Canada holds Norway to just 10 shots in 5-0 win
PARIS — Defenceman Colton Parayko scored twice and centre Nate Mackinnon moved atop the tournament scoring leaders with three assists as defending champion Canada beat Norway 5-0 at the hockey world championship on Monday.
Canada tops Group B with five wins from six matches, putting it three points ahead of 2010 winner Czech Republic. Canada has 27 goals for only eight conceded, with the only defeat to third-placed Switzerland.
Brayden Schenn, Mark Scheifele, and Ryan O’Reilly got the other goals while goaltender Chad Johnson had an easy 10-shot shutout for Canada, which is chasing a third straight title and record-equalling 27th. Russia holds that record, with 22 of those achieved as the former Soviet Union.
Canada’s last group game is on Tuesday against fourth-placed Finland, which is three points clear of Norway as they scrap for a quarter-final place. Norway will have to beat next-to-last Belarus and hope Canada does the rest against Finland.
Mackinnon has five goals and six assists so far, one point more than Russian pair Artemi Panarin and Vadim Shipachyov.
They were in action later, however, with unbeaten Russia facing Latvia in the German city of Cologne, which is co-hosting with Paris. A win for Russia would move it ahead of the United States at the top of Group A, while Latvia is vying with Germany for a remaining quarter-final spot.
France was facing last-placed Slovenia later Monday in Group B. Denmark beat Italy 2-0 in Group A’s other match with late third-period goals from Nichlas Hardt and Peter Regin. Italy ended the tournament with seven straight losses and was relegated.