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Olympics: Canada Extends Streak with 5–1 Win Over Switzerland

Originally posted on Inside The Rink | By Karen Zehner | Last updated Feb 14, 2026 11:53 AM ET

Yesterday, Canada improved to 2–0 in Group A with a structured, high-tempo 5–1 win over Switzerland at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The victory marked the 12th consecutive best-on-best Olympic win for Canada’s NHL core dating back to 2014 (Podnieks, 2026).

Every time Switzerland pushed, Canada answered back.

Lines

Canada

Wilson – McDavid – Celebrini
Suzuki – MacKinnon – Hagel
Stone – Crosby – Marner
Reinhart – Horvat – Jarvis

Makar – Toews
Parayko – Theodore
Doughty – Harley
Sanheim

Goaltenders: Thompson, Kuemper

Switzerland

Meier – Hischier – Fiala
Niederreiter – Malgin – Andrighetto
Thürkauf – Suter – Kurashev
Bertschy – Jäger – Riat

Glauser – Josi
Kukan – Siegenthaler
Moser – Marti
Fora

Goaltenders: Schmid, Genoni

First Period

The tone was set immediately. Shea Theodore rattled the crossbar in the opening minute, and Nino Niederreiter countered with a breakaway that forced Logan Thompson to extend the paddle at the last second.

Canada broke through on its first power play.

MacKinnon zipped a cross-ice pass to McDavid, who waited out Akira Schmid and slid the puck through the pads.

Goal (05:45, 1st – Power Play): Canada — Connor McDavid
Assist: Nathan MacKinnon

Midway through the frame, McDavid attacked from nearly the same spot but distributed this time.

Harley stepped into space and finished cleanly to make it 2–0.

Goal (10:54, 1st – Even Strength): Canada — Thomas Harley
Assist: Connor McDavid

Switzerland responded with a power-play rebound.

Thompson stopped the initial shot, but Suter buried the loose puck.

Goal (12:42, 1st – Power Play): Switzerland — Pius Suter
Assists: Sven Andrighetto, Dario Kukan

The Swiss created pressure late, but Canada carried a 2–1 lead into intermission.

End of 1st Period

Score: CAN 2 – SUI 1
Shots on Goal: CAN 13 – SUI 10
Power Plays: CAN 1/1 | SUI 1/2
Penalty Minutes: CAN 4 | SUI 2

Second Period

Canada widened the gap early in the middle frame with a play that unfolded in seconds.

MacKinnon gathered the puck behind the net and snapped a quick feed to Celebrini, who beat Schmid short side in one motion.

Goal (24:14, 2nd – Even Strength): Canada — Macklin Celebrini
Assist: Nathan MacKinnon

Switzerland earned offensive-zone time and forced defensive shifts, but Canada’s blue line limited second chances and Thompson controlled rebounds.

End of 2nd Period

Score: CAN 3 – SUI 1
Shots on Goal: CAN 27 – SUI 16
Power Plays: CAN 1/2 | SUI 1/3
Penalty Minutes (Through 2): CAN 6 | SUI 4

Third Period

Switzerland pushed early, but Canada sealed the game with precision.

Marner delivered a sharp pass through traffic, and Crosby redirected it home.

Goal (47:28, 3rd – Even Strength): Canada — Sidney Crosby
Assists: Mitch Marner, Cale Makar

Moments later, McDavid created the highlight of the night, dancing through defenders before Schmid denied him — only for MacKinnon to finish the rebound.

Goal (53:03, 3rd – Even Strength): Canada — Nathan MacKinnon
Assists: Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini

That made it 5–1.

The night ended on a difficult note for Switzerland when Kevin Fiala went down in the third period following contact along the boards with Tom Wilson. As Wilson attempted to brace himself during the play, Fiala’s leg appeared to get caught awkwardly beneath the collision. Play stopped immediately as trainers rushed onto the ice, and Fiala was ultimately transported off on a stretcher.

Several players from both benches looked visibly concerned during the stoppage. The incident cast a somber tone over the final minutes of an otherwise intense Group Stage matchup (Lavallee, 2026).

End of 3rd Period / Final Stats

Final Score: CAN 5 – SUI 1
Shots on Goal: CAN 39 – SUI 25
Power Plays: CAN 1/3 | SUI 1/3
Penalty Minutes: CAN 8 | SUI 6

Game Summary

Final Stats

Final Score: Canada 5 – Switzerland 1
Shots on Goal: Canada 39 – Switzerland 25
Power Plays: Canada 1/3 | Switzerland 1/3
Blocked Shots: Canada 14 – Switzerland 11
Hits: Canada 18 – Switzerland 16

Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon drove the pace, combining for five points, while Macklin Celebrini and Sidney Crosby added timely finishes to build separation. When Switzerland generated pressure, Logan Thompson controlled rebounds and steadied the crease.

The victory moves Canada to 2–0–0 in Group A with six points, placing them firmly atop the standings. With Czechia and Switzerland vying for second place, Canada can clinch first place in the group with a win over France. That top spot would secure a more favorable path entering the qualification round and preserve momentum heading into the knockout stage.

Switzerland showed stretches of strong puck possession and net-front pressure, but Canada capitalized on its opportunities and extended its best-on-best Olympic winning streak to twelve games. Every time the Swiss threatened to shift momentum, Canada answered.

Two games in, Canada controls its destiny in Group A, and looks every bit like a team building toward something bigger. McDavid and MacKinnon each finished the matchup with a goal and two assists, driving pace and dictating space.

“Nate’s a guy I watch a lot of,” McDavid said. “I’m a big fan of his… I think we have a good understanding of where we might want the puck” (Podnieks, 2026).

“We look good,” said Drew Doughty. “Every time the other team pushes back on us, we respond right away… That was a hard-fought game, and it’s a big win for us” (Podnieks, 2026).

Philipp Kurashev acknowledged the pressure Canada applied: “They’re a really good team, and they’re going to make you pay when you make some mistakes” (Podnieks, 2026).