WORLD JUNIORS: Canada defeats Czechia; Munzenberger scores versus Finns

EDMONTON, AB - Oilers prospects Xavier Bourgault and Luca Munzenberger began their bid for international glory on Sunday as the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship officially kicked off in Edmonton and Red Deer.

FINLAND 3, GERMANY 1

Munzenberger and Team Germany opened the circuit with a rematch of last year's first opponent, Finland, losing by a score of 3-1 in a tight-checking tilt. Munzenberger scored for Germany but his University of Vermont Catamounts teammate Joel Maatta notched the game-winning goal while Finnish forward Samuel Helenius netted a pair of pucks.
LOAD IT UP
One Munzenberger with extra mustard, coming up.
Upon
voicing his desire to tilt the ice offensively
as a defender, specifically at special teams, Munzenberger walked the talk in the opener by notching his first career goal and point at the World Juniors with a game-tying power-play strike in the second period.
The 2021 third-round selection departed from the penalty box to put the Germans on the man advantage, following the team's breakout through the neutral zone before fortuitously having the puck drop onto his blade. Munzenberger then loaded up a wrist shot and delivered it under Finnish goaltender Leevi Merilainen's glove for Germany's marquee marker.
The Oilers defence prospect evened the score at 1-1 but the deadlock was short-lived as Munzenberger's University of Vermont teammate, Maatta, replied with the go-ahead tally just over four minutes later.

DAILY SPECIAL
Priding himself on his special teams abilities - mainly on the penalty kill but also on the power play - Munzenberger exhibited his proficiency in protecting the net with stingy checking while down a man in the first period. The blueliner took his position on the PK and quickly did all he could to eat as much time off the clock as possible with a board battle behind his own goal-line.
Munzenberger stumped Finland's setup by freezing three Finnish forwards and the puck along the boards before allowing a teammate to clear it out of the zone.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Munzenberger's performance on Sunday earned him Player of the Game honours for Germany - for good reason. The rearguard played a game-high 22:47, factored into all situations on the ice, provided his team with their only goal and stayed true to his tough defending ways in the process.