Madferret
4-20-05, 9:16 PM
Canadian Press
4/20/2005
HALIFAX (CP) - Canada passed its first test on the road to the IIHF world hockey championship, but it wasn't easy. Canada, the two-time defending world champions, built an early 2-0 lead and held on for a 3-1 win over the U.S. in exhibition action Wednesday. Rick Nash and Dan Boyle scored first-period goals and Scott Walker added an empty netter for the Canadians, who were outshot 33-32. Matt Cullen answered for the U.S. with a power-play goal in the third period. Canada opened the scoring on a delayed penalty call on the U.S. The Canadians displayed some slick puck movement, completing five passes before Dany Heatley fed Nash in front of the U.S. goal. As he was tripped up, the Columbus Blue Jackets forward redirected the puck past U.S. netminder Ty Conklin.
Boyle gave Canada a two-goal cushion when his wrist shot from the top of slot found its way between Conklin's glove and his left pad. U.S. defenceman John-Michael Liles hit the right post on the Americans' first scoring chance of the game. In the second, Liles grazed the post to the left of Canadian goaltender Martin Brodeur during a U.S. power play. Brodeur, who split time with Marty Turco, was spectacular in his half-game of work. Late in the first, he made two consecutive kick saves to deny Dallas Stars forward Mike Modano. Brodeur then made a flurry of stops early in the second as the Americans came out strong.
He saved his best stop for last when U.S. defenceman Andy Roach kept the puck on a two-on-one break and fired a high shot that Brodeur snagged with his glove. Brodeur skated off the ice to a rousing ovation from the partisan Halifax crowd. Not to be outdone, Turco was tested immediately turning aside a pair of American shots in close. The U.S. outshot Canada 17-9 in the second period. After a shaky start, Conklin, the Edmonton Oilers' No. 1 netminder, settled down and kept the U.S. close with some nice saves, including an acrobatic glove stop on Simon Gagne in the second. His best though came when he sprawled on the ice and made a glove save on Patrick Marleau's breakaway chance.
The matchup is the first of four exhibition games for Canada before the world championship opens at the end of the month. The two teams meet again Friday night in Quebec City. Canada will play Latvia on April 25 in Riga and the Czech Republic on April 28 in Prague in its final tune-up games.
Canada plays its tournament opener April 30 against Latvia in Innsbruck, Austria.
NOTES: - Centre Joe Thornton and goalie Roberto Luongo were the Canadian scratches ... Yan Stastny, son of Hall-of-Famer Peter Stastny, was added to the U.S. lineup Wednesday and saw limited action. ... A crowd of 8,471, nearly 2,000 less than capacity, was in attendance at the Halifax Metro Centre
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20050420/fisher_75129.jpg
4/20/2005
HALIFAX (CP) - Canada passed its first test on the road to the IIHF world hockey championship, but it wasn't easy. Canada, the two-time defending world champions, built an early 2-0 lead and held on for a 3-1 win over the U.S. in exhibition action Wednesday. Rick Nash and Dan Boyle scored first-period goals and Scott Walker added an empty netter for the Canadians, who were outshot 33-32. Matt Cullen answered for the U.S. with a power-play goal in the third period. Canada opened the scoring on a delayed penalty call on the U.S. The Canadians displayed some slick puck movement, completing five passes before Dany Heatley fed Nash in front of the U.S. goal. As he was tripped up, the Columbus Blue Jackets forward redirected the puck past U.S. netminder Ty Conklin.
Boyle gave Canada a two-goal cushion when his wrist shot from the top of slot found its way between Conklin's glove and his left pad. U.S. defenceman John-Michael Liles hit the right post on the Americans' first scoring chance of the game. In the second, Liles grazed the post to the left of Canadian goaltender Martin Brodeur during a U.S. power play. Brodeur, who split time with Marty Turco, was spectacular in his half-game of work. Late in the first, he made two consecutive kick saves to deny Dallas Stars forward Mike Modano. Brodeur then made a flurry of stops early in the second as the Americans came out strong.
He saved his best stop for last when U.S. defenceman Andy Roach kept the puck on a two-on-one break and fired a high shot that Brodeur snagged with his glove. Brodeur skated off the ice to a rousing ovation from the partisan Halifax crowd. Not to be outdone, Turco was tested immediately turning aside a pair of American shots in close. The U.S. outshot Canada 17-9 in the second period. After a shaky start, Conklin, the Edmonton Oilers' No. 1 netminder, settled down and kept the U.S. close with some nice saves, including an acrobatic glove stop on Simon Gagne in the second. His best though came when he sprawled on the ice and made a glove save on Patrick Marleau's breakaway chance.
The matchup is the first of four exhibition games for Canada before the world championship opens at the end of the month. The two teams meet again Friday night in Quebec City. Canada will play Latvia on April 25 in Riga and the Czech Republic on April 28 in Prague in its final tune-up games.
Canada plays its tournament opener April 30 against Latvia in Innsbruck, Austria.
NOTES: - Centre Joe Thornton and goalie Roberto Luongo were the Canadian scratches ... Yan Stastny, son of Hall-of-Famer Peter Stastny, was added to the U.S. lineup Wednesday and saw limited action. ... A crowd of 8,471, nearly 2,000 less than capacity, was in attendance at the Halifax Metro Centre
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20050420/fisher_75129.jpg