CANADA 7 GERMANY 2

MALMO, Sweden – Anthony Mantha scored three goals, all set up by linemate Jonathan Drouin, as Canada got the world junior championship started with a one-sided 7-2 victory over Germany on Thursday.

Josh Anderson, Bo Horvat, Sam Reinhart and Nic Petan also scored for Canada, which is 12-0 all-time against Germany at the IIHF under-20 event.

Dorian Saeftel and Janik Moser had first-period goals for the Germans.

The announced crowd of 1,831 was mostly fans dressed in Hockey Canada jerseys at the 5,800-seat Isstadion, the smaller of the two tournament venues, but they made plenty of noise.

The ice was mostly tilted toward the German zone, although they caused Canada some shaky moments in their few meaningful incursions into the attacking zone.

Germany even got the first goal as Lennart Palausch won a faceoff in Canada’s end and defenceman Saeftel threaded a pass through traffic and past Jake Paterson only 1:33 into the game.

Matt Dumba breezed into the German zone and flipped a puck to the net that Anderson banged in at 6:21.

Mantha, the Quebec Major Junior Hickey League scoring leader with the Val d’or Foreurs, scored from the slot on a power play at 10:41, but Moser tied it at 15:59 with a man advantage after Adam Pelech whiffed on a clearing pass.

Mantha came out from behind the net to beat Shawinigan Cataractes goalie Marvin Cupper at 17:36 and Reinhart slipped the puck to Horvat for a goal at 18:29.

Reinhart was left alone during a German line change to take a feed from Jos Morrissey and go in alone to score 6:45 into the second frame and Mantha was at the side of the net to knock in Drouin’s pass on a power play at 10:28.

The 16-year-old Conner McDavid got his second assist of the game as he came from behind the net to set up Petan’s goal at 10:13 of the third.

Canada’s next group stage game is Saturday against the Czech Republic.

Notes – Defenceman Griffin Reinhart sat out the first of three games he will miss due to a suspension incurred at last year’s world juniors … Germany has six players from Canadian junior teams, including Prince Albert star Leon Draisaitl who had a quiet game, and another six who play in the U.S … Canada has its second youngest team ever at 18 years 10 months 25 days. Only the 1987 team that was disqualified after a brawl with the Soviets was younger.

(Canadian Press)