On Sunday, February 15, Canada and France faced off in a preliminary match at the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament. Both teams were moving in opposite directions, with Canada winning 2-0 and France having yet to win or even draw a match. It was a match between David and Goliath as one club is an NHL All-Star team and France has one current NHL player in Alexandre Texier.
Related: Guide to the men’s hockey tournament of the 2026 Winter Olympics
Getting the top seed after the preliminary round was a factor in today’s match. Canada and the US each had one match left today, Canada versus France and the US versus Germany, assuming both North American hockey nations would emerge victorious. The final ranking comes down to the goal difference (GD), which determines the final outcome. Canada had a plus-9 and the US had a plus-6 after two games played. So what’s the reward? Avoiding a very skilled Swedish team in the quarterfinals. Canada took the lead and never let go. Ultimately, Canada defeated France and recorded a 10-2 victory.
France shoots for respect
France’s goal in this tournament was to earn the respect of the world, and they shocked the Czech Republic on Friday by scoring three goals in 4:53 early in the second period to take a 3-2 lead in what ended as a 6–3 victory for the Czech Republic. Louis Boudon was the attacking star, scoring twice and adding an assist, and Martin Neckar was superb in the French goal, making 20 saves before being replaced early in the third period. They should rely on solid goaltending again in the match against Canada.
“We know we’re the underdogs of the tournament, of this group. We know a lot of these teams don’t respect us. We don’t really care. We’re trying to show up and do our best and prove to them that we can play with them.”
–Louis Boudon
With only one current NHL player in Texier and only three others with NHL experience, Yohann Auvitu, Stéphane Da Costa and Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, France was the undisputed underdog.
France hoped for a victory, but like everyone else was more than satisfied with a moral victory gaming analysis had them as heavy underdogs. Since we had no wins this tournament and were facing Canada, the expectation was not that we would break that streak. However, the goal was to limit the damage and, if possible, stay in the match for as long as possible. If that were to happen, and a few goals went their way, they could pull off an upset, or at least play the spoiler and keep Canada from scoring enough goals to finish first in the preliminary round.
Defensively, they dropped into the slot, hoping to clog up the area, making it difficult to get chances, and then relied on Julian Junca’s goaltending to keep them in the game for long periods. Their penalty-killing units may have provided a roadmap to the other hockey nations on how to defend Canada’s power play. Early in the second period, and trailing 3-1, they were able to shut down the powerful Canadian attack for two full minutes by playing a very aggressive puck-pursuit style.
Build good habits
The outcome of this match was not a question for Canada; they expected a victory. What they tried to build on during this final preliminary match were the good habits they needed for the quarter-finals. Head coach Jon Cooper continued to shuffle his lines at even strength and on special teams, trying to find the right combination, but his embarrassment of riches leaves him with several combinations that could be effective. Now that the preliminary round for Canada has been completed, this means that there is no more time to try out new options; he will finally have to settle for his main lineup.
One of those players is Mark Stone, who scored an important shorthanded goal just before the end of the first period. France were hanging on in the match and would go into the break just one goal behind, but Stone’s goal changed all that and showed why special teams are so important in a short tournament.
The power play has become a cheat code, especially with players like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Macklin Celebrini and Naathan MacKinnon. With multiple units that all have elite shooters on the wings, a cerebral playmaker operating on the half-wall and a mobile, attack-oriented defender (Cale Makar) who quarterbacks from the blue line, Canada can attack every seam.
Their puck movement forces penalty killers to overcommit, creating up-ice one-timers and high-slot opportunities that are nearly impossible to defend cleanly. More importantly, Canada’s first and second units both display legitimate finishing threats, meaning there is no danger for the full two minutes, and if they don’t score they build momentum.
Canadian goals
Canada’s offense has only swamped the tournament teams so far. An average of five goals were scored per game leading up to this match, and that average was increased. Unlike other clubs with NHL talent, Canada doesn’t just rely on one or two superstar scorers; they’ve put together a lineup where multiple players can contribute to the scoresheet on any given night. With Team Canada having a 57-goal scorer in Sam Reinhart on the fourth line at the start of the tournament, there is obvious depth in all of the forwards.
This multi-threat approach makes it extremely difficult for opponents to close down Canada with traditional defensive tactics, as neutralizing one line simply opens the ice for another.
In addition to individual skills, Team Canada’s offensive success is anchored on strong chemistry and a proactive system that emphasizes support through committee hockey. Players understand their roles and anticipate each other’s movements, allowing quick transitions and seamless access to zones, often resulting in controlled attacking possession.
There are still question marks over their goalkeeping, but the defensive play, largely due to their forwards’ ability to backcheck their defenders and provide support, has made a difference in supporting their goalkeepers. It also allows them to quickly regain puck possession and start a transition offense.
This cohesion, combined with aggressive forechecking and quick puck retrieval on turnovers, ensures a steady stream of high-quality scoring opportunities. In a tournament full of elite competition, Canada’s offensive firepower is the most important factor that could propel them to a gold medal.
Canada will finish as the top seed as the US needed to beat Germany by 11 goals and only beat them by four. Canada now awaits their next opponent in the quarterfinals on February 18.
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