Canada finished its round-robin schedule Sunday with a 10-2 win over France. The undefeated squad earned a bye into Wednesday’s quarterfinal round.
Here are the four biggest takeaways from Canada-France.
The full Mark Stone experience
On a typical NHL night, Mark Stone wows those who pay close attention. He owns little moments throughout games and contributes more value than the scoresheet shows.
Everybody pays close attention during the Olympics. Stone turned heads Sunday.
He blocked passes and stole the puck from French players multiple times. One well-timed interception led to a shorthanded breakaway goal in the dying seconds of the first period.
Stone earned two primary assists in 13 minutes of ice time. He’s one of the slowest players competing in Italy, but it doesn’t matter. His anticipation, strong frame, and competitive fire get him to the right spots at the right times.
What makes Stone unique is his habit of using his right-handed stick like a pool cue to poke at pucks.
He’s been one of Canada’s most consistent players through three games. The 33-year-old has thrived at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill. His performance continues an NHL season where he’s recorded 60 points in 41 games for the Golden Knights. That ranks fifth in the league in points per game at 1.46.
Stone, fellow winger Mitch Marner, and center Sidney Crosby played together for the entire round-robin portion. Head coach Jon Cooper is sticking with the trio because their hockey IQ is off the charts.
Wilson, MacKinnon toe the line
A Gordie Howe Hat Trick wasn’t on anyone’s Olympic bingo card.
Power forward Tom Wilson delivered one anyway. He scored in the first period, then added an assist and a fighting major in the third. The Washington Capital dropped the mitts with French defenseman Pierre Crinon after Crinon delivered an elbow to the head of Canadian superstar Nathan MacKinnon.
Wilson and Crinon received minor penalties for roughing, majors for fighting, and automatic game misconducts. Neither player will be suspended.
“We didn’t like the hit: felt like it was late and high,” linemate **Connor McDavid** told reporters postgame. “Willy just finishes a check and the guy jumps him, and Willy’s just protecting himself. That’s all he can do. That’s the type of guy he is, type of teammate he is. Nothing but respect for him.”
Wilson looked fantastic all night on McDavid’s right wing. He completed short passes off the wall, retrieved loose pucks, and wreaked havoc in front of France’s net.
Choosing to fight in a blowout is risky. But Wilson sent a message to every competing nation by sticking up for his skilled countryman.
MacKinnon went on a mission to inflict pain after Wilson’s fight. He landed multiple body checks and cross-checks. That approach works if you leave a 10-2 game unscathed, though MacKinnon may have hurt himself during his final shift.
Goals, goals, and more goals
Canada had two objectives against France, Group A’s weakest team.
Win the game. Score as many goals as possible to boost goal differential and secure the No. 1 seed.
It took time for the floodgates to open, but Canada turned 46 shots into 10 goals. The team now owns a plus-17 differential.
McDavid, Stone, Crosby, and Macklin Celebrini each contributed three points. Crosby became Canada’s all-time leader in Olympic points in the NHL era. McDavid increased his tournament-leading point total to nine. The 19-year-old Celebrini jumped to first in tournament goals with his third and fourth scores.
Canada’s depth is staggering.
The team has 12 goal-scorers just three games into the tournament.
Lineup, usage decisions loom
The top three forward lines and top defense pair appear locked in. Cooper may still move MacKinnon to McDavid’s wing occasionally.
It’ll be interesting to see who fills out the bottom of the forward group. Cooper said Sunday that veteran winger Brad Marchand will return for Wednesday’s quarterfinal. He’s been scratched in back-to-back games.
Fourth-liners Bo Horvat and Sam Reinhart aren’t going anywhere. That leaves Sam Bennett and Seth Jarvis as options for the final forward spot.
Jarvis should get the nod. The pace-pushing two-way winger’s been quietly effective in two games. Bennett has mostly blended into the action.
Cooper’s distribution of blue line minutes will be worth watching. How much does he lean on the Cale Makar-Devon Toews duo, especially if injured Josh Morrissey can’t return?
Does 24-year-old Thomas Harley receive an elevated role? He impressed at the 4 Nations Face-Off and has gotten better every game in Milan.
John Matisz is theScore’s senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).
