The Canadian women’s hockey team opened its Olympics with a 12-1 victory over Switzerland on Thursday in Beijing, but the win came with a cost.
Melodie Daoust, a key part of Canada’s second line that combined for three goals in the first period, left the game and did not return following an awkward hit into the boards during the second period.
The 30-year-old, who won tournament MVP at the 2018 Olympics, appeared to favour her shoulder as she immediately exited to the dressing room following the collision.
The injury put a damper on Canada’s fast start which was led by Daoust’s linemate, the dynamic 21-year-old Olympic rookie Sarah Fillier.
WATCH | Daoust exits with injury:
Forward Melodie Daoust left the game during the second period of Canada’s 12-1 win over Switzerland, in their opening game at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. 0:42
Fillier opened the scoring just over one minute into the game, knocking a rebound out of midair and into the back of the net for her first career Olympic goal at the Games.
The Georgetown, Ont., native was forced to wait an additional 10 minutes for confirmation as officials went to video review, but the goal ultimately stood as Canada’s icebreaker in Beijing.
Fillier made sure to leave no doubt when she scored her second minutes later, ripping a slot shot over the blocker of Swiss goalie Andrea Braendli, who stopped 58 of a whopping 70 Canadian attempts on net.
“Just to step on that ice, see the [Olympic] rings, be in a building with Beijing 2022 written all over it and in this black jersey, it’s really cool,” Fillier told CBC Sports’ Kenzie Lalonde during second intermission.
Fillier completed her three-point period with the primary assist on linemate Natalie Spooner’s goal.
Canada extended its lead over Switzerland with two goals in 15 seconds in the middle frame. First, Rebecca Johnston buried her own rebound to put Canada up 4-0 before Laura Stacey fired home her first of the tournament from below the goal line after an Ashton Bell dump-in caromed off the end boards.
Canada then capitalized on the power play stemming from the hit on Daoust as Spooner potted her second of the game. Blayre Turnbull scored the first goal of her hat-trick performance soon after.
After Laura Stacey made it 8-0, Canada had more goals than Switzerland had shots on net (seven).
The Swiss quickly corrected that with a power play, testing Canadian goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens in the dying seconds of the frame. But the 27-year-old netminder was up to the task, sliding across her crease and stacking her pads to make her best save of the game.
WATCH | Desbiens robs Swiss player in dying seconds of 2nd period:
Ann-Renée Desbiens stacked the pads to make an incredible save in Canada’s 12-1 win over Switzerland, in their opening game at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. 0:23
Switzerland finally got on the board in the third period after Canadian forward Sarah Nurse was sent to the penalty box as forward Lara Stalder slid the puck under Desbiens’ pads and into the back of the net.
The Canadian goalie finished with 13 saves.
Turnbull, with two goals to complete her hat trick, Bell and Erin Ambrose replied for the Canadians in the final frame.
The Swiss did manage to succeed in limiting Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who was held to a single assist. On Wednesday, Poulin, 30, was named Canada’s flag-bearer for the opening ceremony alongside short track speed skater Charles Hamelin.
Canada returns to the ice Friday against Finland, and wraps up the round robin with contests on Sunday against the Russian Olympic Committee and Monday against the U.S. All games begin at 11:10 p.m. ET on CBC.
Czechs win Olympic debut
Michaela Pejzlova scored on a breakaway with 13:33 left in the third period, and the Czech Republic capped its women’s hockey Olympic debut with a 3-1 win over host China.
Tereza Radova became her nation’s first female to score in the Olympics by redirecting defender Aneta Tejralova’s pass into the slot to open the scoring 10:38 into a game the Czech Republic never trailed. Denisa Krizova also scored and Klara Peslarova stopped 13 shots in a Group B preliminary round game.
China was out-shot 36-14 in its fourth Olympic appearance, and first since finishing seventh of eight teams at the 2010 Vancouver Games. Mi Le scored and Canadian-born goalie Tiya Chen stopped 33 shots for a Chinese national team made up of mostly members of the Russian-based Women’s Hockey League’s Vanke Rays.
The defending champion United States opens the tournament later in the day against Finland.
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