We find the Canadian media’s obsession over the World Junior Championships to be oddly amusing. This was what the TSN home page looked like as of 11 p.m. Monday; note that Brandon McMillan’s hat trick for Team Canada got top billing over the NFL, the NHL, Suns-Lakers and certainly any American college football:
Hype aside, it was a big day for the Ducks’ lone Canadian-born prospect at the WJCs. McMillan now has four goals and five points in the tournament, the latter now ranking fourth among all players in the showcase of the best players under age 20 not playing in the NHL.
“Hard game. I am tired. Especially the third period,” Bobkov told the Canadian Press after the victory.
Finnish defenseman Sami Vatanen was blanked on his team-leading seven shots Monday, after a big game Sunday in which he scored twice in a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Czech Republic.
So far, it’s looking like a good tournament for the youngest Ducklings.