Senators, Stamkos destroy Belarus 6-1 in World Championships

Steven Stamkos and Dany Heatley each had two goals and Jason Spezza and Mike Fisher added one apiece as Canada cruised to a 6-1 victory in the teams' tournament opening game.

Stamkos scored two goals in the first period, and in the third the Senators' forwards--Heatley, Spezza, and Fisher--salted the game away. Spezza also had two assists and Heatley had one for three points each, which at the moment is the tournament lead. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski scored Belarus' only goal, and Dwayne Roloson stopped 23 of 24 shots in goal for Canada.

I didn't get to see the game (damn day job), but it sure sounds like Canada--and specifically Ottawa Senators forwards--dominated the game fairly handily. Heatley extended his all-time scoring lead in IIHF World Championship play, but I've always seen that as a bittersweet record to hold--it just means he's been out of the playoffs more than most other stars, although he does seem to step up his play internationally. Was it wrong of me to see Stamkos do so well and hope he breaks Heatley's record in the relatively near future? Is the Deciders in Tampa Bay have anything to say about it, he'll apparently be given every chance.

In other Senators-related World Championship news, Anton Volchenkov--one of only six NHLers on the Russian team in the tournament--scored an assist in their 5-0 tournament-opening victory over Christoph Schubert's German national team.