Team Canada started scoring early and didn’t stop throughout the game in a 9-3 win over Germany in the opener of the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championship in Ufa, Russia.

 

Moose Jaw Warrior Morgan Rielly assisted on Canada’s first goal and captain Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a big performance in his first World Junior game with a goal and five points to lead Canada to the big opening win.  Eight different Canadian players found the back of the net in the game.

 

Canada came out of the gate strong and struck quickly against the low seeded Germans.  Some early power play opportunities led to the first goal just 3:01 into the game as Rielly fed Xavier Oullet along the blue line and he snapped the puck over the shoulder of goalie Elmar Trautmann to make it 1-0.

 

Midway through the opening period Nugent-Hopkins got his first of the game when took a nice pass from Jonathan Huberdeau to give Canada a 2-0 advantage.  Germany wouldn’t be shut out in the opening period though as Tobias Rieder scored with :32 seconds left to make it 2-1 heading into the break.

 

Canada exploded in the second period with four different players scoring back-to-back goals.  Mark Schiefele got in on the action just 2:17 into the frame with a shorthanded goal; Huberdeau scored his first just 2:07 later; Portland Winterhawks’ Ty Rattie made it 5-1 just after the 12:00 minute mark of the second; and Ryan Strome took a beautiful pass from Jonathan Drouin to take a 6-1 lead.

 

Germany ended the period strong again though as they scored two straight with Leonhard Pfoderl and Nickolas Latta scoring to cut Canada’s lead in half at 6-3.  Schiefele would get one back with his second of the game just before the frame expired.

 

It was all Canada in the third with Drouin and Portland’s Tyler Wotherspoon scoring to make the final 9-3 in favour of Canada.

 

Strome assisted on both goals in the third as he and Huberdeau finished with a goal and three points, while Schiefele, Brett Ritchie and Drouin each had two points.

 

Malcolm Subban finished with 25 saves on 28 shots as he got the start, and win, for Canada in the opener.  The Canadians’ fired 46 shots on the German goal.

 

Next up for Team Canada is a meeting with Slovakia coming up on Friday.  After that they’ll play the United States on Sunday and Russia on Monday to finish off the round robin.

 

Jenner Suspended... Returning forward Bonne Jenner missed the opener for Canada as he was suspended for three games for his hit that sent Swedish defenceman Jesper Pettersson to hospital during Pre-Competition action.  He’ll be eligible to return against Russia.

 

Subban Starting Again... Team Canada head coach Steve Spott has said that Malcolm Subban will be the starter in goal again for Canada when they take Slovakia on Friday.