  Jan Semorad, right, from Czech Republic challenges for a puck with Steven Stamkos, left, from Canada during their IIHF World U20 Ice Hockey Championships in Pardubice, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
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PARDUBICE, Czech Republic — John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals scored two power-play goals and goaltender Jonathan Bernier earned the shutout as Canada beat the host Czech Republic 3-0 to open the world junior hockey championship Wednesday.
Matt Halischuk of the Kitchener Rangers also scored for the defending champions while Steve Stamkos of the Sarnia Sting added three assists.
Bernier, of the Lewiston Maineiacs, was a calm and consistent presence in helping Canada overcome a few nervous minutes to open the game.
Canada barely has time to catch its breath before meeting Slovakia on Thursday (TSN, 10 a.m. ET).
In an earlier Pool A game, Sweden held off Slovakia 4-3. In a Pool B game in Liberec, the U.S. downed Kazakhstan 5-1.
The top team in each pool earns a bye to the semifinals Jan. 4. The second- and third-place teams cross over to meet in the quarter-finals Jan. 2.
The tournament is huge news here. A Pardubice daily newspaper devoted its sports front and two more pages of coverage to the tournament Wednesday.
It was a capacity crowd at the Pardubice Arena of 10,057 fans, including about 200 Canadians who began singing the national anthem after Tavares’s second goal made it 3-0 in the third period.
Canada faced a Czech team well versed in Canadian hockey. The Czech Republic’s roster featured 10 players from the Canadian Hockey League
Goaltender Michal Neuvirth plays for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and he stoned Canada on several chances until Tavares’s goal at 11:21 of the second made it 1-0.
Halischuk made it 2-0 at 3:57 of the third by banging in his own rebound through Neuvirth’s pads after a shot from the blue-line by Josh Godfrey.
Tavares put a sharp-angled shot off the shoulder of Neuvirth and into the net for his second of the game at 11:53.
Head coach Craig Hartsburg put both Tavares and Stamkos, the youngest players on the team at age 17, out together when Canada had a man advantage.
It paid dividends on Canada’s first goal as Stamkos set up defenceman Logan Pyett near the boards at the blue-line. Tavares banked Pyett’s pass by Neuvirth’s glove from close range.
The youngsters on the squad couldn’t contain their excitement when Canada scored as Tavares nearly went over the glass celebrating his first goal. Stamkos launched himself into the air and on to Halischuk after Canada’s second goal.
But Bernier was the backbone of Canada’s victory as the Los Angeles Kings draft pick calmly re-directed shots harmlessly to the side or covered them in front with his glove.
The Czechs outshot Canada 9-2 over the opening seven minutes on the strength of two power-play opportunities. Bernier made six saves during them and also stopped Halifax Mooseheads forward Jakub Voracek on an attempted wrap-around in the opening minute.
Canadian forward Colton Gillies laid out Czech defenceman Anton Boruta later in the second to the dismay of the home-team fans, some of whom threw debris on the ice. Boruta returned to the Czech bench under his own steam.
Notes — Goalkeeper Jakub Kovar is a teammate of Tavares with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals . . . Forward Brad Marchand could end up a linemate of Jakub Voracek’s as Marchand was traded to the Halifax Mooseheads after joining the Canadian team . . . Canadian forwards Riley Holzapfel and Wayne Simmonds played their first international games for Canada on Wednesday . . . Canadian tour operator John Carroll expects to have 450 Canadians here by tournament’s end and there are more who have come on their own.
