Ruthless Canadians put 10 past France to close out perfect group stage

[p]The ‌pre-tournament favourites had already won ‌the section to reach the quarter-finals, but the margin of their win ‌over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/dUzRZitn/"]France[/a] could make them ⁠top seeds ‌on goal difference, with the USA also ​hunting a third win when they play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/vgQVYBeh/"]Germany[/a] in ​Group C later on Sunday.[/p][p]Young star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/celebrini-macklin/I7wgduSQ/"]Macklin Celebrini[/a] scored twice while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wilson-tom/rJu2jFGk/"]⁠Tom Wilson[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/toews-devon/reqrfRJD/"]​Devon Toews[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stone-mark/02z8HDV4/"]Mark Stone[/a] scored in the first period, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/makar-cale/0QC5qYg0/"]Cale Makar[/a] and captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/crosby-sidney/UTbIZpKC/"]Sidney Crosby[/a] ‌scored in the second.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcdavid-connor/0018zFz5/"]Connor McDavid[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/horvat-bo/UyRTD0eU/"]Bo Horvat[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hagel-brandon/r3gaDEq6/"]Brandon Hagel[/a] added scores in the third.[/p][p][b]"Talking to the ⁠team - it had nothing to do ‌with where we're going to finish, what we're going to do, how ​many goals are we going to score - it was about are we getting better as a team,"[/b] said coach Jon ​Cooper.[/p][p][b]"Trying to avoid the qualification game, we did that. Now let's just see the chips, where they fall."[/b][/p][image alt="Canada thrashed France 10-2" id="69fc31a9-b22b-4f91-89c2-15914eb51ba3" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="15d4a7bc-78f1-4f58-b589-67f65ffdf5a5" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]France put up a decent fight at ⁠first, as forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/douay-floran/GAAzV45r/"]Floran ​Douay[/a] flipped one into the net just 13 seconds after Wilson opened the scoring. But they completely lost control of the contest from there as defenceman Toews retaliated for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/dSsR389c/"]Canada[/a] just 39 seconds later.[/p][p]Forward Stone robbed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/texier-alexandre/zwYLoXr4/"]Alexandre ‌Texier[/a] of the puck for a shorthanded goal with less than four seconds left in the period to make it 3-1, and alternate captain Makar whipped the puck in from the blue line on a power play midway through the second.[/p][p]The 19-year-old Celebrini showed another tool in his arsenal when he buried a penalty shot, and the Canadian steamroll continued as a touch from Crosby slid across the line 19 seconds later, before the third-period glut of goals.[/p][p][b]The Olympic tournament, featuring NHL ‌players for the first time since 2014, has seen its share of ​skirmishes, but Sunday's affair got its first outright fight despite a ‌strict ban on fisticuffs at the Games.[/b][/p][p]Canadian Tom Wilson and Frenchman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/crinon-pierre/EgxHcise/"]Pierre Crinon[/a] earned a game misconduct when they came to blows late in the third period, in a conflict that saw a referee dragged down.[/p][p]France, who were without a win through three ⁠preliminary matches, will compete in Tuesday's ⁠qualification playoff.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/world/olympic-games/"]Follow the men's hockey at the Olympics here.[/a][/b][/p]