Canada scores 4 in the final period to beat Slovakia 5-1 at ice hockey worlds

FRIBOURG, Swizterland (AP) — Captain Macklin Celebrini scored and Canada beat Slovakia 5-1 after a four-goal burst in the final period at the ice hockey world championship on Sunday.

Celebrini, John Tavares, Gabriel Vilardi and Ryan O’Reilly all recorded a two point game for a goal and an assist, and Dylan Cozens also scored in Fribourg to help Canada win its sixth straight Group B game.

Canada netminder Jet Greaves stopped 31 shots.

Sidney Crosby set up Cozens to put Canada 1-0 up on a breakaway with 5:32 remaining in the opening period.

It was the fourth goal for Cozens and Crosby’s seventh assist at the tournament.

In the middle period, Kristián Pospíšil tied it 1-1 for Slovakia.

Canada wasted 1:16 of a 5-3 advantage early in the final period but jumped to a 5-1 lead with four goals scored before the midway point.

Vilardi restored a one-goal advantage on a power play 2:14 in the period and Tavares netted a backhand shot 2:40 later.

O’Reilly increased it to 4-1 with a short-handed goal for his fifth at the worlds 7:36 in and 1:45 later Celebrini scored his third in Switzerland from the top of the right circle.

Canada tops Group B with 17 points and faces Czechia (13 points) in its last group-stage game on Tuesday. Slovakia is on 11 points in third.

In Zurich, Finland made it six wins from six by beating Austria 5-2 to join Switzerland atop Group A with both teams on 18 points. Austria remains third on nine.

Britain's return to the ice hockey world championship proved short-lived after Latvia blanked the newcomer 6-0.

The sixth straight defeat in Group A means Britain is relegated from the top division with a game left.

Britain returned to the top tier after a one-year absence but has failed to win a single point and scored only four goals and conceded 29 in its six games. Britain, which will play Germany on Monday in their final game, trails second-to-last Hungary by three points but lost their head-to-head encounter 5-0.

Another newcomer, Italy, still has a chance to survive after earning the first point in a 3-2 defeat to Denmark in a shootout in Fribourg.

Italy is two points behind Slovenia in Group B before they face each other on Monday.

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Slovakia's Adam Sykora, left, challenges Canada's goaltender Jet Greaves, Darnell Nurse and Robert Thomas, from right, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Slovakia and Canada,, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Canada's Zach Whitecloud, right, vies for the puck against Slovakia's Kristian Pospisil during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Slovakia and Canada, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Slovakia's Oliver Okuliar, Canada's Dylan Cozens, Slovakia's Martin Pospisil and Canada's Denton Mateychuk, from left, fight for the puck during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Slovakia and Canada, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Canada's Ryan O'Reilly, left, challenges Slovakia's Samuel Knazko, bottom left, and Slovakia's goaltender Samuel Hlavaj, right, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Slovakia and Canada, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Canada's Dylan Cozens, right, celebrates with teammate Sidney Crosby after scoring during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Slovakia and Canada, in Fribourg, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Denmark's Markus Lauridsen, center, falls on Italy's Matt Bradley, left, next to Denmark's goaltender Mads Sogaard, right, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Denmark and Italy in Fribourg, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Italy's players celebrate their side's first goal during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Denmark and Italy in Fribourg, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Denmark's Markus Lauridsen, top, falls on Italy's Matt Bradley, during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group B game between Denmark and Italy in Fribourg, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Latvia's Player celebrate their side's fifth goal during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group A match between Great Britain and Latvia in Zurich, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

Latvia's Rudolfs Balcers, left, scores his side's third goal during the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship preliminary round group A match between Great Britain and Latvia in Zurich, Switzerland, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

MONTREAL (AP) — Italian teen star Kimi Antonelli charged to his fourth straight Formula 1 victory Sunday in a wild Canadian Grand Prix after Mercedes teammate George Russell was knocked out by an engine failure.

The title-chasing Mercedes drivers put on a show in a thrilling battle through 30 laps, trading the lead several times and coming dangerously close to making contact, until Russell ran into trouble.

That gave the 19-year-old Antonelli a clear path to victory ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who overtook Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for second with six laps to go in cold and windy conditions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“It was a really fun battle, to be fair, with George. We were pretty much on the limit,” Antonelli said. “It was very close and it was a shame for him to have the failure because it would have been a very cool battle. But we’ll take it.”

Antonelli opened a 43-point lead over Russell in the season standings through five of 22 stops. After Russell won the season-opener race in Australia, Antonelli won in China, Japan and Miami.

Hamilton had his best result since joining Ferrari last year, while Verstappen reached the podium for the first time this season.

“It’s been pretty tough for the past year and a bit, so to finally find our sweet spot and have a good weekend, it’s an amazing feeling to be back up here, especially with these guys being so quick,” the 41-year-old Hamilton said. “And actually got to have a race with Max, which is great.”

After the engine failure, Russell threw his headrest across the track and slammed his fists into the front of the car before leaving the circuit, whipping his gloves to the ground in rage.

The Englishman’s exit marked a nightmare end to an otherwise stellar weekend for last year’s winner in Montreal, who took the sprint race Saturday from the pole and also started first Sunday.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson.

McLaren started with both drivers in the second row but Landon Norris was forced to retire from a gearbox issue on Lap 40. Teammate Oscar Piastri placed 11th after a team decision to start on intermediate tires backfired.

Norris flew from third to first off an exciting start on a drying track, only to switch tires three laps in. That ceded the lead to Antonelli, who’d also moved past Russell following the pole-sitter’s poor start.

Russell regained the lead on the seventh lap with a clean overtake as Antonelli nearly hit his teammate from behind after his wheels locked up, rolling off the track. The fighting continued into Lap 12 as Antonelli advanced to first, only for Russell to re-take his position before fending off multiple attempts on Lap 17.

Antonelli successfully pulled it off on the 22nd lap, but Russell again charged back into the lead when Antonelli veered off course two laps later. The exchanges persisted until Russell’s engine blew out.

The Mercedes drivers had gone head-to-head all weekend in the fastest cars on the grid, with Russell edging Antonelli by 0.068 seconds in both the sprint and race qualifying sessions.

Tensions reached a tipping point early sprint race Saturday when they made contact on Antonelli’s overtake attempt, as Russell kept his line and forced Antonelli into the grass. Antonelli lost his cool over the team radio, calling the move “very naughty” before demanding a penalty.

AP Formula 1: https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, celebrates after winning the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, waves as he holds his trophy following his win in the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Mercedes driver George Russell, front, of Britain, takes a turn ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, during the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, walks through the paddock at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, right, of Italy, leads teammate Mercedes driver George Russell, of Britain, during the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, front, of Italy, leads teammate George Russell, of Britain, during the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, competes during the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)