Canada began its defence of World Championship gold with a solid 5-3 win over Germany this evening at the Jaahalli in Helsinki. The strong start erased all memories of last year’s woeful first few games, which included a 3-1 loss to Germany. Tonight the result was never in doubt. Canada was the faster team, chased down every loose puck, and was almost flawless in their own end. Their only undoing were penalties in the third.

Canada has a day off tomorrow before playing Italy on Sunday while the Germans have to pull themselves up and get ready for Slovakia tomorrow.

The game also was a battle between two NHL goalies, Canada's Logan Thompson, who plays for Vegas, and Philipp Grubauer, who is paid to stop pucks for Seattle. Indeed, Thomspon beat Grubauer 5-2 on April 1 and was named the game's First Star in their only NHL meeting this season.

Tonight, Thompson reached his fourth milestoen of the young year. He made his NHL debut in January, won his first game in February, and recorded his first shutout in March. And now he has won his first game in hs debut for Team Canada.

He faced 21 German shots compared to 27 Canadian shots on Grubauer. Pierre-Luc Dubois had two goals for the victors while Moritz Seider had a goal and two assists and led all players in ice time with 24:13. 

"We wanted to get a lot of shots," Dubois said. "We didn't want to pass up on shots. The ice is a bit bigger here. So sometimes you feel good, you're turning a bit, you're on the outside. But if you're not shooting, even if you have the puck the whole shift with not many shots, you're not going to score."

"We played a great third period," said German forward Tim Stutzle. "They’re a really good team. We didn’t give them a whole lot in the third. It was a very physical game from both teams, and we kept up with them well, and it will stay like that during the tournament."

"It was big [to beat Germany]," said newly-mined captain Thomas Chabot. "Overall, we had a very good game. It was the first tournament game for everyone. It’s a huge honour to wear the jersey and get that {captaincy] is a plus. It’s pretty special not only for myself and for my family as well. Whatever I can do to help the team I will do it."

Canada had a scoring chance just seconds after the opening faceoff and never let up. They opened the scoring at 8:06 after a German turnover along the boards. Josh Anderson moved into the high slot with the puck before giving a little feed to Cole Sillinger, and Sillinger wired a hard, high shot past the outstretched glove of Grubauer. 

They made it 2-0 late in the period after Dubois kept the puck in at the blue line and moved into the slot, beating Gruabauer with another high shot, this over the goalie’s shoulder.

It was a different Germany that started the second period. They came out with confidence and created some good scoring chances. More to the point, they played in Canada’s end rather than their own, and they were rewarded at 7:24. Seider fired a clever shot from a bad angle that had little hope of going in, but Thompson kicked the puck out with his right pad onto the stick of Marc Michaelis, who made no mistake with the half-open net.

No sooner had they fought their way back into the game than they took two penalties that more or less put the game out of reach. Canada made it 3-1 at 11:37 on the game’s first power play on a nice passing play that ended with Dubois converting from in close. Just 16 seconds later, the Germans took another penalty, and Canada cashed in again. This time it was a nice shot from teenager Kent Johnson, who now joins select company as a player who has scored in the World Juniors, Olympics, and World Championship in the same season.

Canada made it 5-1 at 17:35 off another impressive play. Maxime Comtois, the only player here who was on last year’s gold-medal team, made a back pass from the corner right onto the stick of Noah Gregor, and he wired a shot over Grubauer’s glove again, further indication that Canada’s scouting report on the German goalie was as simple as two words—shoot high.

The Germans had a great chance to rally early in the third when they had a five-on-three for 1:35. They got one, off a nice shot from Mathias Plachta, but they couldn't convert on the second of those penalties. Midway through the period, though, they had another two-skater advantage for the full two minutes. Canada got one, then during a lengthy delayed-penalty situation incurred another.

It took a while, but Seider drilled a shot top corner at 12:35 to make it a 5-3 game and give the Germans just that bit of hope. Canada tightened play inside their blue line to preserve the victory.

"I think we were close," Grubauer added. "Obviously against a team like Canada, everything has to fall into place. Today, I think after we made it a 2-1 game, they scored two on the power play. That speaks to the quality they have on the ice. It kind of put the game out of hand for us a little bit. I thought we responded well in the third and almost came back, but obviously a little too late in the end. But we can build on that third period. I felt overall we played a solid game, just a couple hiccups, sometimes a step away from the D zone. I think overall we played a solid game."