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Canada beat Finland and Switzerland to open their 2025 World Championships by a combined 9-0 score. Their next two match ups against USA and Czechia won't be so easy.
“It’s going to be a bit of a challenge for us and we’re excited to face Czechia," said Canada's head coach Troy Ryan. "It will be an energetic crowd—everyone wants to play in front of that and we’ll be ready for it. Even when I look at the last 10 or 12 games we have played against the U.S., they all look different in some capacity. You either have to find ways to change the dynamic of the game or roll with it from time to time. The U.S. is dangerous, and Czechia is dangerous as well. Looking at the U.S., they are skilled and a mix of talent, youth and experience, so we either have to dictate the game or roll with it and stop them from rolling over us.”
Czechia beat Switzerland to open their tournament before falling 4-0 to USA.
USA has outscored Czechia and Finland 11-1 through their opening games.
Canada's Roster Coming Together At Worlds
Canada's top line of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Jennifer Gardiner has been firing on all cylinders to open the World Championships. In game two however, there were definitive signs that the rest of Canada's roster was also coming together. Canada beat Finland 5-0 in their opener, before beating Switzerland 4-0 in game two.
It included Natalie Spooner getting her first of the tournament, and Daryl Watts scoring as well. Watts also notched a second, but it was waved off. The depth of scoring Canada brings to the table is something their opponents will need to manage.
Goaltending Strong For Canada
While Canada didn't blow out Finland or Switzerland, they played two solid games from top to bottom. Defensively, there were bright spots in both games for Canada, headlined by the dominant play of Renata Fast on the blueline.
In net, after Kristen Campbell earned a shutout in her opening game against Finland, showing herself and the world she can compete on the international stage. It was followed by the triumphant return of Ann-Renee Desbiens who earned her own shutout.
With her win, Desbiens moved into first all-time in wins at the World Championships passing Florence Schelling.
Desbiens felt good to be back.
“It’s been a rollercoaster, and I didn’t know if I was even going to be able to be at this event," she said. "When we made the decision and we knew that I was coming, we were all pretty confident that things would go smoothly for me. Then to get a start and get the first one out of the way after a few weeks, it feels pretty good.”
Canada faces USA on April 13, followed by Czechia to close out their round robin play.
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