3 Takeaways From Team Canada’s Dominant Win Over Denmark

Canada scored nine goals, with contributions coming from across the lineup. Gavin McKenna led the way offensively with a multi-goal performance, but he wasn’t alone. Zayne Parekh, Porter Martone, Michael Misa, Braeden Cootes, and Kashawn Aitcheson all found the back of the net, reinforcing the idea that Canada doesn’t rely on one look to generate offence.

In short tournaments, balance is key. Teams can prep for one strong line or put top defenders on one star player. But if every line can take over and make good scoring chances, it’s too much. Denmark learned this the hard way when Canada scored three quick goals and kept the pressure on.

Canada’s offence is looking great for harder games coming up. They’ve got fast wingers, defencemen jumping into the play, and lots of players who can score. Later in the tournament, when games get close, this depth might just win it for them.

The Power Play Is Finding Its Rhythm at the Right Time

In World Junior games, especially when it’s do or die, special teams can really make or break a team. Take Canada’s game versus Denmark: their power play looked really good. They scored two goals off of three chances and pretty much kept Denmark stuck in their own zone the whole time.

Canada’s puck movement was crisp, with quick rotations high in the zone and decisive shooting mentality once lanes opened. The opening power-play goal from McKenna set the tone early, forcing Denmark to chase the game from that point forward. Later, Martone added another power-play marker, showing how difficult it is to defend Canada’s size, skill, and net-front presence all at once.

Equally important was Canada’s discipline. The team limited unnecessary penalties, finishing with just two penalty minutes, allowing them to control tempo and dictate matchups. Denmark, on the other hand, struggled to establish anything on their lone power play.

For Canada, this is a step in the right direction. At the start of a tournament, power plays can be messy. But against Denmark, Canada kept it simple: move the puck fast, shoot at the net, and hope for rebounds and mistakes. That approach will translate against stronger opponents as well.

Territorial Dominance and Shot Volume Set the Standard

If there was one stat that perfectly captured Canada’s night, it was the shot clock.

Canada outshot Denmark 49–13, a staggering margin that reflects just how lopsided the territorial play was. This wasn’t a case of opportunistic scoring masking a sloppy performance. Canada owned the puck, won battles along the boards, and spent extended stretches cycling in the offensive zone.

The defence corps deserves significant credit here. Canada’s blueliners consistently closed gaps early, preventing Denmark from exiting cleanly and turning loose pucks into immediate re-entries. That pressure wore Denmark down over the course of the game, especially in the third period when Canada scored four more times.

From Canada’s point of view, this is how they want to play. Put on a heavy forecheck, quickly win the puck back, and just keep the pressure on. It wears teams down, even those that try to turtle up on defence. When Canada plays like this, they don’t take many risks in their own zone and get lots of shots on goal.

This plan will be key going ahead. Canada might not always get this many shots, but playing games like this helps them form habits. And those habits are what matter when the games get closer, and mistakes cost you.

Going Forward

For Team Canada, that huge win against Denmark? It wasn’t just a win; it was them saying, we’re here to play. Their offence had a bit of everything, their power play worked great, and they seemed to be really finding their game at the World Junior Championship.

Sure, they’ll face tougher teams later on. But games like this show why Canada is always a team to watch in every tournament. When they get the small things right – scoring from different players, doing well on special teams, and taking control of the ice – they become really difficult to beat.

If this game tells us anything, it’s that Team Canada is getting ready to do something big. And they’re doing it at just the right moment.