A disjointed Canadian women’s hockey team fell 5-0 to the United States in Olympic women’s hockey Tuesday.
Canada was minus captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who sustained a lower-body injury in the previous night’s 5-1 win over the Czechs. Brianne Jenner wore the captain’s ‘C’ in Poulin’s absence
Hannah Bilka scored twice for the United States, which topped Group A with a 4-0-0-0 record.
Caroline Harvey had a goal and two assists, and Kristen Simms and Laila Edwards also scored for the U.S.
Goalie Aerin Frankel posted a 20-save shutout.
Canada’s starter Ann-Renee Desbiens was replaced by Emerance Maschmeyer in the third period when the U.S. scored a fifth goal on 27 shots. Maschmeyer made six saves in relief.
All five teams in Group A and the top three in Group B advance to the quarterfinals on Friday and Saturday. Canada’s quarterfinal will be Saturday against Germany.
Canada (2-0-0-1) will finish second in the group regardless of Thursday’s result versus Finland in the final preliminary game. That game scheduled for Feb. 5 was postponed because of multiple cases of norovirus among the Finns.
Tuesday’s game was the first meeting of the archrivals since the U.S. completed a four-game Rivalry Series sweep Dec. 13 in Edmonton.
The Americans outscored Canada 24-7 in those games.
Canada’s lack of offence continued into Tuesday.
The U.S. led 2-0 and 4-0, and outshot Canada 11-4 and 22-10, at period breaks.
The U.S. dominated puck possession. When a Canadian had the puck, one or even two Americans closed quickly on her.
When a Canadian gained the offensive zone with the puck, an American defender steered her to the boards. The U.S. blocked shots from the perimeter and gave up little territory to Canada from close range.
Canada mustered two shots on two power-play chances, and messed up a four-on-two rush during a second-period power play with an offside.
Harvey scored on the Americans’ second shot of the game with a wrist shot that sneaked under a screened Desbiens at 3:45 of the first period.
Abbey Murphy’s no-look backhand pass from behind Canada’s net found Bilka in the slot at 17:18 for a two-goal lead.
Simms was awarded a third goal for the U.S. after review, and also after Canadian head coach Troy Ryan challenged it for goalie interference, at 1:21 of the second period. Canada killed off the resulting minor.
Murphy fed Bilka again from down low for Bilka’s one-timer and a 4-0 lead for the U.S. at 13:00.
Edwards picked off a Canadian clear in the neutral zone, skated it back into Canada’s end and wired a shot over Desbiens’ stick to chase the Canadian from the game at 11:53.
Czechia went 1-0-1-2 in Group A. A game between Switzerland and Finland had yet to finish Tuesday night, with the Finns seeking their first win of the tournament.
Sweden (4-0-0-0), Germany (2-1-0-1) and host Italy (2-0-0-2) advanced out of Group B.
Canada played its first game of the tournament in the 14,000-seat Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena after two games at Milano Rho.
Poulin was checked hard into the boards by Kristyna Kaltounkova in the first period Monday.
Poulin headed for the bench, and after skating a few circles on the ice after the first period, she didn’t return to the game.
