It was going to be a tall order for Moose Jaw Warriors forward Robert Baco and Team Slovakia to hit the win column Wednesday night in World Junior Hockey Championship pre-tournament action.
As will be the case for any team facing Canada at the event in the coming weeks.
Canada scored one in the first period, outshot Slovakia 23-1 in the second and took a 3-0 lead before going on to a 6-1 victory in Moncton in their second tune-up game.
Baco found the scoresheet in the game, but not in a good way -- a cross-checking penalty with 9:13 gone in the third period led to Canada’s Dylan Guenther scoring Canada’s sixth goal.
WHL Kelowna’s Colton Dach scored Canada’s opening marler before Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke and QMJHL Gatineau’s Zach Dean made it a three-goal game in the second.
Brennan Othmann (OHL Peterborough) and Joshua Roy (QMJHL Sherbrooke) scored six seconds apart in the first minute of the third to give Canada a 5-0 lead, but Samuel Honzek would snap Benjamin Gaudreau’s (OHL Sarnia) shutout bid just over a minute later.
Guenther -- on loan from the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes -- scored Canada’s final goal at 10:43 of the third.
Gaudreau finished with 16 saves in the win, Slovakia’s Patrik Andrisik faced 47 shots.
Baco and Slovakia wind up exhibition play on Friday when they take on Austria, while Canada battles Finland the same night.
Warriors forward Martin Rysavy and Team Czechia wrap up their pre-tournament schedule on Thursday night when they face Switzerland.
Canada takes on Czechia in their main tournament opener on Boxing Day, with Slovakia facing Finland in their first game on Tuesday, Dec. 27.
