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TORONTO, Ontario -- Coach Brent Sutter liked what he saw even if his Canadian junior team dominated the CIS Toronto Selects in exhibition play on Saturday afternoon. Carlos Salcido Jersey . Connor McDavid, the 16-year-old prodigy who draws most of the attention, scored Canadas first goal and big Josh Anderson threw his weight around and scored as Canada downed the Selects 3-0. Left winger Charles Hudon finished it off with an empty-net goal in the final minute. "I was pleased with a lot of things," said Sutter. "There were times in the third where we have to be careful in our own zone. We cant be soft on pucks. We have to do everything hard and do it the right way. "But if you look at the opportunities we had. All three of their goalies played really well for them, but it was good to see. We did a lot of good things." Canada dominated the play and outshot the Selects 56-20. Sutter isnt worried that, considering the number of chances they produced, the finish around the net wasnt quite there yet. It was only the second day of a three-day camp at the Mastercard Centre to kick off preparations for the world junior championship that begins Dec. 26 in Malmo, Sweden. The team will have an off-ice workout Sunday morning before flying to Sweden, where they will play pre-tournament games against Finland, the Swedes and Switzerland before the real games begin. The team will take all 25 players from selection camp to Europe, with no cuts being made in Canada. "I know all these guys can score goals," said Sutter. "So its getting them to become a team first and foremost. Getting them to understand roles theyll have to play on this team and making sure everything is within the confines of how we want to play, our identity as a hockey team." There are 25 players in camp and the roster will be trimmed to 22 -- two goalies, seven defencemen and 13 forwards -- for the tournament. No cuts will be made until the squad gets to Sweden. They could come after the first pre-tournament game Dec. 20 against the Finns. Sutter had encouraging news on Jonathan Drouin, the gifted winger who is expected to be an offensive motor for Canada. The Halifax Mooseheads star, who suffered a concussion last week in Quebec Major Junior Hockey league play, was symptom free after riding a stationary bike and may be fit to resume skating when the team gets to Europe. "Well get him to go a little farther (on Sunday) and if that goes well, well get him on the ice when we go overseas," the coach said. The juniors owned the puck against the Selects, a team put together from three university squads, and Sutter gave plenty of ice time to the unit of McDavid, 2014 draft prospect Sam Reinhart and left winger Hunter Shinkaruk. McDavid is vying to become the sixth skater to play for Canadas world junior squad at 16, after Wayne Gretzky, Jason Spezza, Eric Lindros, Jay Bouwmeester and Sidney Crosby. He helped his bid with a strong effort against the Selects. "I was okay," the skinny, six-foot phenom said. "I felt pretty good out there. "The pace was pretty good. The guys were a lot older, a lot bigger. I felt I had my legs. I felt the team played very well for our first game together. We didnt give up a whole lot defensively, which was good." Canada outshot the students 19-3 in the opening period and had Hudon, Reinhart and Curtis Lazar hit goalposts. Still, the Selects first-period goalie Garrett Sheehan kept it scoreless. The period offered several special teams situations, including one-man and two-man advantages and 4-on-4 play. McDavid and Reinhart got ice time in all of them. McDavid even played the right point on a two-man advantage. "That was a little different," the Erie Otters star said. "(Sutter) wants to try some things out. "I will do whatever he wants me to. It was nice to play the power play and everything like that. There are 15 other forwards that can do that. I just want to worry about keeping my play up." McDavid finally got a goal on a power play 13:37 into the second period against Andrew Perugini, and was dangerous around the net for most of the game. Asked about McDavid, Sutter grinned and said "he really did a good job." Then there was the six-foot-two Anderson, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect who plays by the Brian Burke buzzword "truculence." He not only dished out checks, but got a goal 15 seconds into the third period, picking the top corner behind Troy Passingham after a feed from behind the net from Rychel. His line with Rychel and six-foot-four Frederik Gauthier also stood out. "As the game went on, that line really got their legs under them," said Sutter. "Theyre all big guys that can skate. "They play a heavy game. They get on the forecheck hard and theyre smart. Its nice to have that size on your team and who play that way." Hudon had a wild night, missing on two breakaways before finally picking off a cross-ice pass and going in alone to score the empty-netter. Zachary Fucale started for Canada and Jake Paterson took over at 10:06 of the second to share the shutout. Fucale had to be sharp on two chances by Andrew Buck early in the second after a turnover in Canadas end. "There wasnt that many shots, but I kept my focus and did some good things out there and thats what we want," said Fucale. "The team played well in front of me, which made it easy on me," said Fucales camp roommate Paterson. "But all in all it was a good game." Normally, Canada has its goalies play for both teams when it faces a CIS squad, but Sutter said he didnt want his goalies playing against each other. Notes: Canada scratched four players -- Griffin Reinhart, Bo Horvat, Josh Morrissey and Nic Petan. Sutter said Morrissey came to camp with soreness from an injury and they opted to rest him. The other were players who are all-but locks to make the team . . The CIS team was made up of players from York, Toronto and Ryerson universities. Alan Pulido Mexico Jersey . Gonzalez participated in his final game on Sunday, Atlantas 21-20 defeat at the hands of the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers, having posted four catches for 46 yards. Miguel Ponce Mexico Jersey . The Texas Rangers right-hander will probably reconsider now. Wolf pitched five strong innings for his first big league win in his first start in the majors, David Murphy and Adrian Beltre homered in a three-run first inning, and the Rangers avoided a sweep with a 3-1 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday.CALGARY -- Jake Virtanen scored twice, including once shorthanded, as the Calgary Hitmen cruised past the Regina Pats 5-1 on Tuesday in the Western Hockey League. Brady Brassart, Mike Winther and Pavel Padakin also scored for Eastern Conference-leading Calgary (31-11-5). Jesse Zgraggen had the lone goal for the Pats (24-19-5). Hitmen goaltender Mack Shields turned aside 31 shots, three better than Reginas Daniel Wapple. --- COUGARS 5 HURRICANES 2 PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. -- The Cougars scored three unanswered goals to beat Lethbridge. Tyler Mrkonjic, Marc McNulty, Jordan Tkatch, Troy Bourke and Brett Roulston had a goal each for Prince George (18-24-7). Bryton Sayers and Taylor Cooper replied for the league-worst Hurricanes (9-35-5), who dropped their fifth straight. Adam Beukeboom stopped 24 shots in net for the Cougars, while Jonny Hogue made 39 savees for Lethbridge. Diego Reyes Jersey. --- THUNDERBIRDS 3 WARRIORS 2 (SO) SEATTLE -- Shea Theodore scored the only shootout goal as the Thunderbirds won their seventh straight game. Scott Eansor and Ethan Bear gave Seattle (29-14-5) a 2-0 lead before the game was four minutes old. Brayden Point scored twice for Moose Jaw (13-26-8), including a power-play goal with eight seconds left in regulation to force extra time. Taran Kozun made 29 saves for the Thunderbirds. Brody Willms, meanwhile, stopped 35 shots for the Warriors. --- ROYALS 2 TIGERS 1 VICTORIA -- Coleman Vollrath made 28 saves to help the Royals edge Medicine Hat. Brandon Magee and Brandon Fushimi had a goal each for Victoria (31-16-2). Curtis Valk gave the Tigers (26-16-3) some hope with a second-period goal. Medicine Hat goaltender Marek Langhamer meanwhile stopped 28 shots. ' ' ' |
