EDMONTON, Alberta — Carter Mazur scored twice in the United States’ five-goal second period, and the defending champion Americans beat Switzerland 7-1 on Thursday night to improve to 2-0 in the world junior hockey championship.
Brock Faber, Landon Slaggert, Matthew Corondato, Thomas Bordeleau and Riley Duran also scored for the United States.
Kaidan Mbereko made 23 saves, allowing only Joel Henry’s goal that tied it at 1 midway through the second.
The United States will face Austria on Saturday and close Group B round-robin play against Sweden on Sunday. The Americans opened the postponed tournament Tuesday with a 5-1 victory over Germany.
The tournament was rescheduled to August after being called off Dec. 29 after four days as rising COVID-19 cases forced games to be forfeited.
Earlier, Canada improved to 2-0 in Group A, with captain Mason McTavish scoring four goals and adding two assists in an 11-1 victory over Slovakia.
McTavish, the 19-year-old Anaheim Ducks prospect, matched the Canadian record for goals in a game in the tournament. Other players who have accomplished the feat include Mario Lemieux (1984), Brayden Schenn (2011) and Maxime Comtois (2019).
“It’s pretty cool for sure. A special moment,” McTavish said. “Obviously, credit to my teammates. They were looking for me all game, it felt like.”
Brennan Othmann, Joshua Roy, Connor Bedard, Will Cuylle, Logan Stankoven, Olen Zellweger and Zack Ostapchuk also scored. Dylan Garand made 22 saves.
“We’re deep from our first line to our fourth line,” Othmann said. “It doesn’t matter who’s in or who’s out, everyone’s contributing in some way.”
Matej Kaslik scored for Slovakia (0-2).
In Group A in the afternoon, Kasper Simontaival scored the shootout winner in Finland’s 4-3 victory over the Czech Republic. Finland is 2-0, and Czech Republic 1-1.
Roby Jarventie, Kasper Puutio and Aatu Raty scored for Finland in regulation. Jaroslav Chmelar, Jiri Kulich and Jan Mysak scored for the Czech Republic.
Canada will face the Czech Republic on Saturday.