Team Canada goaltender Zachary Fucale battles for the puck with forward Anthony Mantha during practice at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Malmo, Sweden on Friday January 3, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Frank Gunn
January 03, 2014 - 8:55 AM
MALMO, Sweden - Five things to watch in Canada's semifinal game against Finland at the world junior championship Saturday:
1. Anthony Mantha — The big right winger leads the tournament in scoring with 11 points in five games. He scored on a penalty shot in the quarter-finals against Switzerland.
2. Special teams — Finland has the best penalty-killing unit in the tournament, allowing one goal on 21 chances (95.2 per cent). Canada's power play is a healthy 7-for-24 (29.1 per cent).
3. Teuvo Teravainen — The Chicago prospect hasn't scored but has nine assists in five games. Nashville pick Saku Maenalanen has six goals.
4. Venue change — It will be Canada's first game at the 11,618-seat Malmo Arena after playing previously at a rink less than half that size. Finland played at the bigger arena in the preliminary round.
5. Mattew Dumba — He came up limping after Canada's 4-1 win over Switzerland in the quarter-finals. Coach Brent Sutter says he will be fine to play. Dumba plays big minutes on one of the top defence pairs with Griffin Reinhart.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014