CANADA SCORES EARLY AND OFTEN, BLANKS SWISS

JASON LA ROSE

EDMONTON, Alta. – Peyton Krebs (Okotoks, Alta./Kootenay, WHL) scored twice and added an assist, Matthew Robertson (Sherwood Park, Alta./Edmonton, WHL) and Ryan Suzuki (London, Ont./Barrie, OHL) had a goal and two helpers apiece, and Canada got goals from nine different players in a 10-0 win over Switzerland to open its schedule at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Monday night.

Playing its first summer under-18 game on home ice in 22 years, the Canadians opened the scoring within the first five minutes and took total control with a five-goal second period.

It’s the first time Canada has hit double digits in a game since an 11-5 win over the U.S. in 2014, and the first time it has won by at least 10 since a 12-2 victory over Slovakia in 2000.

After an apparent first-minute goal was waved off, Canada got on the board for real when a Maxence Guenette (Ancienne-Lorette, Que./Val-d’Or, QMJHL) shot bounced off the end-boards and onto the stick of Graeme Clarke (Ottawa, Ont./Ottawa, OHL), who tapped in the 1-0 goal at 4:49.

Suzuki added a second goal just over two minutes later, wiring in a power-play marker, and Jakob Pelletier (Quebec City, Que./Moncton, QMJHL) found himself all alone in front of Swiss goaltender Sascha Ruppelt to make it 3-0 after one period.

Dylan Cozens (Whitehorse, Y.T./Lethbridge, WHL) struck on another Canadian man advantage, finishing off a Suzuki feed just 4:41 into the second period before the floodgates fully opened.

Xavier Parent (Blainville, Que./Halifax, QMJHL) scored on the power play, Robertson jumped into the rush to add another, Guenette went top shelf on the short side and Krebs finished a tic-tac-toe passing play to make it 8-0.

In all, Canada scored four goals in three minutes and 24 seconds to take an eight-goal lead to the intermission.

The Parent goal was the end of the night for Ruppelt, who was replaced by Thibault Fatton after allowing five goals on 26 shots. Fatton made 21 saves on 26 chances the rest of the way.

Dach and Suzuki worked the give-and-go to perfection for a shorthanded goal early in the third period before Krebs swept in his second of the game with less than two minutes left to push the Canadians into double digits.

Nolan Maier (Yorkton, Sask./Saskatoon, WHL) was solid in the Canadian goal, making 15 saves to record the shutout.

Canada looks to remain perfect when it takes on Slovakia on Tuesday night (7 p.m. MT), while the Swiss have a quick turnaround ahead of their matinee against Sweden (3 p.m. MT).