Canada looks to build on strong start at World Juniors in clash with Latvia on TSN | TSN

Canada has a chance to build upon their tournament-opening victory against Finland when they battle Latvia in their second preliminary game at the 2024 World Junior Championship on Friday.

You can watch Canada take on Latvia LIVE on TSN1/4/5, TSN.ca and the TSN App, with coverage starting at 7:30p.m. ET / 4:30p.m. PT.

Carter George was strong in net to lead Canada to a 4-0 shutout victory over the Finns in Thursday’s opener. Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, Luca Pinelli and Matthew Schaefer scored the goals for the host nation.

The start was just what Canada needed as they look to bounce back from a fifth-place finish at last year’s World Juniors. It was only the fifth time in the 21st century Canada did not win a medal at the tournament, and first since finishing sixth in 2019.

“We just got to focus on ourselves and understand when we play our best, no one can really play with us,” centre Cal Ritchie said before the opening game, and the team appeared to play to that mantra throughout.

Canada scored their opening goal with just under a minute remaining in the first period, when McKenna collected a rebound and deposited the puck in the back of the net.

Cowan, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect who entered this tournament riding a 56-game point streak in the OHL with the London Knights, scored the game’s second tally early in the second period on another rebound.

From there, George was the star, repeatedly fending off the Finnish attack before Canada added a pair of goals in the dying minutes of the third period to put things out of reach. The team gave high praise to the 18-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ont.

“Our goaltender was exceptional, a big stop on the breakaway when we were on the power play there when the game was a lot closer,” head coach Dave Cameron said after the game. “You’re going to need it, you’re gonna need your goaltender every game … We needed good goaltending and we got it.”

“George is just an unbelievable player,”  McKenna added afterwards.

Canada’s opponent tonight doesn’t have the track record of Finland at the World Juniors, nor is it the perennial powerhouse that fellow Group A squads Canada and the United States are, but Latvia is currently enjoying a new high in this stretch of success at the tournament.

Latvia is playing in their fourth consecutive tournament. Their previous best streak of appearances without relegation was two, from 2009-10 and 2012-13. Latvia also achieved its best-ever result at the tournament in 2022 to begin this streak, when they finished seventh in Edmonton.

Still, the Canadian side has no shortage of goals to meet in Friday’s game.

“Just keep going, don’t take Latvia lightly, so we’re just going to forget about [the game against Finland] and keep on rolling,” Pinelli said.

“We honestly played a really good full 60 [against Finland] … In the neutral zone, we could be a bit better handling the pucks,” McKenna added.

Cameron was excited about the team’s willingness to play as a unit, especially their willingness to block shots down the stretch, but is looking for more improvement in their second game of the tournament.

“This tournament’s about getting better and better,” Cameron said. “Make sure as it advances you get better, you’re playing your best at the end.”

Cameron announced Friday morning that the starting goaltender for tonight’s game against Latvia will be Jack Ivankovic. The 17-year-old makes his first start of the tournament. He has a 3.49 goals-against average and a 0.898 save percentage in 21 games with the Brampton Steelheads in the OHL this season.