Canada wrapped up its Olympic preliminary round with authority on Sunday, steamrolling France 10-2 in a game that showcased just how deep and dangerous this roster really is. With the win, Canada moved to a perfect 3-0-0-0 and locked up the No. 1 seed heading into the knockout stage, thanks in part to the U.S. taking care of Germany earlier in the day.
But for head coach Jon Cooper, the scoreboard wasn’t the story.
“Tonight was not about where we were going to finish or how many goals we were going to score,” Cooper said postgame. “It was about making sure we are getting better as a team.”
That focus was evident in the way Canada played without the puck-tight, disciplined, and relentless. Cooper emphasized that if this group wants to go all the way, it starts with keeping pucks out of their own net.
“If you give up more than one or two goals a game, the game is in jeopardy,” he said. That message clearly resonated, as Canada held France to just 14 shots all night.
Offensively, the stars came out to shine. Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Mark Stone each put up a goal and two assists, putting on a clinic in puck movement and offensive zone pressure. Cale Makar and Tom Wilson chipped in with a goal and an assist apiece, while Jonathan Toews and Bo Horvat each found twine as well.
And then there’s Macklin Celebrini-the 18-year-old San Jose Sharks phenom who continues to look like he belongs among the game’s elite. Late in the second period, Celebrini made Olympic history by becoming the first NHL player to score on a penalty shot at the Games. He didn’t stop there, finishing the night with two goals and an assist in another breakout performance that’s turning heads across the hockey world.
The only real blemish came with 8:38 left in the second, when Nathan MacKinnon took a high hit from France’s Pierre Crinon. It didn’t go unnoticed. Less than two minutes later, Tom Wilson stepped in and dropped the gloves, earning a fighting major and sending a message: this team protects its own.
In the third, Brandon Hagel got on the board with his first Olympic goal, burying a one-timer off a slick feed from MacKinnon to make it 9-2. Celebrini capped the scoring just over a minute later, putting an exclamation point on a dominant night.
Canada outshot France 46-14, controlling the pace from puck drop to final horn. It was the kind of performance that not only secured the top seed but also sent a message to the rest of the field: this team is locked in, loaded, and laser-focused on gold.
“We’ve done a pretty good job so far,” Cooper said. “We wanted to avoid playing in a qualification game.
We accomplished that. Now we’ll see where the chips fall and go play in a win-or-go-home situation.”
If Sunday was any indication, Canada is more than ready for what’s next.