CANADA BLANKS GERMANY, INTO FINAL AT NATIONS CUP

JASON LA ROSE

FÜSSEN, Germany – Erica Howe (Orleans, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) was perfect to record an 11-save shutout, and Canada’s National Women’s Development Team beat Germany 5-0 on Friday to win its group and advance to the gold medal game at the 2017 Nations Cup.

The Canadians will face Finland in the final on Saturday (6 a.m. ET/3 a.m. PT) in search of their fourth-consecutive gold medal at the annual tournament.

Sarah Lefort (Ormstown, Que./Montreal, CWHL) led the way with two goals, and Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./University of Wisconsin, WCHA) had a goal and an assist for Canada, which avenged a 3-2 pre-tournament loss to the Germans.

Jade Downie-Landry (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que./McGill University, RSEQ) and Lindsay Agnew (Oakville, Ont./University of Minnesota, WCHA) had the other goals.

Jaime Bourbonnais (Mississauga, Ont./Cornell University, ECAC) picked up three assists, while Victoria Bach (Milton, Ont./Boston University, HE), Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask./University of Wisconsin, WCHA) had two helpers apiece.

After a pair of early power plays – including a 41-second five-on-three – came up empty, Lefort finished off a feed from Bach to give Canada a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes.

The duo hooked up again early in the second period, with Lefort netting her second of the game to make it 2-0 at 1:24, and Downie-Landry pushed the lead to 3-0 just shy of the 13-minute mark of the middle frame.

The Canadians capped the scoring with goals in quick succession the third; Agnew scored from Bourbonnais at 6:36, and Nurse added another to make it 5-0 just 40 seconds later.

Canada overwhelmed Germany on the shot clock, holding a one-sided 53-11 advantage, helped in large part by seven power plays, although the Canadians went without a goal while a player up.