Canada 5 Switzerland 0
CALGARY — Natalie Spooner scored twice to lead Canada to a 5-0 win over Switzerland at the women’s world hockey championship Tuesday.
Melodie Daoust had a goal and an assist, Emily Clark scored shorthanded and Jamie Bourbonnais rounded out the offence for the host country at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre.
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin was injured blocking a shot in the third period and didn’t finish the game.
Emerance Maschmeyer posted a 12-save shutout in her first start of the tournament.
Switzerland’s Andrea Braendli, who tends goal for Ohio State, had 41 saves in the loss. She 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 is also 3-0 and has yet to give up a goal in the tournament.
The Americans blanked Russia 6-0 earlier Tuesday. Hilary Knight’s 45th career world championship goal surpassed fellow American Cammi Granato for the most in tournament history.
The quarterfinals are Saturday followed by the semifinals Monday and the medal games Tuesday.
Japan (1-1) and Hungary (0-2) met in a Pool B game later Tuesday.
Swiss forward Alina Muller, who led the 2018 Olympic women’s hockey tournament in scoring with seven goals and three assists in six games, didn’t play Tuesday.
Muller suffered a leg injury in the second period of Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Russia.
Goaltender Kristin Campbell drew into Canada’s lineup Tuesday at backup behind Maschmeyer. Forwards Laura Stacey and Kristin O’Neill were also inserted into the lineup for the first time in the tournament.
Head coach Troy Ryan gave goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens the day off after two straight starts. Assistant captain Brianne Jenner and defender Emma Maltais also took a breather.
Canada killed off a Swiss two-man advantage early in the third period, but Poulin was injured during it. She took a shot in the chest and skated to the bench bent over in pain.
Spooner scored both her goals on tip-ins from close range. She redirected an Emma Shelton shot at 1:01 of the third.
Maschmeyer rebuffed Swiss captain Lara Stalder on a breakaway in the final minute of the second period. Daoust tipped in an airborne puck off an Erin Ambrose shot from the point at 16:34.
Spooner tipped a Renata Fast shot by Braendli at 9:55 just 17 seconds after Bourbonnais scored on a rebound.
Clark scored shorthanded at 4:04 of the second period pouncing on a rebound following a Blayre Turnbull solo effort.
Canada outshot the Swiss 21-5 in a goal-free first period. The hosts have yet to score a goal in the first period in the championship.