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Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists each as Canada stayed perfect in men’s hockey at the Milan Cortina Olympics with a 5-1 victory over Switzerland on Friday.
Macklin Celebrini, with a goal and an assist, Sidney Crosby and Thomas Harley also scored for Canada (2-0-0-0). Logan Thompson made 24 saves.
Pius Suter replied for Switzerland (1-0-1-0), which got 34 stops from Akira Schmid.
The Canadians, who clinched Group A with two regulation victories, six points and a plus-nine goal differential, opened their tournament with Thursday’s relentless 5-0 victory over Czechia in the first Olympic game involving the country’s NHLers since 2014.
Next up for Canada is a meeting with France on Sunday to wrap up preliminary round play. The Czechs (1-0-1-0) picked up a 6-3 win over the French (0-0-2-0) in Friday’s early game.
After putting up three assists in his Olympic debut, in Canada’s 5-0 win over Czechia, Connor McDavid opened the scoring in Canada’s second game against Switzerland.
Head coach Jon Cooper indicated earlier this week that two of Canada’s three goaltenders — Thompson, Jordan Binnington and Darcy Kuemper — would split the first two games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Binnington picked up a 26-save shutout Thursday with Thompson backing up, while Kuemper dressed as the No. 2 option Friday.
Canadian defenceman Josh Morrissey, who left Thursday’s victory early in the second period, didn’t dress against the Swiss. Travis Sanheim took his place and skated as the seventh defenceman. The final addition to the roster after Brayden Point was left at home injured, Seth Jarvis took Brad Marchand’s place up front.
Swiss fans were in full voice ahead of puck drop as a European-heavy crowd whistled and booed the Canadians when they hit the ice ahead of puck drop for a second straight contest.
Shea Theodore saw his shot clank off iron inside the first minute for Canada before Switzerland’s Nino Niederreiter was denied by Thompson on an odd-man rush at the other end.
McDavid, who had three assists in the opener, scored his first Olympic goal on a power play at 5:45 of the first period off a great pass from MacKinnon inside the 11,600 rink that was finished just in time for the Games.
Sidney Crosby was denied with a desperation flying skate save from Schmid on a breakaway later in the period, but Canada made it 2-0 at 10:45 when Harley scored five-hole after McDavid found him in the slot off the rush.
Switzerland, which topped France 4-0 in its Thursday opener, cut the deficit in half on a man advantage at 12:42 when Sven Andrighetto’s point shot hit Thompson’s glove, the crossbar and fell kindly to Suter, who was high-sticked by Bo Horvat, set up the 5-on-4 opportunity.
McDavid delivered a huge hit on the forecheck for a second straight game that rocked Andrea Glauser — much to the delight of a group of fans with a “Connor McJesus” banner — before the superstar took a big check from Timo Meier later in the period.
Canada killed off a Theodore penalty for tripping early in the middle period to set the stage for Celebrini, the youngest player in the tournament, to score his second goal in as many nights off a Mackinnon pass from the corner at 4:14.
The plucky Swiss, whose fans tossed a couple of beer cups on the ice during some heated moments, held firm the rest of the second and had a push in the third, including another shot off Thompson’s crossbar in a flurry of action around Canada’s net.
But Crosby put things out of reach moments later when he redirected a Mitch Marner pass at 7:28, and Canada cruised from there to pick up another convincing victory.
MacKinnon rounded out the scoring at 13:03 from McDavid and Celebrini — a newly formed and lethal trio put together for the first time Friday that’s combined for 270 points this season.
Swiss forward Kevin Fiala had to be stretchered off with 2:50 left in regulation with an apparent leg injury after a collision with Tom Wilson along the boards.
The NHL is back on the world stage following a 12-year absence that saw the game’s best skip 2018 before a planned return in 2022 was axed by COVID-19 concerns.
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