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HALIFAX – Dany Heatley scored three times to become Canada's all-time active leading goal scorer and the
defending champions beat Slovenia
5-1 on Friday in the opening game of the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation's World Championship
tournament.
Heatley now has 25 goals for Canada on the world stage and his hat trick moved him past Hall of Famer
Marcel Dionne in the history texts.
"It feels great, I didn't know that,' Heatley said on TSN in the second intermission about accomplishing
his feat. "It means I have
been here a few times."
This is Heatley's fifth world tournament. He was MVP of the 2004 championship.
Dan Hamhuis, playing in his third straight IIHF world championship tournament, and Martin St. Louis also
scored for the Canadians, who aim to become the first team to win a goal medal on home soil since Russia in
1986.
Ryan Getzlaf had three assists while Rick Nash contributed two assists.
Anze Kopitar broke Cam Ward's shutout bid while Slovenia enjoyed a two-man advantage in the second period.
Kopitar plays for the Los
Angeles Kings and is the only member of the Slovenia team who plays in the NHL.
From the outset, it wasn't whether Canada would win the game. The only issue was the margin of victory and
a superb effort by goalie Robert
Kristian prevented the match from a complete blowout.
 Hamhuis opened
the scoring early in the first period by making the right read in the play and jumping in from the blueline
to deposit a
rebound past Kristian at the 3:45 mark.
The Canadians had a chance to pull ahead by two goals a few minutes later when Eric Staal beat Kristian
from close in but his shot bounded
off the left post.
Heatley one-timed a perfect cross-ice pass for his first goal of the game just 41 seconds into the second
period to become Team Canada's
all-time active leading goal scorer, surpassing Dionne.
St. Louis then made it 3-0 at 10:18.
Ward didn't see much action until Slovenia went on a two-man power play and there was little the Canadian
goalie could do when Kopitar put Slovenia on the board. Kopitar took a pass off his skate and kicked the puck
on to his skate and scored from close in at 12:19 of the second period. It was the historic first goal for
Slovenia against Canada. Slovenia lost 8-0 the first time these teams mat at the world tournament in
2004.
Heatley netted his second goal of the game at 5:07 of the third.
Kopitar then had a chance to get a second goal when he was stopped by Ward while on a breakaway.
Heatley scored his third goal of the game in a backhand shot at 10:25.
Ward has now won six straight games at the world tournament. He was 5-0 in Moscow last year to help Canada
to the world title.
Canada's next game is Sunday against Latvia and the Canadians then play the United States on Tuesday. Both
games will be televised by
TSN. » WATCH CANADA VS.
SLOVENIA ON TSN VIDEO ON DEMAND
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