sarnia, OHL) each had a goal and two assists to lead Team Canada to a 7-3 victory over Germany on Thursday at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship.

Stamkos opened the scoring at 0:59 when he finished a give-and-go with Arniel. Just over a minute later, Yves Bastien (Dowling, ON/Peterborough, OHL) intercepted a pass and scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway, beating German goaltender Tim Pielmeier with a wrist shot.

Arniel’s goal came at 6:39. He scored on a pretty tic-tac-toe play with linemates Zac Boychuk (Airdrie, AB/Lethbridge, WHL) and Stamkos.

Martin Buchwieser scored for Germany at 13:12 of the first, the last goal of the period. Germany made it 3-2 when Patrick Geiger scored on a partial breakaway at 9:32 of the second.

But Canada extended its lead at 13:06. Colton Gillies (Surrey, BC/Saskatoon, WHL) had a couple of chances to score on a goal-mouth scramble and roofed a shot to make it 4-2.
Luke Schenn’s wrister from just inside the point made it 5-2 Canada at the 17:32 mark.
Three goals were scored in the third period, the first by Germany’s Jerome Flaake. Drew Doughty (London, ON/Guelph, OHL) gave Canada a 6-3 lead at 10:22 with a low shot from the slot. And Brandon Sutter (Red Deer, AB/Red Deer, WHL) completed the scoring at 13:30 when he blasted a loose puck off the boards.

Trevor Cann (Oakville, ON/Peterborough, OHL) earned the win in net, stopping 32 of 35 shots.

Canada (1-0) will have Friday off before taking the ice Saturday against Latvia.