[ad_1]
With how Team Canada played on Day 3 of the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championships, you’d have never guessed they were on the second half of a back-to-back.
But, looking as well rested as ever, the Canadian women were firing on all cylinders en route to a 3-0 victory over Switzerland, and boast a 2-0 record after two games.
From the moment the puck dropped, Canada was buzzing — PWHL Toronto’s Emma Maltais scored the eventual game-winner just over one minute into the game, assisted by Natalie Spooner, and Toronto teammate Sarah Nurse added one more in the first frame.
Able to hold off a late push from Switzerland, Sarah Fillier skated the puck down the ice for an empty-net goal and some extra insurance to end the game.
Bunched with some stiff competition, including Czechia and the United States, it’s important for Canada to bank the wins and hone their chemistry to prepare for, what they hope will be, a chance at winning gold.
Canada’s sole lead of Group A surely won’t last, but if their effort on Friday indicates anything, it’s that they’re looking for redemption after falling short last year.
Here are some key takeaways from the matchup.
Offence is the best defence
As well-worn of a cliché that saying is, Canada proved just how unequivocally truthful it can be. Emerance Maschmeyer was great when she needed to be, but she didn’t need to be very often.
Through all 60 minutes, Canada dominated Switzerland across the ice. In the defensive zone, Canada rarely allowed the Swiss an opportunity to set up for a scoring chance. In the neutral zone, they were able to pick off passes and force dump-ins. In the offensive zone, Canada was just simply unstoppable.
From the jump, they were moving their feet in the offensive zone and cycling the puck to seemingly create chances at will. When the Swiss did manage to intercept a pass, Canada was right there to pick it back up again.
For example, look no further than the Maltais goal on the opening shift. Defender Renata Fast was able to make a move to keep the puck in at the blue line after a pass from Maltais was intercepted by Switzerland. Fast then quickly dished the puck to the half-wall, picked up by Spooner who then drove to the net where Maltais was right there to drill the rebound. Quick movement by Canada had the Swiss puck-chasing and the 24-year-old playing in her second world championships for Canada was left wide open.
In the middle frame, though Canada didn’t score, they peppered Swiss goaltender Andrea Braendli with shot after shot and completely overwhelmed Switzerland’s defence. Even at five-on-five, Canada was cycling the puck like they had the man advantage. By the time 40 minutes had passed, they’d managed to hold Switzerland to just seven shots while taking 31 of their own.
Canada was dangerous, and had the Swiss netminder not been solid between the pipes, the Canadians would have tickled the twine far more than three times.
In total, Canada held Switzerland to 17 total shots — quite a few of which came in the final minutes with the extra attacker — to their 45.
Simply a masterclass.
Canada’s core still going strong
Twelve players on Canada’s roster this year are 29 or older and four played for the red-and-white 10 years ago when they captured Gold at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 — but they show no sign of slowing down.
Friday’s win against Switzerland was all about the Canadian women’s national team mainstays — Spooner, Nurse, Fast, captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Brianne Jenner each recorded a point. Jenner is now tied for second in tournament scoring, with a goal and two assists.
This core has been one of the most successful internationally since 2021, winning the Women’s Worlds back-to-back in 2021 and 2022 and grabbing Olympic Gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Their chance for a three-peat at the world championships was thwarted in 2023 by the United States, but with a group as decorated as this one, you can bet they’re using that loss as motivation this year.
Though the core remains the beating heart of the Canadian women’s national team, Canada can be encouraged that the younger generation is preparing to step up. Tournament second-year Maltais scored her second of the tournament, also her second game-winner, and was named Canada’s player of the game on Friday.
Penalties haven’t been a problem — yet
Canada has an excellent penalty kill — four-for-four on Friday and perfect across their two games — but they are utilized far too often.
A team as offensively skilled as the Canadians realistically should be drawing more penalties than taking. Through two games, however, Canada has taken double the penalties they’ve drawn and sits tied with Denmark for most PIMs in the tournament.
On Friday, Canada was left short-handed four times — including a five-on-three for over a minute — for eight minutes, nearly matching the 12 PIMs Canada accumulated on Thursday against Finland.
Fast’s tripping penalty in the second period, while Canada was already short-handed, was flagrant and entirely unnecessary, giving Switzerland their best chance of the contest to score their first goal of the tournament.
While Canada may be able to afford taking excess penalties against teams whose power plays have failed to generate at all, that habit needs to end as quickly as possible. Giving the United States, for example, four separate opportunities on the power play is not going to yield the same results as Friday against Switzerland, regardless of how successful Canada’s penalty kill has been.
UP NEXT: Canada faces Czechia on Sunday, while Switzerland still searches for their first goal against 0-2 Finland on Monday.
[ad_2]
