By Amy Tennery and Trevor Stynes
MILAN, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Canada walloped France 10-2 as they chased the top seeding from the preliminary stage of the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament on Sunday, Switzerland beat Czech Republic 4-3 in overtime to finish second in Group A and Denmark defeated Latvia 4-2.
Canada had already clinched a quarter-final spot and wanted a rout against the winless French with goal difference a potential determining factor in their pursuit of top seeding.
They accomplished just that, with the United States needing to beat Germany by a margin of at least 10 goals to finish as top seeds when they wrap up Sunday’s Group C programme.
The winners of each of the three preliminary groups and the next best overall team automatically make the quarter-finals, while the remaining teams compete in a single-elimination qualification playoff.
Slovakia surged past Finland and Sweden in the standings to finish top of Group B on Saturday.
CANADA FIGHT TO A BIG WIN
Canada lived up to their pre-tournament reputation as the hot favourites in a physical affair with the French at Santagiulia arena.
Macklin Celebrini, 19, scored twice, while Tom Wilson, Devon Toews and Mark Stone each notched a goal in the first period.
Cale Makar and captain Sidney Crosby scored in the second, with Connor McDavid, Bo Horvat and Brandon Hagel adding tot he score in the third.
“We did what we had to do – eight goal differential, we’re in a good spot,” said forward Nathan MacKinnon.
The Olympics have welcomed back NHL players for the first time since 2014 in Milan and got a taste of the bone-crunching top-flight league on Sunday, as Canadian Tom Wilson and Frenchman Pierre Crinon earned a game misconduct when they came to blows in the third period.
SWISS SEAL IT IN OVERTIME
Switzerland were without injured forward Kevin Fiala, who suffered a tournament-ending injury in Friday’s loss to Canada, but showed their mettle in a terrific comeback win, as Dean Kukan fired one over the Czech goalie’s shoulder to seal it.
“(Fiala is) probably our best player and now everyone is giving a little bit more just for him,” Kukan told reporters. “We’ve got better every game, that’s our goal.”
Czech forward Filip Chlapik opened the scoring late in the first period off a precision pass from Martin Necas, but they were unable to get the puck past Swiss goalie Leonardo Genoni on a power play in the final moments before the first intermission.
Switzerland’s captain Roman Josi tapped one off the skate of Czech defenceman Radko Gudas into the net to level it late in the second period and Timo Meier backhanded a rebound soon after on a power play to put them in front heading to the locker room.
Czech defenceman Radim Simek sent the puck in as he crashed to the ice for the third-period equaliser but Switzerland responded less than two minutes later when forward Pius Suter pounced on a loose puck and put it past the goalie’s right skate.
The Czechs pulled their goalie to free up another skater and Martin Necas slapped the puck past the diving Switzerland goalie with little more than two minutes left in regulation, but the Swiss fans were rewarded as defenceman Kukan struck quickly in extra time.
DENMARK LEAPFROG LATVIA
Denmark earned their first win by holding off a Latvia comeback. The Danes went three goals up through Nick Olesen, Mikkel Aagaard and Nikolaj Ehlers before Kristaps Zile and Eduards Tralmaks responded.
Denmark sealed the win with Olesen’s late empty-net goal.
Latvia finished bottom of Group C, level on three points with Denmark who ended in third place.
Germany also have three points and have secured second spot but could still top the group with an unlikely win over the U.S., who have six. That match was in progress at Santagiulia.
With 23 seconds on the clock, Denmark forced a turnover and Olesen redirected Aagaard’s strike into the net before Aagaard quickly followed up with a rebound goal on a power play,
Denmark made it three when Ehlers caught a lucky break. The puck came off the skate of teammate Oliver Bjorkstrand and Ehlers was in the right place to score.
Latvia pulled one back with 16 seconds left in the opening period on a delayed penalty and with an extra attacker Zile netted.
Latvia made it a one-goal game in the second period when Zile drove the puck into the goalmouth and Tralmaks was at the back post to pounce. But after they pulled their goalie, Olesen found the empty net with less than three minutes left.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery, Janina Nuno Rios, Trevor Stynes and Giulio Piovaccari in Milan; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Ken Ferris)
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