Blackwood to start for Canada against Finland

Canada's goalie Mackenzie Blackwood gets pinned between Sweden's Axel Holmstrom and Canada's Haydn Fleury. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP)

HELSINKI — Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood will start for Canada against Finland on Saturday in the quarter-finals of the world junior hockey championship.

It is Blackwood’s third start of the tournament.

He had a shootout win and a regulation loss with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage in the preliminary round.

Blackwood missed the first two games of the world junior hockey championship as he completed an eight-game suspension from the Ontario Hockey League.

Mason McDonald started in Blackwood’s absence, with Samuel Montembeault serving as Canada’s third goalie.

McDonald had a 2.52 GAA and a .861 save percentage in his two starts with a win and a loss.

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