Harley shines as Canada crushes France 10-2, solidifying top seeding and a dominant offensive surge en route to the Olympics quarterfinals.
After two dominant performances to open the tournament, Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley entered Sunday looking to deliver another standout effort for Canada in its final group stage matchup against France.
Canada had more than just momentum on the line. With the race for top seeding tightening, the Canadians were aiming to finish the opening round with the best goal differential in the tournament to secure a favorable quarterfinal matchup. They accomplished that emphatically, turning in their most complete performance yet in a commanding 10-2 victory.
Harley has been heavily relied upon through the early portion of the tournament. He led the team in minutes during the opener and finished second in ice time in the second game against Switzerland. Against France, however, his workload dipped slightly in the lopsided contest.
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While his ice time decreased, the 24-year-old still played a steady role on the blue line. He was on the ice for both French goals and finished the night minus-two, but the stat line did not reflect the overall strength of his play throughout the tournament.
Through three games, Harley has firmly established himself as a key piece of Canada’s defensive core. As the tournament shifts to single elimination, Canada will await the winner of the qualification round matchup between Czechia and Denmark.
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