Group leaders Canada and Russia win
WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
PARIS — Defenceman Colton Parayko scored twice and centre Nathan MacKinnon moved atop the tournament scoring leaders with three assists as defending champion Canada beat Norway, 5-0, at the world hockey championship 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 thirdplaced Switzerland.
Russia is doing even better than Canada, with six straight wins after beating Latvia 5-0 to retain top spot in Group A ahead of the United States. The clinical Russians have 32 goals and allowed five ahead of their showdown with the Americans on Tuesday.
Brayden Schenn, Mark Scheifele, and Ryan O’Reilly got Canada’s 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.
Canada coach Jon Cooper said the players were fired up after losing to the Swiss 3-2 in overtime on Saturday. “Our guys were playing a little bit angry from what happened two nights earlier. So the guys had an extra bit in their step, they came out with energy, and determined.”
Canada’s last group game is on Tuesday against fourth-placed Finland, which is three points clear of Norway.
MacKinnon has five goals and six assists so far. That puts him two behind Russian winger Artemi Panarin, who also had three assists against Latvia. Russia’s goals came from Bogdan Kiselevich, Ivan Telegin, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nikita Kucherov and Anton Belov.
Latvia is level on points with Germany and they face off on Tuesday for a quarter-final spot.