Can anybody stop this version of Team Canada? After shutting out the Czech Republic on Thursday, 5-0, the Canadians were back in full swing. This team, they brutalized Switzerland, 5-1, with goals coming from Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Thomas Harley, and Macklin Celebrini.
Mitch Marner added an assist on Crosby's third-period goal, representing the Vegas Golden Knights well. Overall, he had three shots on goal, while Mark Stone added two shots on goal. Shea Theodore didn't add any shots on goal, but had a tripping penalty called on him in the second period.
Perhaps the most noteworthy item from the game was Kevin Fiala being hurt. An unfortunate leg injury could leave the Los Angeles Kings hurting for more offense, even after acquiring Artemi Panarin. Can the Kings survive without Fiala? Stay tuned.
After pulling away from Team Switzerland on Friday, Canada will face off against France on Sunday, where the puck will drop at 7:40 AM PST. Expect Canada to be back in business and force the French into another early surrender, given the obvious roster disparities between the two countries.
But that's not the main storyline in the Golden Knights realm. Instead, it revolves around two Golden Knights netminders, one from the past and one from the present. That's right, we're talking about Akira Schmid and the underdog Swiss facing off against Logan Thompson and the Canadian juggernaut. Here's how both goaltenders fared on Friday afternoon.
Akira Schmid held his own against an overpowering Canadian attack
Stopping 33 of 38 shots on net doesn't seem very impressive on paper. But when you consider who Akira Schmid was up against, it's fairly impressive. What's more impressive are the stops he had on Team Canada.
That included a scorpion-style save on Sidney Crosby in the first period and a great save on a Mark Stone backhand in the third period. He held his own until the dam broke, leading to Team Canada eventually pulling away.
Switzerland will face off against the Czech Republic on 3:10 AM PST on Sunday. It'll be interesting to see what the Swiss can do against an angry Czech Republic team, specifically if Schmid gets some playing time. Maybe he'll have "fun must be always" with Tomas Hertl?
The old Golden Knights guard in Logan Thompson shines bright for Team Canada
Logan Thompson didn't face as many shots as Schmid on Friday (Thompson faced 24). However, he made 23 saves, keeping Canada ahead and preventing the walls from breaking down.
After Switzerland pulled within a goal to end the first period, Canada needed something to keep its team from caving. After all, this was a sneaky-good Swiss team that could do serious damage to its opponents. Who could step up?
Why, that would be the ex-Golden Knights netminder, who pitched a shutout in the last two periods. There were concerns about the Canadians having terrible netminding heading into the tournament. It seems that a former Golden Knight is putting those worries to rest, giving Canada more than they hoped for.