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Canada opened its Olympic group run with a dominant 10-2 win over France, a game that featured electrifying bursts, standout performances and a brief stretch that rewrote a record book involving NHL players.
Record-setting 52 seconds: three goals that stunned the rink
Early in the first period, a lightning-fast sequence produced three goals in just 52 seconds. According to ESPN Insights, that span is now the fastest trio of goals in an Olympics when NHL players are involved.
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- Tom Wilson put Canada ahead with a goal 8:41 into the period.
- Thirteen seconds later, Floran Douay answered for France to even the score.
- Devon Toews restored Canada’s lead 39 seconds after Douay, finishing the 52-second run.
The three-goal burst, involving Wilson, Douay and Toews, stands out as an Olympic milestone tied to current NHL talent.
Key plays that pushed Canada past France
The game never slowed after that opening sequence. Canada added a shorthanded goal by Mark Stone later in the first.
In the second period, Cale Makar scored on a power play. Macklin Celebrini converted a penalty shot, and Sidney Crosby added another goal to extend the lead.
The third period featured four more Canadian goals, sealing a lopsided 10-2 final score.
Who set up the goals: assists and standout names
Top NHL stars were heavily involved in the scoring plays.
- Connor McDavid picked up his sixth assist of the tournament on Wilson’s marker.
- Crosby and Makar combined on the play that produced Toews’ goal.
- Additional contributors included Stone, Makar, Celebrini and others who helped build a multi-goal advantage.
Sidney Crosby also reached a notable Olympic milestone during the contest, while Connor McDavid continued to pile up assists.
Implications for Canada’s Olympic run and seeding
With the victory, Canada improved to 3-0 in group play. That perfect record clinched a group win and a bye into the quarterfinals.
Canada will claim the tournament’s top seed unless the United States erases a goal-differential gap with an unusually large win. That would require a swing of double digits.
Moment-by-moment: timeline and highlights
- 8:41, first period — Tom Wilson scores; McDavid earns an assist.
- 8:54, first period — Floran Douay answers for France.
- 9:33, first period — Devon Toews nets the go-ahead goal, assisted by Crosby and Makar.
- Later in the first — Mark Stone converts shorthanded.
- Second period — Makar scores on the power play; Celebrini converts a penalty shot; Crosby adds another goal.
- Third period — Canada tacks on four more goals to finish 10-2.
