Team Canada practised today at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki ahead of tomorrow's quarterfinal game against Finland. Lines are listed below. 

Following last night's loss to Sweden, Joe Hicketts declared Canada was "major underdogs" against Finland and the team seems to have embraced that role. "It feels like there's really no pressure on us," Mitch Marner said following Friday's practice. Finland won three of four games in the preliminary round to finish second in Group B. "We're the third seed," Mathew Barzal noted. "We're the under-dog coming in to these games and that's what it'll be the rest of the way so we got nothing to lose." The Finns aren't buying that argument at all. "I would say that Canada is never an under-dog in this tournament," said head coach Jukka Jalonen. "They're always favourites and I think it's the same situation now. We are under-dogs. They are the (reigning) world champs." Canadian head coach Dave Lowry spoke shortly after Jalonen and politely disagreed, "They would definitely be the favourite and I would have to say it's going to be a challenge."

Both Jalonen and Lowry refused to name their starting goalie. Mackenzie Blackwood started the last two games of the preliminary round for Canada allowing six goals on 56 shots. "I wasn't disappointed in myself," Blackwood said when asked to assess his play against Sweden, "but I can be better for sure. If we're going to beat a team like this moving forward I need to be at my best all the time."

Jake Virtanen is still looking for his first point of the tournament and admitted on Friday that this is the most challenging moment of his national team career. "This is for sure the most adversity I've ever had and it's pretty exciting when you're getting into a big adversity moment for yourself," he said. Does he feel like he's due for a break-out game? "I think so. I think I've been getting to the dirty areas and things haven't been going our way." Virtanen had just one shot on goal against the Swedes on Thursday and took a costly penalty in the first period.  

Virtanen isn't the only Canadian forward still looking to get in a groove. "Everyone has more, more to prove out there and I think this elimination round is going to pull that out of everyone," said Marner, who picked up his second goal of the tournament on Thursday. "I thought yesterday I played more like my game so I'm feeling more comfortable over here and hopefully it continues to get better." Marner has two points at even strength with both coming in a blowout win over the Danes. Meanwhile, Barzal also admitted he has yet to reach his top form. "A lot of guys have played well, but I think some guys are still looking for their best game, including me, so we're all going to come out with a lot of energy," he said. 

The line of Jesse Puljujärvi, Sebastian Aho and Patrik Laine has combined for 12 goals at the tournament. "I think they're brothers somehow," said Finland forward Kasperi Kapanen. "They're just not telling us that they're brothers. They just know where each other are and I just laugh on the bench when they score. I've never seen anything like it before." Jalonen admitted he did not think such young players – Puljujärvi and Laine are 17 while Aho is 18 – could dominate in a championship usually headlined by 19-year-olds. And the coach has given the three players a very long leash to operate. "If you try and over coach them you will make a mistake, because they are naturals," Jalonen said. "Obviously, they will make some mistakes, but if you try to correct them all the time and they start thinking too much on the ice then that would be bad so you have to let them play."

Canada took 10 minor penalties (by 10 different players) leading to seven Swedish power plays on Thursday and after the game Lowry was asked if it's possible to win a game when you're in the box that much. "Well, we won't take 10 penalties next game," was his retort. On Friday, Lowry brought up the issue again, unprompted, and had a specific number in mind. "Discipline is going to be a key for us and if we're taking more than three minor penalties, we put ourselves in a really difficult position," he said. The players were frustrated with some of the calls against them on Thursday. "The Brendan Perlini (slashing) call was pretty tough and we kind of let the emotions get the better of us on the bench," Barzal said, "but Dave did a good job of calming us down." Both Canada and Finland allowed five PP goals against in the preliminary round and ranked in the bottom half of the tournament in penalty-kill efficiency. 

Team Canada lines at practice: 

Crouse-Strome-Virtanen
Perlini-Point-Marner 
Beauvillier-Barzal-Gauthier 
Quenneville-Stephens-Konecny 
Chartier 

Chabot-Hicketts
Fleury-Hickey
Sanheim-Dermott 
McKeown 

Blackwood
McDonald
Montembeault