{"id":19168,"date":"2026-02-12T21:04:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/binnington-canada-shutout-czechia\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T21:04:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:04:31","slug":"binnington-canada-shutout-czechia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/binnington-canada-shutout-czechia\/","title":{"rendered":"Binnington, Canada shut out Czechia in Olympic opener &#8211; NHL.com"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<h2>Lead<\/h2>\n<p>Jordan Binnington backstopped Team Canada to a 5-0 victory over Team Czechia in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 opener on Feb. 12 at Santagiulia Arena in Milan, making 26 saves. Connor McDavid recorded three assists and 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini scored the late first-period winner, becoming the first teenager to register a game-winning goal in an Olympics featuring NHL players. Canada\u2019s offense added goals from Mark Stone, Bo Horvat, Nathan MacKinnon and Nick Suzuki as Lukas Dostal stopped 31 shots for Czechia. The result gives Canada a 1-0 start in Group A and a clean-sheet performance that answered lingering questions about its starting goaltender.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Final score: Canada 5, Czechia 0; game played Feb. 12, 2026, at Santagiulia Arena in Milan.<\/li>\n<li>Jordan Binnington made 26 saves to record an Olympic shutout; he is 4-1-0 in best-on-best international tournaments with NHL players.<\/li>\n<li>Connor McDavid tallied three assists; Sidney Crosby and Thomas Harley each added two helpers.<\/li>\n<li>Macklin Celebrini tipped in the game-winner with 5.7 seconds left in the first period and is the first teenager to score a game-winning goal in NHL-player Olympics history.<\/li>\n<li>Lukas Dostal finished with 31 saves for Czechia, which falls to 0-0-1 in the tournament.<\/li>\n<li>Canada\u2019s Josh Morrissey exited in the second period with an injury and did not return; no update was provided postgame.<\/li>\n<li>Canada improved its Olympic record in tournaments including NHL players to 11 wins; its last such loss dates to the 2010 Vancouver round-robin versus the United States.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>Selection of Team Canada\u2019s starting goaltender for Milano Cortina 2026 had been a persistent narrative in the run-up to the Games, amplified by Jordan Binnington\u2019s uneven NHL form this season (8-17-6 with St. Louis). Coaches and media debated alternatives, but Canada\u2019s staff leaned on Binnington\u2019s recent international pedigree, notably his 4 Nations Face-Off championship performance roughly a year earlier.<\/p>\n<p>The 2026 Games mark a return to \u201cbest-on-best\u201d Olympic hockey for NHL players after the league\u2019s absence from 2018 and 2022. Canada entered the tournament with a star-laden roster \u2014 veterans like Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid plus emerging talents such as Celebrini \u2014 and the country is seeking its third consecutive Olympic gold in tournaments that included NHL players (2010, 2014; NHL players absent in 2018 and 2022).<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>The match remained scoreless through most of the first period thanks in part to several early saves by Binnington, including a sprawling stop on David Kampf with 1:53 left in the period. Canada then struck late: Cale Makar\u2019s shot was redirected by Celebrini at 5.7 seconds remaining, giving the Canadians a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission.<\/p>\n<p>Canada extended the margin at 6:40 of the second when Mark Stone converted a tidy feed from Mitch Marner after a puck battle won by Sidney Crosby. The sequence underscored Canada\u2019s quick transition play and ability to create high-danger chances from board work and net-front presence.<\/p>\n<p>Bo Horvat finished a one-on-one rush at 17:26 of the second, taking a cross-ice feed from Brad Marchand and executing a forehand-backhand move to slip the puck through Lukas Dostal\u2019s pads for a 3-0 advantage. The scoring sequence highlighted Canada\u2019s depth scoring beyond the top line.<\/p>\n<p>Nathan MacKinnon, on a power play set up by a slick McDavid-Crosby sequence, made it 4-0 at 7:42 of the third. Nick Suzuki added the final goal at 15:23 of the third to complete the 5-0 result. Czechia generated several chances\u2014Dostal made 31 saves\u2014but could not convert against Binnington and a tight Canadian defensive structure.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>Binnington\u2019s shutout provides an immediate, tangible answer to questions about Canada\u2019s crease. Despite a rough regular season with St. Louis (8-17-6), his performance in Milan echoes his prior international success, reinforcing coaching staff confidence that he can handle high-pressure, elite-level assignments. The result may buy him more margin for error in early-round rotations, while also establishing Canada\u2019s depth behind a veteran-plus-young-skills defensive corps.<\/p>\n<p>Offensively, McDavid\u2019s three-assist night reiterated his role as the team\u2019s primary playmaker and a multiplier for star teammates. Celebrini\u2019s milestone\u2014first teenager to score a game-winning Olympic goal with NHL players\u2014adds a developmental storyline: Canada\u2019s blend of seasoned leaders and emerging talent can produce quick dividends in tournament play.<\/p>\n<p>For Czechia, the game spotlighted a heavy dependence on Lukas Dostal; his 31 saves kept the scoreline respectable early. Czech captain Radko Gudas and others emphasized Dostal\u2019s importance to any Czechian upside in the tournament. Still, the team must improve finishing on opportunities and address defensive lapses that allowed Canada clean scoring chances.<\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, Canada faces Switzerland on Feb. 14 (3:10 p.m. ET), a match that will test whether the team can sustain its two-way structure and whether coaches will rotate goaltenders as expected. Czechia plays France on Feb. 14 (10:40 a.m. ET); the back-to-back schedule for both teams may influence lineup choices and in-game management.