Achi news desk-
Canada opened the women’s hockey world championship with a 4-1 win over Finland on Thursday.
Defenseman Ella Shelton led Canada with a goal and two assists. Bryan Jenner, Emma Maltais and Julia Gosling also scored in Adirondack’s center back.
Anne-Rene Desbiens made 33 saves to improve to a 36-7 career with the women’s national team.
Petra Nieminen scored Finland’s lone goal.
St. Cloud State University goalkeeper Sunny Ahola stopped 32 shots for the Finns after a 29-save performance in a 4-0 loss to the Czech Republic the previous day.
Captain Marie-Philippe Poulin was in Canada’s lineup Thursday after an 8-2 pre-tournament win over Finland in Kingston, Ont.
Poland missed PWHL Montreal’s final three games before the international break with an undisclosed injury.
Canada had 18 hours to recover before the puck dropped in its second game of the tournament Friday afternoon against Switzerland (0-1).
Canada led 1-0 and 3-1 at the period breaks.
The Canadians were scoreless on a pair of power-play opportunities in the first period and held Finland to 0-for-3 in the second.
Finland pulled Ahula into another attack with five minutes left in the game, but Nora Tullos shot a minor to put Ahula back in the net with four minutes left.
With Ahula in a mess in the goal, Shelton roofed the puck for a power-play goal at 17:40.
Canada’s penalties, with Ahle pulling, put the Finns six-on-three in the final 12 seconds, but Desvaines denied their final attack.
Canada took a 3-1 lead on Gosling’s goal with 32 seconds left in the second period.
Kristin O’Neill drives toward the backboards and sent the puck back to the rookie to go for her first World Series goal.
The Finns crossed the gap in 4:49. Michelle Kravinen collected her rebound and took the puck behind the net to feed Nieminen on the sideline.
Natalie Spooner dived behind the Finland net to connect with Malta in the slot at 18:02 of the second period.
Jenner took a knee to convert a rebound on Jamie Lee Rattray’s shot at 9:15 of the first.
The Canadians will wrap up Group A play with another back-to-back on Sunday afternoon against the Czech Republic and on Monday night against the United States.
In other games on Thursday, China beat Japan 3-2 in a shootout and Germany defeated Denmark 5-1 in Group B.
The tournament’s top five seeds in Group A and the top three from Group B advance to the quarterfinals on April 11.
The semi-finals on April 13 and the medal matches on April 14.
Canada improved to 25-2 all-time against Finland at world championships and 87-2-1.
Canada has won 12 gold medals in the 22 women’s hockey world championships held since 1990.
Canadian teams have reached the finals in all but one. The U.S. beat host Canada 6-3 in last year’s final in Brampton, Ont.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 4, 2024
