Canada wins Helsinki group

15 May 2012 | Mika Leino

Canada didn't let Belarus surprise themselves in their final game of preliminary round. Canada took an easy 5-1 win in a game which included totally 153 penalty minutes.

Game didn't have any meaning for Belarus because they didn't have anymore chance for quarterfinals and were also safe against the relegation. Canada wanted to secure number one spot in the group with a win and that is what they got.

Canada started scoring already after 2.16 when Ryan O'Reilly scored. However the period ended 1-1 when Belarus' Sergei Kostitsyn managed to equalize after 14.25.

In the second period Canada scored three times, Perry, Getzlaf and Nugent-Hopkins, and the game was over. In the last period O'Reilly added one more scoring his second of the game.

Canada's tempo and skills were ofcourse from other planet compared to Belarus and it looked like Belarus didn't really believe that they could have a chance. In the third period Canada was penalized with two major penalties, Luke Schenn and Marc Methot, and it remains to be seen if these guys will miss the quarterfinal game.

Belarus finished the tournament in seventh place. They got their only points by beating Kazakhstan and that was not exactly what they planned for before the games. Seventh place means also that they might have to play qualifying games for Sotchi Olympics, but that will be determined later.