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Team<\/th>\n<th>Goals<\/th>\n<th>Shots on Goal<\/th>\n<th>Saves<\/th>\n<th>Starting Goalie<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Canada<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td>36<\/td>\n<td>31<\/td>\n<td>Jordan Binnington (26 saves, shutout)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Czechia<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>26<\/td>\n<td>26<\/td>\n<td>Lukas Dostal (31 saves)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><figcaption>Game totals: Canada finished with 36 shots on goal (5 goals), Czechia 26 shots (0 goals). Saves reflect goalie performance vs. shots allowed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The table contrasts scoring and goaltending. Canada\u2019s 36 shots on goal and 5 goals indicate an efficient finish rate in high-danger areas, while Czechia\u2019s 26 SOG yielded no goals despite Dostal\u2019s heavier workload overall. The distribution underlines Canada\u2019s ability to generate higher-quality chances and to capitalize on special teams, where a MacKinnon power-play finish widened the gap.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; Quotes<\/h2>\n<p>Coach Jon Cooper framed his choice of Binnington as settled well before the opener, citing the goaltender\u2019s recent international performances and resilience.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Well, probably about 358 days ago,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Jon Cooper, Team Canada head coach<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Cooper\u2019s remark referred to Binnington\u2019s form at the 4 Nations Face-Off and was offered to explain why there was little internal debate about the starter despite regular-season struggles.<\/p>\n<p>Canada forwards emphasized the impact of key saves on momentum and how Binnington kept the team in striking distance early.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;He made some big saves &#8230; would have been a different game without \u2018Binner,'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Nathan MacKinnon, Team Canada forward<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>MacKinnon underscored a pivotal save on David Kampf late in the first period that preserved a scoreless frame and set the stage for Celebrini\u2019s tip-in.<\/p>\n<p>Czechia captain Radko Gudas credited Dostal for keeping Czechia competitive while acknowledging his team\u2019s missed scoring chances.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;If we are going to have some success he is going to be a big reason why we are still in this tournament,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Radko Gudas, Czechia captain<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Gudas\u2019 remarks framed Dostal as a backbone for Czechia, even as the team hunts for better finishing and defensive clarity in upcoming games.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: &#8220;Best-on-best&#8221; hockey and goalie metrics<\/summary>\n<p>&#8220;Best-on-best&#8221; refers to Olympic tournaments that include NHL players, raising competition to the highest international standard. Goaltender performance is often summarized by saves, save percentage and goals-against average (GAA); a shutout indicates zero goals allowed across the game. In short tournaments, small sample sizes can magnify single-game outcomes, so coaches weigh recent form, experience and matchups when naming starters. International play also emphasizes different systems\u2014larger ice, national coaching strategies and rapid opponent changes\u2014making adaptability a valued trait in goaltenders and skaters alike.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Josh Morrissey\u2019s injury: Cooper did not provide a postgame update; the severity and expected recovery timeline remain unconfirmed.<\/li>\n<li>Next start decision: While Logan Thompson is likely for Canada\u2019s next game vs. Switzerland, an official starter has not been announced.<\/li>\n<li>Long-term goaltending plan: Whether Binnington will maintain the starting role through the group stage or be part of a planned rotation has not been publicly detailed by coaching staff.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>Canada\u2019s 5-0 win over Czechia delivered both a result and reassurance: Binnington answered selection questions with a 26-save shutout, and the team combined veteran playmaking with a timely contribution from a teenage forward in Celebrini. The performance stabilizes Canada\u2019s early tournament trajectory and gives the coaching staff tangible options in goal and on special teams.<\/p>\n<p>For Czechia, Dostal\u2019s 31 saves offered a defensive pillar but the team must improve finishing to turn chances into points. Both teams face quick turnarounds \u2014 Canada against Switzerland and Czechia versus France \u2014 where injury reports and lineup choices will shape Group A dynamics heading into the middle rounds.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/news\/czechia-canada-2026-olympics-game-recap-february-12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NHL.com game recap<\/a> (sports news: game report and quotes).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/olympics.com\/en\/olympic-games\/milano-cortina-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Milano Cortina 2026 official site<\/a> (official Olympic schedule and tournament context).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockeycanada.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hockey Canada<\/a> (official national team announcements and roster information).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lead Jordan Binnington backstopped Team Canada to a 5-0 victory over Team Czechia in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 opener on Feb. 12 at Santagiulia Arena in Milan, making 26 saves. Connor McDavid recorded three assists and 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini scored the late first-period winner, becoming the first teenager to register a game-winning &#8230; <a title=\"Binnington, Canada shut out Czechia in Olympic opener &#8211; NHL.com\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/binnington-canada-shutout-czechia\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Binnington, Canada shut out Czechia in Olympic opener &#8211; NHL.com\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Binnington, Canada blank Czechia 5-0 in Olympic opener \u2014 NewsLab","rank_math_description":"Jordan Binnington made 26 saves as Canada beat Czechia 5-0 in Milan on Feb. 12; McDavid had three assists and 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini scored the game-winner.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"binnington, canada, olympics, czechia, mcdavid","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19168\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}