2016 Olympic Winter Games (Youth)

CANADA BLANKS NORWAY, TOPS PRELIMINARY ROUND AT YOUTH OLYMPICS

JASON LA ROSE

LILLEHAMMER, Norway – Jared McIsaac (Truro, N.S./Cole Harbour, NSMMHL) paced the offence with a goal and two assists, and Canada made it three wins in a row at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games with a 6-0 victory over Norway to close out the preliminary round Thursday.

The Canadian win, combined with the United States’ 4-2 victory over Russia, means Canada finishes first in the round robin, and will face Finland in the first semifinal on Friday (11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT).

Canada beat the Finns 5-1 in their preliminary round meeting on Monday.

Luka Burzan (Surrey, B.C./Valley West, BCMML) added a goal and an assist for Canada, scoring for the fourth game in a row, while Connor Roberts (Owen Sound, Ont./Grey-Bruce, OMHA), Carson Focht (Regina, Sask./Regina, SMAAAHL), Allan McShane (Collingwood, Ont./Toronto Marlboros, GTHL), and Benoît-Olivier Groulx (Gatineau, Que./Gatineau, LHMAAAQ) had the other Canadian goals.

Olivier Rodrigue (Canton Tremblay, Que./Jonquière, LHMAAAQ) recorded the shutout, needing to make just two saves.

The Canadian power play got the scoring started just past the six-minute mark of the first period, with Roberts finishing a set-up from Burzan and McIsaac for a 1-0 lead.

Focht doubled the advantage 3:32 into the second period before Burzan and McIsaac, shorthanded, scored 38 seconds apart to make it a 4-0 game heading to the intermission.

The Norwegians did not record their first shot on goal until just before Burzan’s goal; by that point, Canada had directed 24 shots at netminder Theo Rooseboom de Vries, and had a 29-1 advantage after two periods.

Rodrigue made his second and final save early in the third period, before McShane, in the first minute, and Groulx, in the last minute, rounded out the scoring for the Canadians.

Canada finished 2-for-6 with the power play, and killed off all three Norwegians opportunities.

Final shots on goal favoured the Canadians, 37-2.