Through two games, Canada has outscored its Beijing opponents 23-2 and could threaten the 2010 Olympic goals record (48) it established in Vancouver.
photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images
Most hockey experts would have picked the Canadian Olympic women’s team to win its first two Group A games in Beijing. Few envisioned Canada hammering Switzerland 12-1 and Finland 11-1.
Double-digit destruction. That is true firepower. Not against pushovers, either. In the IIHF Women’s World Rankings, Finland sits third and Switzerland fifth.
These were the biggest margins by which Canada has ever defeated the Finns or Swiss in Olympic competition. Pre-tournament, even a 12-1 Canadian goal difference through two games would have sounded more plausible.
Double-digit destruction. That is true firepower. Not against pushovers, either. In the IIHF Women’s World Rankings, Finland sits third and Switzerland fifth.
These were the biggest margins by which Canada has ever defeated the Finns or Swiss in Olympic competition. Pre-tournament, even a 12-1 Canadian goal difference through two games would have sounded more plausible.
Two-time Olympian Sarah Nurse – who, like Brianne Jenner, shone with a hat trick in the romp over Finland – explained her team’s mindset: “A bunch of us looked up at one point and we saw that we had 10 goals. We didn’t even realize we had that many, because we’re so focused on that next shift and being impactful and generating offence. When you focus on the process, you generate the result that you want.”
So this early success naturally raises the question: with 23 goals already, are the defending World Champions going to top the single-Olympics total goals record (48) set by Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics?
The 2022 team has a very real chance of doing just that – whether or not 2021 Women’s Worlds MVP and scoring leader Melodie Daoust returns to the lineup after getting injured versus Switzerland.
Coach Troy Ryan’s squad has one obvious advantage over coach Melody Davidson’s 2010 squad: the new 10-team Olympic tournament format. The 48 goals in 2010 came just in five games. In Beijing, the Canadians will play seven games.
It’s unlikely – although not impossible – that Canada will at some point match the 18-0 walloping it gave Slovakia in its 2010 opener at Canada Hockey Place (now Rogers Arena). That may depend on which Group B team it faces in the quarter-finals. The old North American taboo about “not running up the score” has been long-shattered.
So this early success naturally raises the question: with 23 goals already, are the defending World Champions going to top the single-Olympics total goals record (48) set by Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics?
The 2022 team has a very real chance of doing just that – whether or not 2021 Women’s Worlds MVP and scoring leader Melodie Daoust returns to the lineup after getting injured versus Switzerland.
Coach Troy Ryan’s squad has one obvious advantage over coach Melody Davidson’s 2010 squad: the new 10-team Olympic tournament format. The 48 goals in 2010 came just in five games. In Beijing, the Canadians will play seven games.
It’s unlikely – although not impossible – that Canada will at some point match the 18-0 walloping it gave Slovakia in its 2010 opener at Canada Hockey Place (now Rogers Arena). That may depend on which Group B team it faces in the quarter-finals. The old North American taboo about “not running up the score” has been long-shattered.
In the more immediate future, Canada could hit double digits again against the ROC team on Monday. Against Russian Olympic opposition, the red Maple Leaf holds a perfect record with four wins and a 29-0 goal difference.
Scoring fewer than five to eight goals versus ROC would frankly be a disappointment. That’s with due respect to how the Russian goalies battled in a 5-0 loss to the U.S. (Starter Maria Sorokina made 38 saves on 43 shots and rookie Daria Gredzen added 19 saves on 19 shots after coming in with under 12 minutes left.)
Potentially lighting up the Americans is a whole different story, but don’t forget: Canada did thump the U.S. 5-1 in group play at the 2021 Women’s Worlds in Calgary.
One reality check: the Canadians led those Women’s Worlds with 34 goals in seven games, achieving a 9.84 percent scoring efficiency. Right now, they’re clicking at a presumably unsustainable 19.84 percent scoring efficiency (23 goals on 118 shots).
Scoring fewer than five to eight goals versus ROC would frankly be a disappointment. That’s with due respect to how the Russian goalies battled in a 5-0 loss to the U.S. (Starter Maria Sorokina made 38 saves on 43 shots and rookie Daria Gredzen added 19 saves on 19 shots after coming in with under 12 minutes left.)
Potentially lighting up the Americans is a whole different story, but don’t forget: Canada did thump the U.S. 5-1 in group play at the 2021 Women’s Worlds in Calgary.
One reality check: the Canadians led those Women’s Worlds with 34 goals in seven games, achieving a 9.84 percent scoring efficiency. Right now, they’re clicking at a presumably unsustainable 19.84 percent scoring efficiency (23 goals on 118 shots).
Now, the two Canadian blowouts so far weren’t completely out of the blue. The Finns have 13 Olympic rookies and the Swiss have 12. Both teams also lack the veteran superstar goalies that backstopped them in 2018: Finland’s Noora Raty (left off the roster) and Switzerland’s Florence Schelling (retired).
