TORONTO -- Canada scored three power-play goals, including a pair by captain Dylan Strome, to open the preliminary round of the world junior hockey championship with a hearty 5-3 victory over Russia.
It was a strong start against a tough opponent for Canada, which has been shut out of the medals at three of the past four world junior tournaments. The Canadians dropped their tournament-opening game to the Americans last year, eventually finishing sixth in Finland in their worst showing in almost 20 years.
Tyson Jost, Nicolas Roy and Matt Barzal also found the back of the net for the Canadians, with Carter Hart yielding three goals on 17 shots in the win.
Canada started fast, bursting out of the gate at Air Canada Centre with speed and energy. The Canadians outshot the Russians 7-1 over the first seven minutes or so of regulation, Jost getting on the board after three minutes ticked by.
Speeding down the right side, the St. Albert, Alta., native was fed cross-ice by defenceman Philippe Myers, Jost lifting a nifty backhand over the glove of Samsonov, the Washington Capitals' top pick in 2015.
Canada continued to attack the Russians with good pace, forcing turnovers and creating scoring opportunities. At one point Jost picked the puck free from Yegor Rykov in the corner, leading to a pair of scoring chances for the Canadians.
Russia halted the momentum around the midway point of the period when Denis Guryanov, a Dallas Stars first-round pick, won a puck battle in the Canadian corner. He then dished it to Mikhail Sergachev, the Montreal Canadiens' 18-year-old blue-line prospect, and he whipped a shot from above the slot which beat Hart.
It was only the Russians second shot, the Canadian goaltender seemingly unable to pick it up cleanly through a maze of bodies. Goaltending is among the central question marks for Canada, Hart's performance unlikely to inspire much early confidence.
Sergachev, the Ontario Hockey League's reigning defenceman of the year, started the season with the Canadiens before returning to the Windsor Spitfires after only three games.
Russia got their best pressure of the second frame with Thomas Chabot in the box for slashing and the score still tied at one. But the Canadians survived, a key Blake Speers block shot aiding in the nervous final moments of the Russian advantage.
Strome scored on a Canadian power play a short while later. The Mississauga, Ont., native fired a one-time shot from the right face-off circle, the attempt just getting under the glove of Samsonov. Strome was set up nicely by Barzal, the New York Islanders' first-round pick who threaded a pass from the opposite face-off circle.
Roy upped the Canadian lead to two less than four minutes after that. Fighting for control of the puck with a Russian in the slot, the six-foot-four, 193-pound centre quickly shot it after he gained control, beating Samsonov.
Shots were 15-4 for Team Canada in the second and 27-9 overall after 40 minutes.
Defenceman Noah Juulsen, another Montreal draft pick, took a hard hit into the neutral zone boards just before the period expired and Guryanov was penalized for boarding. Juulsen managed to stay in the game.
Canada struck again on an early power play in the third, a highlight-worthy play from Barzal. He stormed to the left in the area just in front of Samsonov, sending the shot in the opposite direction, the attempt just sailing over the glove of the Russian netminder. Barzal was fed from behind the net by Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Russia made it 4-2 shortly after, Kirill Kaprizov beating Hart from the high in the slot with a power play.
Strome increased the lead back to three on yet another man advantage, the Arizona Coyotes' top prospect scooping up a Barzal rebound. The 19-year-old tied Mitch Marner for the Canadian scoring lead at last year's tournament, totalling four goals and six points.
It was the third point of the night for Barzal, who finished with a goal and two assists and was named Canada's best player after the game.
Rykov added to the busy third-period scoring, his potentially deflected shot getting under the right arm of Hart.
Shots were 37-17 overall in favour of the Canadians.
