In Fribourg, Switzerland, Canadian ice hockey captain Macklin Celebrini scored two goals, leading his team to a commanding 6-0 shutout against Italy during the World Championship on Saturday.
Celebrini’s impressive performance included a one-timer and a backhand shot, contributing significantly to Canada’s second consecutive victory in Group B, following their win over Sweden.
Celebrini’s Performance
Celebrini opened the scoring with a one-timer from the right circle after receiving a cross-ice pass from Porter Martone, extending the lead to 3-0 with just over three minutes remaining in the first period.
His second goal came in the middle period, where he executed a backhand shot into the net, bringing the score to 4-0 at 2:09.
Team Contributions
Sidney Crosby, returning from the NHL playoffs, provided the primary assist for Celebrini’s second goal. Additional goals from Dylan Holloway, Fraser Minten, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan O’Reilly contributed to the victory, while goaltender Cam Talbot successfully defended against all 19 shots faced.
Upcoming Matches
Canada will face Denmark next on Monday, aiming to maintain their winning streak in the tournament.
Italy, a newcomer to the top division for the first time since 2022, faced a challenging match against Canada.
Additional Matches in the Championship
In other Group A action, Finland secured a 4-1 victory over Hungary, with Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov contributing two assists.
Meanwhile, Austria triumphed over Britain with a score of 5-2, while Slovakia edged out Norway 2-1 with a late goal from Marek Hrivik.
Later on Saturday, Switzerland was set to compete against Latvia, and the Czech Republic faced Slovenia.