MacKinnon pumps in two more for Canada
PARIS — Nathan MacKinnon and Brayden Point had two goals each to fuel Canada’s 6-0 win over Belarus at the world hockey championship on Monday.
MacKinnon had a hot hand for the second consecutive game and moved into the tournament lead with five goals.
He scored a hat trick in Canada’s 7-2 win over Slovenia on Sunday.
Point scored his second and third goals as part of Canada’s “Kid Line” with Mitch Marner and Travis Konecny.
Jeff Skinner and Claude Giroux also scored for Canada.
Playing without injured forward Andrei Kostitsyn and Canadian-born netminder Kevin Lalande, the Belarusian team played a conservative defensive game designed to limit scoring chances.
Netminder Mikhail Karnaukhov made 39 saves but was exposed on MacKinnon’s first goal, a power-play wrist shot from the top of the left circle that beat him high to the glove side and put Belarus down 2-0 at the 4:20 mark of the second period.
Making his second start of the tournament, Canada’s Calvin Pickard picked up his first shutout with 13 saves.
Sean Couturier debuted for Canada after missing the first two games of the tournament with what coach Jon Cooper had deemed a “mid-body” injury.
The Philadelphia Flyers forward was strong in the faceoff circle, going 7-1 on draws through the first 40 minutes.
The two-time defending worlds champion, Canada remains first in Group B at 3-0.
Finland and the Czech Republic, both 1-1, met in Monday’s late game in Paris.
In Group A action on Monday, Russia beat Germany 6-3 and Sweden met the United States in the late game.
On Thursday, Canada will line up for its next game against the host team from France.
The French are currently 1-1 following their 5-1 upset win over Finland on Sunday.