Canada got off to a strong start in its quest for world junior supremacy Tuesday afternoon, coming away with a 4-2 win over Finland.

In light of the victory, here are three takeaways from Canada's performance:

A good test

Given the usual cupcake nature of the preliminary opener for Canada, a tournament entrance against Finland - a country many consider to be in the running for a gold medal as well - offered a considerable early test.

A year removed from firing the entire coaching staff, one would believe Finland to be as hungry as ever to return to the gold medal game - a contest they won in 2016 - however, Canada had other plans.

With seven returnees from last year's silver medal outfit, Canada's experience was evident, and there were few indications of nerves playing a factor once the puck dropped.

Slotted in Group A with Finland, as well as the USA, banking points will be especially important for seeding in the medal round, and capturing three off the bat is a solid start.

Sum of its parts

(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)

In terms of marquee, can't-miss star power, Canada is lacking, but its depth and speed throughout the lineup proved effective against a stout Finnish defensive corps, which features four first-round draft picks.

Canada got at least one point from seven different forwards, while blue-liner Victor Mete contributed two himself.

Head coach Dominique Ducharme wanted to build a complete roster capable of moving the puck quickly, and one game in, Canada looks like a cohesive unit capable of executing the game plan.

Penalty trouble

When looking for a flaw in Canada's performance, one stands out rather clearly: lack of discipline.

Canada took six penalties, including three in the first period. While five of six power plays were killed successfully, it's a trend that will have to come to an abrupt halt if Canada intends on playing for gold.

Now, needing time to adjust to international rules may have been the cause of the influx of infractions, but Canada will have to adapt quickly. Handing out free opportunities in this tournament is a recipe for disaster.

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Zach Parise will make his 2017-18 debut with the AHL's Iowa Wild.

The Minnesota Wild winger underwent back surgery in October and has been cleared for contact. Before jumping back into the lineup, however, he's being sent to the minor-league affiliate for conditioning.

"I’ve got to get into game shape and knock some rust off," Parise admitted Wednesday. "I plan on coming back after (Thursday's) game and practice with this team."

He won't be in Minnesota's lineup Wednesday against Dallas, but could potentially return for Friday's tilt with Nashville.

Parise last played in the AHL in 2005 while in the New Jersey organization.

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The St. Louis Blues have signed general manager Doug Armstrong to a four-year contract extension.

This new deal also includes a club option for a fifth year. Armstrong's contract was set to expire at season's end.

"We are really pleased that we have one of the very best GMs in the business with us for a period of time so he can continue his good work of building the team for current and future success," said owner Tom Stillman. "We've been one of the top teams in the League for several years running now. Doug has been able to engineer that without mortgaging the future."

Hired by the Blues in 2008 as vice president of player personnel, Armstrong took over GM duties in 2010 once predecessor Larry Pleau retired.

Armstrong won General Manager of the Year in 2013, while St. Louis has finished first in its division twice and no lower than third under his watch. Overall, Armstrong's Blues have posted a regular-season record of 337-185-56 since 2010-11, the NHL's fourth-best mark.

In the playoffs, however, St. Louis has won only four rounds in seven years, advancing to the Western Conference Finals in 2016.

The Blues sit first in the Central Division as the holiday break comes to an end, and the team has benefited greatly from an offseason trade that saw Brayden Schenn land in St. Louis.

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Disaster has struck once again for the Chicago Blackhawks, as netminder Corey Crawford has been placed on injured reserve for the second time in a month, the team announced Wednesday.

In a corresponding move, goalie Jeff Glass was recalled from the AHL.

Crawford was placed on IR on Dec. 1 with an undisclosed injury, but returned in the middle of the month in top form, winning five of his seven starts.

This season, Crawford owns 16-9-2 record, accompanied by the league's second-best save percentage (.929), and the third-ranked goals-against average (2.27).

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With 2018 almost upon us, the NHL has never featured so much skill and speed.

In net, however, goalies are as athletic as ever.

The result is highlight-reel plays all over the ice, with these five standing out as the best saves of 2017:

5. Nilsson's Pacific dive - Dec. 20

Vancouver Canucks goalie Anders Nilsson got his bid for save of the year in under the wire with a diving denial of Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty.

4. Carey on - Feb. 21

The Canadiens had their own desperation save moment earlier in the year, though.

J.T. Miller must have thought he was playing the hero in overtime for his New York Rangers, with a wide-open net into which he could deposit the puck.

Until, that is, Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens somehow got in the way.

3. Dubnyk's Hasek impersonation - Oct. 5

He's not quite at Dominik Hasek's level just yet, but Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild made us do a double take with this impression of the legendary Czech netminder on the second night of the 2017-18 regular season.

2. Quick is the new Karate Kid - April 5

Mercy is for the weak, and Quick had none for the Arizona Coyotes - and Peter Holland in particular - as he kicked his leg up and out for a unique pad save.

1. Bobrovsky's jaw dropper - Nov. 12

By all rights, a 2-on-0 rush should result in a goal ... unless the man in net is Columbus Blue Jackets goalie and 2017 Vezina Trophy-winner Sergei Bobrovsky, who robbed Andreas Athanasiou and the Detroit Red Wings of a win in overtime.

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Canada opened its Spengler Cup campaign with a 5-3 win over Mountfield HK on Tuesday, as David McIntyre's shorthanded marker in the third period pushed the Canadians to victory in Davos, Switzerland.

Canada, the two-time defending champion at the annual competition, also got goals from Victor Bartley, Curtis Hamilton, Mason Raymond, and P.A. Parenteau. Between the pipes, Barry Brust made 31 saves.

Canada is back in action Thursday against tournament host HC Davos.

Following the NHL's decision not to participate in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, this year's edition of the Spengler Cup serves as a final opportunity for Olympic hopefuls to convince the Hockey Canada brass that they deserve a chance to feature in South Korea.

Canada will announce its Olympic roster in January.

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Casey Mittelstadt and Kieffer Bellows poured in two goals apiece as the United States cruised past Denmark 9-0 in both teams' first preliminary round games Tuesday at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo.

The U.S. scored five times in the first period, and American goaltender Joseph Woll stopped all 17 shots he faced to secure the shutout.

Max Jones, Kailer Yamamoto, Patrick Harper, Andrew Peeke, and Dylan Samberg also tallied in the rout.

Next up for the Americans is a Thursday matchup with Slovakia. Denmark next faces Finland at noon ET that day.

The U.S. defeated Canada in a shootout to win the gold medal at last year's tournament.

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Former Toronto Maple Leafs legend Johnny Bower died at 93 on Tuesday and the hockey world at large is mourning his loss.

Bower won four Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs through the 1960s, earned the Vezina Trophy twice, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.

Related: Maple Leafs legend Johnny Bower dies at 93

Members of the hockey community shared their memories of the goaltender along with their condolences.

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