Team North America scored three goals in a 4:43 span of the second period and Matt Murray made 23 saves in a 4-0 victory over Team Europe before a full house at the 18,005-seat Centre Videotron on Thursday night in a pre-tournament game for the World Cup of Hockey.
Nathan MacKinnon, with two goals including one on a penalty shot, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Johnny Gaudreau scored as the youthful North Americans used their speed to find openings against an at-times flat-looking European defence.
Shots were 23-21 in favour of Europe.
North America, made up of players under 24 from Canada and the U.S., is to face Europe again Sunday night in Montreal
Luca Sbisa was serving a tripping penalty when MacKinnon took the rebound of an Aaron Ekblad point shot off the end boards and beat Jaroslav Halak at the side of the net at 3:52 of the second frame.
Nugent-Hopkins lost and recovered the puck twice to score on a solo effort at 6:22 and Gaudreau finished a two-man rush with Brandon Saad at 8:34.
There had to be Montreal Canadiens fans in the building as Boston defenceman Zdeno Chara was booed regularly. They were delighted when Chara hooked down Mackinnon, who was speeding to the net, at 11:52 of the third period. That drew a penalty shot and the Colorado winger scored on a deke to the backhand after a slow approach to the net.
The European squad had only two practices with their full squad as several players arrived late from an Olympic qualifying tournament.
North America scratched forward Dylan Larkin, defenceman Colton Parayko and goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Europe sat out forward Thomas Vanek, rearguard Denis Seidenberg and goalie Philipp Grubauer.
NHL vice-president Bill Daly, who spoke to the media during the first intermission, was impressed with the Centre Videotron and the turnout, but had nothing encouraging for fans hoping to bring back the Nordiques, who moved to Colorado in 1995. He said there were no plans at the moment for expansion (other than to Las Vegas in 2018) or to relocate another club.
Europe forward Nino Niederreiter of the Minnesota Wild celebrated his 24th birthday.
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