DUBENDORF, Switzerland (CP)
Canada relinquished a two-goal lead in tying Finland 2-2 in an under-18 exhibition hockey game Monday, and coach Shawn Camp deemed it to be exactly what his players needed as a final prep for the world tournament they begin Thursday in the Czech Republic.
"This was a great test for us because the Finns played a very North American type of game," said Camp. "They were physical from the start and they skated well.
"This was just the kind of game we needed to prepare for the tournament."
Canada led on goals by Dan Bertram of Calgary in the first period and by Cody Bass of Guelph, Ont., in the second.
Goaltender Pier-Olivier Pelletier of St-Louis, Que., played the first half of the game and kept the Finns off the scoreboard.
Finland scored twice on Carey Price of Williams Lake, B.C., in the second period to tie it.
The Finns played a much more physical brand of hockey than did the Swiss team that Canada beat 6-1 in an exhibition game Sunday.
Camp continues to tinker with forward combinations as his players adapt to ice surfaces larger than most they skate on in Canada. Also, there will no centre red line for tournament games.
"The last four days have been a real coming together," he said. "The guys are starting to know each other and to know each others' personalities a lot better.
"We're going to emphasize using the stretch pass in the neutral zone and quick puck movement in transition in the next couple of days."
Camp, the head coach of the OHL's Sarnia Sting, will have time for two full practices before Canada's opener against Germany on Thursday (TSN, 9 a.m. EDT). The tournament will be held in the Czech cities of Ceske Budjovice and Plzen.
He won't let his players take the lightly-regarded Germans for granted.
"They're very hard-working," said Camp. "They've been a team that can surprise teams if you don't show up to work so we're going to have to use our speed to try and pin them down in their own zone."
Bertram, who starred at Boston College, was Canada's most productive forward in the two exhibitions.
"Dan has been our best player through the pre-tournament games so far," said Camp. "He's moving his feet all the time and going to the net well.
"He plays a very smart game. He's dangerous around the net and he takes advantages of the opportunities that are created."
Camp has been using Bertram with Tom Pyatt of Thunder Bay, Ont., and Colton Yellow Horn of Brocket, Alta.
"That line has been providing some consistent offence for us," said Camp.
The defence has played well. Brendan Mikkeson of St. Albert, Alta., and Kristopher Letang of Montreal, in particular, have impressed the coaches.
"Mikkelson has been very good at moving the puck, and Letang has been impressive so far," said Camp. "He's a great skater who handles the puck very well and he's been dangerous on the point on the power play."
Canada's roster is comprised of players whose teams were knocked out of major junior and college playoffs last week. Canada won the world under-18 title two years ago and finished fourth last year.
Canada has no injury problems thus far.
"So far, so good," said Camp. "We seem to be fairly healthy.
"There are a few bumps and bruises but nothing we've recognized as serious at all."
Now the real games begin.
"We feel very good about our chances," said Camp. "We're going to have to have everybody contributing to have a chance at the gold and, as is the case in these tournaments, we'll have to have good goaltending and strong defence as well."