2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship

MACKINNON’S TWO POINTS LEAD CANADA TO PRE-WORLDS WIN

ZURICH, Switzerland – Nathan MacKinnon (Cole Harbour, N.S./Colorado, NHL) scored once and added an assist, helping Canada’s National Men’s Team to a 4-0 pre-tournament win over Switzerland on Tuesday.

The game was Canada’s lone exhibition contest ahead of the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, which begins Friday in Minsk, Belarus.

The Canadians take on France in their tournament opener (9:45 a.m. ET/6:45 a.m. PT), live on TSN.

Matt Read (Ilderton, Ont./Philadelphia, NHL), Ryan Ellis (Freelton, Ont./Nashville, NHL) and Kyle Turris (New Westminster, B.C./Ottawa, NHL) had the other goals for Canada, which outshot the Swiss 28-23.

James Reimer (Morweena, Man./Toronto, NHL) and Ben Scrivens (Spruce Grove, Alta./Edmonton, NHL) split the goaltending duties for Canada; Reimer stopped all 10 shots he faced, while Scrivens turned away 13 of 13.

Read, who arrived in Switzerland earlier Tuesday, opened the scoring just 5:37 in, taking a pretty pass from Jonathan Huberdeau (St-Jérôme, Que./Florida, NHL) and beating Swiss goaltender Reto Berra on the breakaway.

Ellis doubled the lead late in the opening frame, jamming in his own rebound, and Turris made it a three-goal game just 27 seconds into the second period with Canada enjoying a five-on-three advantage, converting a set-up from MacKinnon.

The 18-year-old would cap the scoring late in the third period, going to the backhand on a breakaway opportunity and sneaking it past Berra for the 4-0 goal.

Canada finished 1-for-2 on the power play, while Switzerland was goalless in three chances with the man advantage.