Only Sidney Crosby and Drew Doughty brought prior Olympic experience to Canada’s roster. The rest of the squad, spanning from dynamic talents like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon to goaltender Jordan Binnington and rising star Macklin Celebrini, were making their inaugural appearance on sport’s grandest stage.
And what an indelible first impression they delivered.
Celebrini notched Canada’s opening goal as the NHL made its highly anticipated return to the Games, while Binnington turned aside all 26 shots he faced, propelling Canada to a commanding 5-0 victory over Czechia on Thursday. The performance showcased the tournament favorites as an already seamlessly operating unit.
“Our intent was really strong in how we played,” remarked Crosby, who, alongside Doughty, earned gold medals in both 2010 and 2014. “I thought we were physical. We were generating speed. The execution sometimes takes time to fully develop. But even then, we executed well in many moments and did some excellent things. It’s about continuing to build from this.”
Celebrini, at 19, the team’s youngest member, redirected a shot from Cale Makar past Lukas Dostal with just 5.7 seconds remaining in the first period, punctuating a thrilling, back-and-forth opening frame. Following Mitch Marner’s exquisite saucer pass to Mark Stone for a goal and Bo Horvat’s subsequent breakaway tally later in the second, Czechia’s hopes quickly faded.
“Regardless of who you are, whether it’s Sid, Doughty, or Celebrini, playing in the Olympics for the first time is always special, and everyone experiences those initial jitters,” commented coach Jon Cooper. “What I particularly liked? I felt we improved progressively as the game unfolded. … I believe we gained more control as that contest advanced.”
On the few occasions Binnington’s net was threatened, he was there to deny the opportunity. Prior to Celebrini’s goal, Binnington maintained the 0-0 deadlock with a crucial left-pad save on Michal Kempny and then outstretched to cover David Kampf’s rebound attempt.
“It felt good,” Binnington stated. “Every team, every nation possesses star players, so we anticipate they’ll mount pressure at some point. I believe we did an excellent job containing them and allowing me clear sight of the pucks, enabling me to play my game effectively.”
At the opposing end, Dostal performed admirably but found himself powerless to halt much of the Canadian offensive onslaught. He had no answer for the exquisite tic-tac-toe power-play goal involving Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon in the third period.
“Having two of the greatest players to ever play pass the puck to me is pretty cool,” MacKinnon said modestly. “I didn’t have to do much on that one. Just fortunate to be on the back side. Anyone would have buried that.”
That same dynamic trio nearly replicated an identical goal in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off a year prior. Canada secured that Olympic precursor by defeating the U.S. — who commence their tournament Thursday night against Latvia — in overtime.
McDavid contributed three assists, including one on Nick Suzuki’s goal that solidified the 5-0 lead. The three-time NHL MVP, widely regarded as the world’s premier hockey player, approved of Canada’s play but also believes this is far from their peak performance.
“It was good,” McDavid reflected. “Many positive aspects. But also many areas where we can still improve.”
Meier’s Brace Propels Switzerland to Shutout Victory Over France
Bolstering a squad that enjoyed a strong showing in an international tournament last spring with fresh NHL talent, Switzerland launched their Olympic campaign with a decisive victory against France.
New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier netted two goals in the third period, while 39-year-old national team goaltender Leonardo Genoni stopped all 27 shots thrown his way, as Switzerland blanked France 4-0. Damien Riat opened the scoring just 55 seconds in, and J.J. Moser of the Tampa Bay Lightning extended the lead to two goals within three minutes, leaving little to worry about for the remainder of the contest.
“It helps tremendously when you score two goals in the first, whatever it was, five minutes,” Moser explained. “It simply provides you with more comfort, more confidence for the rest of the game as well.”
Meier’s pair of goals effectively sealed the game after he and his teammates consistently pushed the play into France’s zone. Meier described it as “a mature performance in how we finished the game.”
Before a lively crowd of their supporters, Switzerland outshot France 43-27, sending their fans home jubilant.
A significant factor in their success was the stellar goaltending of Genoni, the 38-year-old who backstopped his nation on an improbable journey to the final at last spring’s world championships, where they ultimately fell 1-0 to the U.S. in overtime. Genoni, who was named tournament MVP with a 0.99 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage, downplayed the shutout, emphasizing his focus on the remainder of the Olympics.
“It’s a fantastic start,” Genoni affirmed. “We had an exceptionally strong beginning to the game and successfully shut down their offense. It’s a perfect start for us.”
Switzerland is set to face Canada on Friday.
“Clearly a formidable opponent is next,” said forward Nino Niederreiter. “We’ll do our utmost to challenge them a bit and see what we can achieve from there.”