DAUPHIN SCORES SHOOTOUT WINNER, CANADA BEATS CZECHS IN U18 WARM-UP

SOCHI, Russia – Brayden Point (Calgary, Alta./Moose Jaw, WHL) scored twice in regulation time and once in the shootout and Laurent Dauphin (Repentigny, Que./Chicoutimi, QMJHL) netted the shootout winner as Canada beat the Czech Republic 5-4 Tuesday in its second and final pre-tournament game ahead of the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship.

Canada split its two exhibition contests, beating the Czechs after a 4-1 loss to the United States on Sunday.

Sam Bennett (Holland Landing, Ont./Kingston, OHL) and Connor McDavid (Newmarket, Ont./Erie, OHL) also scored for Canada, which got all four of its goals in regulation time from under-age players. The Canadian roster for the pre-tournament games includes a number of under-age players who are getting added experience in international competition.

Players that have been eliminated from the CHL playoffs will be added to complete the roster for the world championship.

Canada found itself in a two-goal hole after Jakub Vrana’s power-play goal early in the third period gave the Czechs a 4-2 lead, but Point and McDavid scored 2:17 apart to pull the Canadians even and force overtime.

Point and Lubos Rob traded goals in the initial three-round shootout before Dauphin’s winner in round five.

Philippe Desrosiers (St-Hyacinthe, Que./Rimouski, QMJHL) and Austin Lotz (St. Adolphe, Man./Everett, WHL) split the goaltending duties for Canada, with both Desrosiers allowing one goal and Lotz three in 30 minutes of work. Lotz stopped four of five Czech shooters in the shootout.

Canada opens the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship on Thursday against Slovakia (10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT). It will also face Germany, Switzerland and Sweden in preliminary round play.