Crosby sets record, Wilson drops the gloves as Canada thumps France at Olympics

sir philip sidney bing crosby has in time another accolade beside his nominate.

The canadian river hockey icon registered a goal and two assists Sunday in a 10-2 dismantling of France as the country finished with a perfect record in the preliminary round of the men's tournament at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The 38-year-old Crosby's three points gave him 16 for his Games career, eclipsing the national team's NHL-era record of 14 previously held by Jarome Iginla.

The league went to five Olympics between 1998 and 2014. The NHL skipped the 2018 Games for financial reasons before COVID-19 shelved a planned return four years later. Canada won gold in 2002, 2010 and 2014 with its men's stars, with Crosby playing key roles in the latter two victories.

Macklin Celebrini added a pair of goals and an assist on Sunday, while Connor McDavid and Mark Stone each scored and set up two others.

Cale Makar and Tom Wilson — both with a goal and an assist — Devon Toews, Bo Horvat and Brandon Hagel provided the rest of the offence for the Canadians (3-0-0-0), who now await their quarterfinal opponent following Tuesday's eight-team qualification playoff. Jordan Binnington had to make just 11 saves.

"Our intentions are good," Crosby said. "Still areas we want to clean up."

Wilson was also ejected for fighting Pierre Crinon in the third period after the French defender delivered a forearm to the face of Nathan MacKinnon.

"That's a big part of what we're all about," Canadian head coach Jon Cooper said. "These guys go through a wall for each other. It's fun to watch. I think we're used to a lot more than that happening.

"It was pretty harmless in the grand scheme of things, but that's Willie."

OLYMPIC HOCKEY FIGHT 👀<br><br>Tom Wilson and France's Pierre Crinon go at it and each receive a game misconduct 🚨 <a href="https://t.co/s5dyIstpjD">pic.twitter.com/s5dyIstpjD</a>

McDavid's three points give him nine across nine periods in the superstar centre's Olympic debut, breaking the single Games record by a Canadian NHLer previously held by Jonathan Toews, who put up eight in seven contests back in 2010.

Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu share the overall record for points in a tournament involving NHLers with 11, which they both set at the 2006 event in Turin, Italy.

"We did what we came to do," McDavid said of a game that lacked emotion until Crinon drilled MacKinnon without the puck behind France's net. "We came to win a hockey game and continue to get better."

Floran Douay and Sacha Treille replied for the French (0-0-0-3). Julian Junca allowed six goals on 33 shots in two periods of work. Antoine Keller made three saves in the third. Justin Addamo had two assists.

Canada blows out France to finish atop Group A

Canada, which has a plus-17 goal difference, opened the tournament with a 5-0 victory over Czechia before securing a 5-1 triumph against Switzerland to clinch first in Group A ahead of the meeting with France.

"It was about, 'Are we getting better as a team?"' Cooper said of his approach to Sunday. "'How are you playing without the puck?' I don't care about the rest of the stuff.

"You want to win this tournament, you better be giving up one or two goals a game."

Switzerland (1-1-1-0) picked up a 4-3 overtime victory against Czechia (1-0-1-1) earlier Sunday to grab second in the group.

Injured defenceman Josh Morrissey (undisclosed) again sat out for Canada, while Brad Marchand was scratched for a second straight game up front, despite Cooper's assertion he would be back in against the French. The coach said Sunday the 37-year-old had been dealing with an ailment, but should be ready for the quarters.

The red-clad Canadians were on the front foot early, but France held strong before Wilson buried a rebound at 8:41.

The French — with plenty of support inside Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, including chants of "Allez les Bleus" that rang around the 11,600-seat venue — replied just 13 seconds later when Canadian defenceman Colton Parayko turned the puck over and didn't box out Douay on a big Binnington rebound.

"When you're going to these tournaments, you're going to expect everyone's best coming out of the gates," Stone said. "But we feel like if we're playing 60 minutes, rolling over four lines, we're going to start wearing teams down.

"That's what ended up happening."

Macklin Celebrini scores a penalty shot goal against France

Canada, which owns the No. 1 seed in the elimination round barring a 10-goal victory for the United States against Germany later Sunday, retook the lead at 9:31 when Toews received a pass from Crosby on a 3-on-1.

France went to the man advantage late in the period, but Stone made it 3-1 when he stole the puck on the penalty kill and chipped a cheeky breakaway backhand past Junca with 3.4 seconds remaining on the clock.

Makar made it 4-1 on Canada's lethal power play off a McDavid pass at 12:10 of the second. Celebrini was then hauled down on a breakaway at 17:16 and made no mistake on the ensuing penalty shot.

Crosby stretched the lead to 6-1 just 19 seconds later when his attempted pass went off a French defender and slid past a helpless Junca in a period that saw his overmatched teammates register a solitary attempt on target at the other end.

Keller's first shot against in the third was a McDavid breakaway, which he slid home for his ninth point.

"One of the best teams in the world," said the French netminder. "It's pretty hard, but I try my best."

Treille blasted France's first effort of the period past Binnington at 1:28, but Horvat made it 8-2 at 5:14 on a rebound, Hagel scored at 10:46, and Celebrini rounded out the 10-spot on a power play at 11:47.

Crinon, who was whistled for interference for that forearm to MacKinnon's earlier in the period, then dropped the gloves and wrestled with Wilson on his next shift, which resulted in both players getting ejected under International Ice Hockey Federation rules.

Sunday marked the first anniversary of Canada and the U.S. Fighting three times in nine seconds at the 4 Nations Face-Off, which was an NHL-run event.

"Now let's just see where the chips fall," Cooper said of the quarters. "Survive and advance."

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