Canada Faces Finland in IIHF Medal Round After Downing Norway

Team Canada started the IIHF World Championships slowly but managed to grab top spot in Group A with Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Norwary in Minsk, Belarus.

Joel Ward scored twice, including the game winner midway through the third period, to put Norway away in a game that appeared much closer on the scoreboard that it was on the ice. Canada outshot 42-16 and Kevin Bieksa had a power-play goal disallowed because Jonathan Huberdeau had his stick in the Norway crease – one of those whacky IIHF rules.

“This is one of those games where you really just have to grind it out and battle because they protect so well, they collapse so well, and sometimes you just pass the puck around the outside but you can’t really get to the good scoring areas,” Canadian goalie James Reimer said after the game. “I think we’re just happy to grind this one out.”

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It certainly was a grind until the end after Norway took an early lead. Canada had seven total power plays, five of which came after Bieksa’s disallowed goal near the end of the first period. Both of Ward’s goals came with the man advantage but Canada was forced to kill a penalty at the end of the third to preserve the win.

Team Canada finished group play 6-0-1 after dropping its opening game of the tournament in a shootout against France. Now Canada will be back in action Thursday against Finland in the quarterfinals and the club hopes it is finally finding its groove. Canada ended up outscoring its opposition 28-13 in the opening stage of the tournament.

“We felt good about ourselves,” Ward told reporters. “We had a lot of chances, a lot of shots. We had some power plays. We just got to capitalize on special teams.”

Ward now has six goals and three assists in seven games of the tournament, the first time he’s played for Team Canada. Those six goals are tied with Canada’s Cody Hodgson and Antoine Roussel for second in the tournament.

Now Canada looks to build on this close win as it moves into the knockout portion of the competition.

“To get going to the quarterfinals here, I think we’re jelling well as a team,” Reimer told reporters. “We have some good chemistry. Hopefully things bode well in the playoffs.”