WORLDS: Oilers logging big minutes for their nations after Day 4 in Switzerland

FRIBOURG, SUI – The Oilers abroad in Switzerland continue to log big minutes for their nations on the international stage after action concluded on Day 4 at the IIHF World Championship on Monday.

Defencemen Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse were top-two in ice time for the Red & White in their 5-1 victory over Denmark on Monday to stay perfect in Group B action. Canada scored five times in the third period, with Sidney Crosby recording four assists to set a new tournament record, while Porter Martone (1G, 1A) and Macklin Celebrini (2A) each produced multiple points.

The two Oilers defencemen logged totals of 23:57 and 19:54 in the win that helped exact some revenge for last year's defeat to the Danes in the quarter-finals after the contest was tied at zero through 40 minutes.

It's the second game straight game that Bouchard & Nurse have led all their team in ice time, with Bouchard finishing with the most in each of their first three games in Switzerland.

In an exciting follow-up, Mattias Ekholm and Sweden were held in check by Czechia in a 4-3 defeat that saw the Tre Kronor fight back from three goals down to make it a one-goal game, but they couldn't find the equalizer to fall to their second loss at Worlds.

Ekholm led all Swedish blueliners with 23:51 in ice time – more than three minutes more than the next closest in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Albert Johansson (19:51).

Josh Samanski was the lone Oilers skater to produce a point in Monday's results after coming up with a secondary assist late in the third period for Germany in a 6-1 defeat to hosts Switzerland at Swiss Life Arena in Zurich. 

After a scoreless opening frame, the Swiss scored five in the second before it was 6-0 in the third when Samanski made a great deflected pass on his backhand in the neutral zone to start the quick rush that led to Germany's only goal with 4:13 left.

Samanski was among the leaders in ice time for Germany, leading all of their forwards and trailing only behind Detroit Red Wings defenceman Moritz Seider for the team high.

The Germans are winless and sit at the bottom of Group A with a minus-nine goal difference (11-2) as they prepare to face Isaac Howard and the United States on Wednesday, who fell 6-2 to Finland on Monday morning.

 Howard was sixth among U.S. forwards after finishing minus-two with 13:55 of ice time.