MacKinnon, McDavid each has 3 points, Canada tops Switzerland to win Group A

MILAN -- Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid each had a goal and two assists, and Team Canada clinched Group A at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 by defeating Team Switzerland 5-1 at Santagiulia Arena on Friday.

Macklin Celebrini had two points, including his second goal in as many games, Thomas Harley and Sidney Crosby also scored, and Logan Thompson made 24 saves for Canada (2-0-0-0), which will receive a bye into the quarterfinals. Cale Makar had two assists.

Pius Suter scored, and Akira Schmid made 34 saves for Switzerland (1-0-1-0).

GAMECENTER SUMMARY: Canada-Switerland

The Swiss will complete the preliminary round against Team Czechia on Sunday, with the winner of that game possibly getting a bye as well.

The three group winners and the next-best team record-wise move to the quarterfinals, with the other eight teams starting the single-elimination round with the qualifying playoff Tuesday.

Canada jumped out to an early lead with two goals involving McDavid, who had three assists in Canada’s 5-0 win against Czechia on Thursday.

With Canada on the power play, McDavid took a slick cross-ice pass from MacKinnon and fired a wrist shot from the right face-off circle off Schmid’s hip and into the goal to make it 1-0 at 5:45.

Canada then made it 2-0 at 10:54. McDavid took a pass from Tom Wilson and found Harley all alone in the center of the ice, where the defenseman beat Schmid five-hole.

With his six points in two games, McDavid became the first player to have five or more points through his first two career Olympic games involving NHL players.

Switzerland made it 2-1 at 12:42 by converting on its first power play of the game. Sven Andrighetto took a one-timer that Thompson tried to glove, but the puck went off his wrist, hit the crossbar and fell to the feet of Suter, who banged the rebound home.

It was first goal Canada allowed in an Olympics with NHL players since the quarterfinal round in 2014 -- a span of 237:01.

WATCH: Men's Hockey Highlights from the Olympic Winter Games

Celebrini pushed the lead to 3-1 at 4:14 of the second period, taking a no-look backhand pass from MacKinnon in the left circle and one-timing it past Schmid.

Crosby scored his first goal of the 2026 Olympics by redirecting in a hard pass from Mitch Marner at 7:28 of the third period to make it 4-1.

MacKinnon made it 5-1 when the newly formed line of him, McDavid and Celebrini combined again for a goal at 13:03.

Switzerland forward Kevin Fiala was taken from the ice on a stretcher with 2:50 left in the game after he got tangled up with Wilson along the boards.