Still, what happened was less an indictment of Finnish and Swiss shortcomings than a testament to Canada’s excellence.
The Canadians are relentless on the puck and the body. They’re dedicated to the proverbial 200-foot game. And they have the skills to capitalize when they get offensive chances.
“A lot of our offence that you saw [versus Finland] came from strong defence principles and playing aggressive as a five-man unit, and that’s something that we purposely worked at,” said Jenner.
Still, what happened was less an indictment of Finnish and Swiss shortcomings than a testament to Canada’s excellence.
The Canadians are relentless on the puck and the body. They’re dedicated to the proverbial 200-foot game. And they have the skills to capitalize when they get offensive chances.
“A lot of our offence that you saw [versus Finland] came from strong defence principles and playing aggressive as a five-man unit, and that’s something that we purposely worked at,” said Jenner.
It’s a balanced four-line effort. Daoust and Saulnier are the only two skaters without at least one point. Tellingly, not a single Canadian ranks in the top 30 in average per-game ice time. So far, Renata Fast leads Canada in Beijing (19:42). Fellow veteran defender Jocelyne Larocque was tops in Calgary (22:01), with that total slightly jacked up due to the 3-2 gold-medal win over the U.S. in overtime.
As Nurse alluded to, the forwards are refreshingly not focused on their personal statistics.
It’s nice that Sarah Fillier, at 21, is forging a clutch reputation as “the next Marie-Philip Poulin,” twice scoring the game’s first goal just over a minute in. It’s cool that Fillier and Laura Stacey (four goals apiece) are on pace to challenge 2010 MVP Meghan Agosta’s single-tournament Olympic record of nine goals. It’s fun that Natalie Spooner – with nine points – has a shot at IIHF Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser’s record of 17 points. But none of this is foremost in the players’ minds.
“We’re certainly focused on the way we want to play and not about the score,” Jenner said. “That's a big thing for us, focusing on the process, and we didn’t want to take our foot off the gas.”
As Nurse alluded to, the forwards are refreshingly not focused on their personal statistics.
It’s nice that Sarah Fillier, at 21, is forging a clutch reputation as “the next Marie-Philip Poulin,” twice scoring the game’s first goal just over a minute in. It’s cool that Fillier and Laura Stacey (four goals apiece) are on pace to challenge 2010 MVP Meghan Agosta’s single-tournament Olympic record of nine goals. It’s fun that Natalie Spooner – with nine points – has a shot at IIHF Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser’s record of 17 points. But none of this is foremost in the players’ minds.
“We’re certainly focused on the way we want to play and not about the score,” Jenner said. “That's a big thing for us, focusing on the process, and we didn’t want to take our foot off the gas.”
As a footnote, Ryan deserves credit for empowering this Canadian squad to showcase its offensive creativity. He’s unleashed a potential that Perry Pearn, his predecessor as head coach, arguably didn’t recognize.
At the 2019 Women’s Worlds, where Canada settled for the bronze medal for the first time in history, Perry told reporters after a 5-0 quarter-final win over Germany: “We’re starting to learn what we really are. We’re not an offensive juggernaut in terms of scoring goals. We are a really hard-nosed, blue-collar team that’s tough to play against.”
That quote did not age well. Keep in mind: despite the visible impact newcomers like Fillier and defender Claire Thompson (five points versus Switzerland) are having, 15 of the Canadian skaters in Beijing were also on the 2019 squad. It’s not like Ryan has been handed a brand-new talent pool.
While there is still an emphasis on simple, direct plays and getting pucks to the net, it’s not all “blue collar” rebounds and garbage goals. Take Jamie Lee Rattray's spectacular top-shelf backhand goal or Erin Ambrose’s snazzy back door feed to Nurse to complete her hat trick in the third period versus Finland.
The 2022 Canadians look comfortable and confident in using their high-end skills. And it’s still early. Their best game is likely yet to come.
Will Canada set a new Olympic goals record? Stay tuned and don’t rule it out.
At the 2019 Women’s Worlds, where Canada settled for the bronze medal for the first time in history, Perry told reporters after a 5-0 quarter-final win over Germany: “We’re starting to learn what we really are. We’re not an offensive juggernaut in terms of scoring goals. We are a really hard-nosed, blue-collar team that’s tough to play against.”
That quote did not age well. Keep in mind: despite the visible impact newcomers like Fillier and defender Claire Thompson (five points versus Switzerland) are having, 15 of the Canadian skaters in Beijing were also on the 2019 squad. It’s not like Ryan has been handed a brand-new talent pool.
While there is still an emphasis on simple, direct plays and getting pucks to the net, it’s not all “blue collar” rebounds and garbage goals. Take Jamie Lee Rattray's spectacular top-shelf backhand goal or Erin Ambrose’s snazzy back door feed to Nurse to complete her hat trick in the third period versus Finland.
The 2022 Canadians look comfortable and confident in using their high-end skills. And it’s still early. Their best game is likely yet to come.
Will Canada set a new Olympic goals record? Stay tuned and don’t rule it out.