2018-19 National Men's Team

CANADA DOWNS ICE TIGERS, CLINCHES SEMIFINAL SPOT

JASON LA ROSE

DAVOS, Switzerland – Dante Fabbro (Coquitlam, B.C./Boston University, HE) scored a pair of goals to lead the offence, and Canada’s National Men’s Team used a four-goal second period to beat the Nürnberg Ice Tigers 6-2 on Friday afternoon at the 2018 Spengler Cup.

The win – the 10th in a row for the Canadians at the tournament – secures first place in Cattini Group for the three-time defending champions and sends them into the semifinals.

Fabbro, just a year removed from winning gold with Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship, opened the scoring only 2:21 in, picking the top corner over the glove of Nürnberg goaltender Andreas Jenicke.

Patrick Reimer got the German side even on the power play in the first minute of the second period, hammering a one-timer past Canadian netminder Zach Fucale (Rosemère, Que./Fort Wayne, ECHL), but it was all Canada from there in the middle frame.

Daniel Winnik (Toronto, Ont./Genève-Servette HC, NLA) got it started, putting the Canadians ahead for good at 4:52 after he picked up a turnover on the side-boards and beat Jenicke through traffic.

Andrew Ebbett (Vernon, B.C./SC Bern, NLA) redirected a pretty feed from Matt D’Agostini (Sault Ste. Marie, OHL/HC Ambri-Piotta, NLA) at 11:14, Zac Dalpe (Paris, Ont./Cleveland, AHL) popped the water bottle at 13:01 and Dion Knelsen (Three Hills, Alta./SC Rapperswil-Jona, NLA) cleaned up a rebound at 17:45, sending Canada to the dressing room with a commanding four-goal lead.

The Canadians outshot Nürnberg 21-4 in the second period, and had a 39-21 edge overall.

Fabbro went low for his second goal early in the third, snapping a shot under the glove of Jenicke, before Mike Mieszkowski finished the scoring for the Ice Tigers in the dying minutes.

Canada will take on the winner of the quarter-final between Nürnberg and Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Sunday morning (9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT).