photo: Andre Ringuette/IIHF
Canada scored three goals in the first period to take control of a game they won in dominating fashion, beating Czechia 5-0 to stay a perfect 3-0 in Group A with the United States.
The loss drops the Czechs to 1-2 and keeps them in third place behind the North Americans.
Canada and the U.S. play their final game of the preliminary round tomorrow night to decide first place while Czechia has a day off before finishing against Switzerland on Tuesday.
Shots favoured the victors, 42-13, and Ann-Renee Desbiens earned her sixth career shutout at the Women's Worlds for Canada. She also improved her career WW record to 18-0-1 in 20 games, the only blemish being a loss to the Americans in last year's gold-medal game.
Kristin O'Neill recorded her first three-point game at the Women's Worlds, two goals and an assist in that opening period.
"I feel like our line has a lot of chemistry so far, and it's nice to contribute to the offence," O'Neill said. "It felt good. It was a pretty physical game, and we got a lot of pucks deep, which is what we wanted to do. But we're always looking for ways to improve. We're taking each game as a stepping stone as the tournament progresses to get to where we want to be."
"We wanted to play physical," said Tereza Vanisova. "It was only the second time we've ever played Canada, so we wanted to bump and push and play our game. But playing on the PK a lot and not getting many power plays, it made things hard for us. We played really well in our first game against Finland. We were very good on the puck and had a lot of possession. It actually surprised me. It was a very good game for us. But then playing the U.S. it's much different, much harder. We have to learn from these games, and eventually we'll improve. It's a great opportunity to play those games."
Canada came out flying and controlled the puck from start to finish in the opening period, pouring 18 shots at Klara Peslarova while enjoying the first three power plays and scoring on another delayed penalty.
They got going at 2:06 after a faceoff win in the Czechia end, Danielle Serdachny jamming the puck in after a scramble in front. Seven minutes later, with a penalty about to be called, O’Neill took a shot that fooled Peslarova and trickled over the goal line.
The Canadians sent wave after wave of speed and power over the boards, and Czechia had few answers. After a prolonged period of pressure, they made it 3-0 when O’Neill got her second after another bobble by Peslarova. She stopped O’Neill’s initial shot, but the puck bounced in the air and O’Neill batted it in.
Coach Carla MacLeod got the Czechs back on track in the dressing room, and the team came out and played much better in the middle 20. Still, the Canadians upped their lead early on when a long screen shot from Renata Fast found the net at 4:31.
Midway through the period the Czechs had their best chance when Vanisova made a sensational individual effort. She intercepted a Canada pass at her blue line and then burst up ice with two players in pursuit. She managed to get a shot off but Ann-Renee Desbiens made a nice save.
Later in the period, Peslarova matched that when she stoned Natalie Spooner on a breakaway, after which the Czechs had their best sequence, getting shots to the Canadian goal and creating a bit of chaos in front.
Laura Stacey made it 5-0 at 5:43 by scoring a Laura Stacey kind of goal. She spent most of the shift chasing players, stealing the puck, and playing aggressively, and when she got the disc in the corner she bulldozed her way to the front and roofed the puck over Peslarova.
The loss drops the Czechs to 1-2 and keeps them in third place behind the North Americans.
Canada and the U.S. play their final game of the preliminary round tomorrow night to decide first place while Czechia has a day off before finishing against Switzerland on Tuesday.
Shots favoured the victors, 42-13, and Ann-Renee Desbiens earned her sixth career shutout at the Women's Worlds for Canada. She also improved her career WW record to 18-0-1 in 20 games, the only blemish being a loss to the Americans in last year's gold-medal game.
Kristin O'Neill recorded her first three-point game at the Women's Worlds, two goals and an assist in that opening period.
"I feel like our line has a lot of chemistry so far, and it's nice to contribute to the offence," O'Neill said. "It felt good. It was a pretty physical game, and we got a lot of pucks deep, which is what we wanted to do. But we're always looking for ways to improve. We're taking each game as a stepping stone as the tournament progresses to get to where we want to be."
"We wanted to play physical," said Tereza Vanisova. "It was only the second time we've ever played Canada, so we wanted to bump and push and play our game. But playing on the PK a lot and not getting many power plays, it made things hard for us. We played really well in our first game against Finland. We were very good on the puck and had a lot of possession. It actually surprised me. It was a very good game for us. But then playing the U.S. it's much different, much harder. We have to learn from these games, and eventually we'll improve. It's a great opportunity to play those games."
Canada came out flying and controlled the puck from start to finish in the opening period, pouring 18 shots at Klara Peslarova while enjoying the first three power plays and scoring on another delayed penalty.
They got going at 2:06 after a faceoff win in the Czechia end, Danielle Serdachny jamming the puck in after a scramble in front. Seven minutes later, with a penalty about to be called, O’Neill took a shot that fooled Peslarova and trickled over the goal line.
The Canadians sent wave after wave of speed and power over the boards, and Czechia had few answers. After a prolonged period of pressure, they made it 3-0 when O’Neill got her second after another bobble by Peslarova. She stopped O’Neill’s initial shot, but the puck bounced in the air and O’Neill batted it in.
Coach Carla MacLeod got the Czechs back on track in the dressing room, and the team came out and played much better in the middle 20. Still, the Canadians upped their lead early on when a long screen shot from Renata Fast found the net at 4:31.
Midway through the period the Czechs had their best chance when Vanisova made a sensational individual effort. She intercepted a Canada pass at her blue line and then burst up ice with two players in pursuit. She managed to get a shot off but Ann-Renee Desbiens made a nice save.
Later in the period, Peslarova matched that when she stoned Natalie Spooner on a breakaway, after which the Czechs had their best sequence, getting shots to the Canadian goal and creating a bit of chaos in front.
Laura Stacey made it 5-0 at 5:43 by scoring a Laura Stacey kind of goal. She spent most of the shift chasing players, stealing the puck, and playing aggressively, and when she got the disc in the corner she bulldozed her way to the front and roofed the puck over Peslarova.