Canada confirms dominance with a flawless victory over France
In a commanding performance in stockholm, teh Canadian ice hockey team secured a convincing 5-0 win against France, marking thier third consecutive triumph in the group stage. The match unfolded steadily with Bo Horvat opening the score in the seventh minute,positioning himself expertly in front of the net.
Just six minutes later, Will Cauley cut through the French defence on a swift counterattack, finding the top left corner from the left faceoff circle — doubling Canada’s advantage.
The momentum continued as Sidney Crosby, playing a key role on the power play in the 38th minute, placed a precise shot into the upper right corner, leaving the French goalie no chance. Horvat then claimed his second goal mid-third period following a rapid passing sequence, extending the led to 4-0.
Brendan Montour’s shot at 52 minutes deflected off the French goaltender, trickling into the net to finalize the scoreline.Montour also contributed an assist to the Canadian tally sheet.
between the pipes, Jordan Binnington delivered a masterclass, blocking 15 shots to keep a clean sheet, while France’s Gillian Zinck faced 31 attempts, enduring relentless pressure.
Standing in context: group A progress
The day had started with Latvia’s 5-2 victory over Slovenia, adding another layer of competition in group A. Canada and Sweden now lead with nine points each after three games, followed by Latvia with six points. Finland, Slovakia, and Austria trail with fewer points, while France and Slovenia remain at the bottom, struggling for their first wins.
Hungary claims an essential victory against Kazakhstan in group B
Meanwhile, in Herning, Hungary pulled off a crucial 4-2 win over Kazakhstan. The Hungarians exploded out of the gate with János Hari scoring within the first 15 seconds, setting an aggressive tone. István Terbócs doubled the lead before the first period closed.
Kazakhstan managed to pull one back in the second period through Nikita Mihailis, injecting hope into their campaign.
The final stanza saw Vilmos Galló quickly restore Hungary’s two-goal cushion, followed by Péter Vincze’s power-play marker at 44 minutes pushing the score to 4-1. Kazakhstan’s efforts culminated in a late goal by defenseman Valeriy Orekhov, capitalizing on an empty net just under a minute from the final buzzer.
Hari was the standout player with three points (1+2), while Orekhov and Arkadi Shestakov produced notable contributions for Kazakhstan. In goal, Hungary’s Bence Balicz saved 23 shots, narrowly edging out Kazakhstan’s goalie Maksim Pavlenko, who faced 24 shots.
Group B: closer than ever
After three matches, Germany tops the group with nine points, Czechia follows closely at eight. Switzerland and the United States remain in contention with seven and six points respectively. Hungary and Kazakhstan are tied at three points, while Norway and Denmark search for their first victories in the tournament.