Adam Tambellini scored twice, including a penalty shot, and added three assists as Canada overcame an early scare on Tuesday to beat China 7-2 in the qualifying round of the men’s hockey tournament at the Beijing Olympics.
Jordan Weal, with two goals and an assist, Eric Staal and Jack McBain, with a goal and an assist each, and Eric O’Dell also contributed offensively in the Canadiens’ camp. Matt Tomkins made 27 saves in net while Maxim Noreau added three assists.
Cory Kane scored twice for China. Jeremy Smith stopped 15 shots for the host club in the first period before injuring his left leg. Paris O’Brien came on as relief and made 23 saves for the Chinese, who were winless in four games and were outscored 23-4 for the program’s first Games.
The privately held Canadian NHL players, who had already defeated the Chinese 5-0 on Sunday in the last game of the rotation tournament and who is seeded fifth after finishing second in Group A behind the United States, will now face the Sweden in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
However, the Canadians will have to be much better if they want to play for a medal in Beijing.
In other qualifying matches, Slovakia beat Germany 4-0, Denmark beat Latvia 3-2 and Switzerland beat the Czech Republic 4-2.
The other quarter-finals will pit Slovakia against the United States; Denmark to the Russian Olympic Committee and Finland to Switzerland.
The Chinese team at the 2022 Games consisted of representatives from Kunlun Red Star, a Beijing-based KHL club that finished last this season. Of the country’s 25 players, 18 were born or raised in North America, 11 of whom have ties to Canada, while one is Russian.