POINT, VIRTANEN PACE OFFENCE TO HELP CANADA BLANK CIS SELECTS

WENDY GRAVES

TORONTO, Ont. – Brayden Point (Calgary, Alta./Moose Jaw, WHL) and Jake Virtanen (Abbotsford, B.C./Calgary, WHL) had two goals and an assist each to lead the way as Canada shut out the CIS Toronto Selects 6-0 at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp on Sunday afternoon.

Haydn Fleury (Carlyle, Sask./Red Deer, WHL) and Morgan Klimchuk (Calgary, Alta./Regina, WHL) scored the other two goals. Nick Ritchie (Orangeville, Ont./Peterborough, OHL) picked up two assists.

Eric Comrie (Edmonton, Alta./Tri-City, WHL) stopped all 22 shots he faced to earn the shutout.

It was the second of two games between the hopefuls for Canada’s National Junior Team and the CIS squad. Canada won the first game 10-3 Saturday, and while the scoreboard and shot count were more flattering to the university team in the rematch (45 shots faced versus 57 the night before), Canada was just as dominating.

Just 5:32 in a cross-crease pass from Nick Paul (Mississauga, Ont./North Bay, OHL) was one-timed in by Fleury at the side of the net. Less than a minute-and-a-half later, Point’s quick shot from the side of the net doubled the lead. Point picked up his second goal of the game four minutes later after taking Ritchie’s pass in front of the net and sweeping the puck under CIS netminder Chris Perugini.

With roster cuts being made after the game, the players kept their feet on the gas all game hoping to impress the coaching staff and secure a spot on Canada’s National Junior Team for the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Virtanen added to Canada’s lead twice in the second. First, he brought the puck around the net and fired a wrist shot high from the face-off circle. Later in the period, Point picked up his third point of the game when he set up Virtanen on the power play.

Canada completed the scoring early in the third when Nick Baptiste (Ottawa, Ont./Erie, OHL) sent a cross-crease pass to an open Klimchuk at the side of the net.

Virtanen and Point finished the two-game series with six and five points, respectively, to lead Canada.

CIS Toronto Selects once again played all three of its goaltenders; Perugini, Michael Nishi and Troy Passingham combined to stop 39 of 45 shots.