Canada secures victory against Slovenia in the opening match of the ice hockey worlds, while Sweden emerges triumphant against Austria.
Canada Kicks Off Ice Hockey World Championship with Impressive 4-0 Shutout Over Slovenia
Bold moves, fresh energy—that's what Canada's opening match at the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship in Stockholm was all about. 🇨🇦
Bo Horvat, a sharp-shooting center who's spent the last few seasons with the New York Islanders, stole the spotlight with two power-play goals. Nathan MacKinnon, a fellow Islander and former Colorado Avalancheer who joined the Canadian squad after his team bowed out of the NHL playoffs, added a goal and two assists. The dynamic duo was backed by Noah Dobson's single power-play score in a Group A game that roared to life in the Swedish capital.
Horvat charged the scoring board just 7 minutes and 22 seconds into the first period, ripping a one-timer from the left circle. With Canada heating up and piling on the pressure in the middle frame, MacKinnon and Horvat doubled the opposition's misery.
Canada outshot Slovenia 22-3 in the second period, eventually pulling ahead 4-0 when Dobson struck with 3 minutes and 5 seconds remaining.
Canada may tout a whopping 28 titles as the world's most successful ice hockey nation, but last year saw them taking the fourth spot. With all-stars like MacKinnon and team captain Sidney Crosby uniting on the global stage for the first time in a decade, the Canadians are the favorites to claim a third win in five years.
Meanwhile, last year's bronze medalists Sweden battled their way to a 4-2 victory over Austria, coming back from a 2-1 deficit in the final period. The comeback started with Jonas Brodin netting his slap shot from the blue line with just 2 minutes and 19 seconds left on the clock. The winning goal came 12 seconds later, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad, and Alexander Wennberg teamed up with an empty-net goal to wrap up the game.
Denmark and Germany clashed in Group B action, with the latter taking a convincing 6-1 win against Hungary. The Ice Hockey World Championship continues, with France taking on Latvia in Stockholm later today, and 2024 runners-up Switzerland going head-to-head with Denmark in Herning.
Sources:1. https://www.nhl.com/islanders/team/player/bo-horvat_84783862. https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl-trade-tracker-2023/3. https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/trade4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Horvat5. https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/_/name/nyi/new-york-islanders
A quick note on Bo Horvat:
Bo Horvat made headlines in the world of ice hockey after being traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Islanders. Born in 1995, he plays as a versatile center, showcasing his scoring skills consistently throughout his NHL career. His contribution to his team's success has been a highlight of his career. In the 2023-24 season, Horvat excelled, scoring 33 goals and clinching 68 points across 81 games.
Bo Horvat, a versatile center from Canada who played with the New York Islanders, scored a goal in Canada's 4-0 win over Slovenia at the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship. This was Horvat's first major tournament with the Canadian squad after being involved in a high-profile trade from the Vancouver Canucks. In the 2023-24 NHL season, Horvat scored 33 goals and amassed 68 points.
