Spooner leads way for Canada
Pair of goals help secure one-sided victory over Swiss
CALGARY—Natalie Spooner is warming to her job of creating havoc in front of the opposition’s net to generate scoring chances from close range.
The 30-year-old from Toronto scored two goals, tipping in teammates’ shots, in Canada’s 5-0 win over Switzerland at the women’s world hockey championship Tuesday.
“The longer your career goes, you always kind of have to evolve as a player to maintain and stay at this level,” Spooner said. “If you look back at my game, oh, eight to 10 years ago, I definitely was a much different player. Probably tried to take people on one on one way more.
“I’ve kind of found the parts of my game where I do have a lot of success, and really honed in on those.”
Spooner admires the work of Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds in a similar role, and the way the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl creates room for himself in the offensive zone.
“I’ve watched quite a few Wayne Simmonds clips with the Leafs. He was kind of a netfront guy,” Spooner said. “I love the way Leon Draisaitl plays — I wouldn’t say he’s quite a netfront guy, but just using his big body.”
Mélodie Daoust had a goal and an assist, Emily Clark scored short-handed and Jamie Bourbonnais rounded out the offence for Canada at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary.
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin blocked a shot with her upper chest in the third period and skated to the bench bent over in pain. She didn’t return to the game, but apparently avoided serious injury.
“A little bit of a scary situation in the game. I’m happy to say Marie-Philip is doing very well,” Gina Kingsbury, the director of the women’s national team, said after the game. “We’re going to continue to assess her and make sure she continues to do well.”
Emerance Maschmeyer posted a 12-save shutout in her first start of the tournament. Daoust and Spooner lead Canada in tournament points with five apiece.
Switzerland’s Andrea Braendli, who tends goal for Ohio State, had 41 saves in the loss. Braendli was replaced early in the third period by Saskia Maurer, who stopped 17 shots.
Canada (3-0) concludes the preliminary round in Pool A on Thursday against defending champion United States, which has yet to give up a goal in the tournament.
The Swiss have scored once in three tournament games. Switzerland’s power-play went 0for-6 against Canada and couldn’t convert a two-man advantage in the third into a goal.
“We really tried actually to change our power play … getting people in front of the net and shots from outside just to try to create some confusion in front and jump on rebounds or screens,” said coach Colin Muller, who is from Toronto. “That was our game plan today. We sort of didn’t follow it too well.”