Canada finishes preliminary round undefeated, top of group with win over Finland at world juniors

Captain Mason McTavish scored and notched a pair of assists Monday as Canada topped Finland 6-3 at the world junior hockey championship.

Connor Bedard and Ridly Greig also added a goal and a helper each, while Brennan Othmann, Tyson Foerester and William Dufour also found the back of the net for Canada (4-0-0). Olen Zellweger tallied three assists.

Joakim Kemell scored and contributed an assist, while Samuel Helenius and Roby Jarventie also had goals for Finland (3-1-0).

The result means Canada finishes the preliminary round at the top of Group A and will face Group B's Switzerland (1-3-0) in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Finland will also play in the quarter-finals but must wait for the outcome of Monday's late game between Sweden (2-0-1) and Germany (2-0-1) to learn its opponent.

Dufour sealed the score at 6-3 with an empty-net goal with 1:47 left on the game clock.

A series of third-period penalties threatened to cost the Canadians.

Finland got its second stretch of five-on-three hockey with less than five minutes left on the clock when William Dufour joined Ethan Del Mastro in the penalty box.

WATCH | Bedard, McTavish lead Canada past Finland: 

The Finns pulled Merilainen just as Del Mastro's penalty expired and with the extra man, Jarventie put a puck in off Garand's glove to make it 5-3.

Finland had a prime opportunity to eat into Canada's lead with a minute-long two-man advantage midway through the third.

Donovan Sebrango was sent to the box for high-sticking and less than a minute later, teammate Will Cuylee was tossed from the game for a knee-on-knee hit.

Canada weathered being down two men, then chewed through the four remaining minutes of the major penalty without conceding a goal.

A big goal early in the