Canada closed out Group A in dominant fashion, remaining undefeated, to secure the top seed in the tournament, while Switzerland clinched the second seed in Group A without Kings forward Kevin Fiala.
The first half of the Olympic Winter Games at Milano Cortina is officially set, and the storylines are clear for Los Angeles Kings fans tuning into the action today.
Canada (3-0-0-0) rolled past France 10-2 to remain undefeated and clinch the top seed in Group A, while Switzerland (1-1-0-1) secured second place with a dramatic 4-3 win against Czechia.
Switzerland won without Kevin Fiala, who is, of course, ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Unfortunately, that sucks because Switzerland is a real threat, but it will have to go the rest of the tournament without him.
Canada Dominates, Locks Up No. 1 Seed
Canada's depth and excellent coaching left little doubt in its final game, as it overwhelmed France with 46 shots and scored in every period to close out a perfect group stage.
The star power and depth were on full display, especially Macklin Celebrini, who finished with 2 goals, 1 assist, and 3 points, driving the offense in the win.
While Drew Doughty, representing the Kings, was solid today didn't score any goals, but had one assist and one point and was a plus -1 on ice. Doughty is one of those players who doesn't show his full impact on the scoresheet; his defense and leadership are clearly evident on the ice.
Now clinching it's group play as the favorites to win the whole thing, and Doughty has a chance to win his third gold medal.
Switzerland Moves Forward Without Fiala
Earlier in the day, Switzerland (1-1-0-1) escaped with a 4-3 victory over Czechia in a thrilling overtime game to lock up second place in Group A.
Dean Kukan scored the overtime winner, with just under a minute left in overtime, while the depth led by Roman Josi, Timo Meier, and Pius Suter led the offensive push in the tight matchup.
From a Kings fan's perspective, it looks bad that Fiala is not here to celebrate the Switz's win and advancement without him.
But, even without their most dynamic forwards and offensive scorers, Switzerland is still good enough to advance and be a tough out for one of the top teams in the tournament.
What It Means for the Kings
Canada advances as the No. 1 seed in Group A, undefeated and loaded with firepower in its depth.
Switzerland clinches the No. 2 seed and heads into the next round with confidence.
Doughty remains one of the favorites to win his third gold medal on a loaded team.
With Group A set and Canada and Switzerland as the top two seeds, we now wait for the rest of the tournament to unfold and for the matchups and seedings to be finalized.
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