Team Canada fails to address growing concerns in loss to Sweden

The Canadians can add to their list of problematic areas heading into their World Junior Championship quarterfinal matchup against Finland.

Not only did they fail to address a series of growing concerns during their 5-2 loss to Sweden, but their largely inefficient play means there is more to be worried about.

Canada lost for the second time in group play, the first time that’s happened since 1998 when an eighth-place result ensued.

It’s not so much the result against Sweden that matters. Canada was destined to finish third in Pool A and Sweden couldn’t be bumped from top spot anyway. Instead, it’s more the way that Canada lost.

Fresh on the list of problems is the team's newfound propensity to take penalties and its inability to kill them off.

Canada was called for 10 minors, allowing Sweden to score three power-play goals. Despite its undisciplined play on Thursday, Team Canada is still the least penalized team in the tournament. But that means they now have the second-worst penalty killing efficiency at 54.6 per cent.

It’s the bad ones that always seem harder to kill off. Brendan Perlini’s careless holding penalty against Switzerland led to a goal against. In today's game against the Swedes, Jake Virtanen was called for punching an opponent in the back of the head during a scrum just four minutes into the game. Alexander Nylander scored 17 seconds later.

Canada should have been hoping to address three things Thursday against the Swedes: Its slow starts, getting a stagnant offence going, and helping Mackenzie Blackwood build some confidence after missing the first two games of the tournament. None of those things happened.

The Canadians allowed the first goal against for the third straight game and trailed 2-0 before the eight-minute mark when Gustav Forsling scored on a power play.

Blackwood was shaky as he bobbled potential glove saves and surrendered four goals on 31 shots. Coach Dave Lowry told TSN’s Tessa Bonhomme that he will use Friday’s off day to determine who will start in net in Saturday's quarterfinal.

Canadian goals came from fourth-liner Mitchell Stephens and top-liner Mitch Marner, but the latter tally came with the game essentially out of reach. Virtanen and Perlini remain pointless, while captain Brayden Point, who entered the tournament injured, and Julien Gauthier, who was sick earlier in the week, remain caught in a rut.

There is a lot to address and not much time to do so. A loss on Saturday would keep Canada out of the semifinal for the first time since that miserable tournament – also in Helsinki – 18 years ago.

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