Champs Czechs beat Slovakia to reach last eight

BRATISLAVA: Defending champions Czech Republic reached the world championship quarter-finals on Friday with a 3-2 win over former
compatriots Slovakia.

The Czechs had won eight of their 11 previous meetings with Slovakia, who were in desperate need of a win to keep alive their chances of making the championship's knockout stage.

The champions went ahead with 2:12 remaining before the first break, when Czech blueliner Marek Zidlicky hit a powerplay goal.

The second period was almost a carbon copy of the first but this time it was Slovakia's Ladislav Nagy who scored at 22:54 to level with a precise wrist shot.

Minnesota Wild forward Martin Havlat restored the Czechs lead just 1:06 into the third period with a sharp-angled shot, while Patrick Elias made it 3-1 at 44:28.

Tomas Surovy scored Slovakia's second with 2:32 to go but the beaten side now only have a slight mathematical chance of making the play-offs.

Finland battled back from two goals down to upset 5-4 Germany in a penalty shootout.

The Finns took the lead when the match was only 13sec old as Germany defender Robert Dietrich redirected Tuomo Ruutu's cross into his own net.

Finland outshot Germany 19-6 in the opening period but German striker Andre Rankel edqualised with 5:15 before the break.

In the second Germany grabbed the 4-3 lead scoring three goals through Felix Schutz, Kai Hospelt and Patrick Reimer, while Finland replied with goals by Janne Pesonen and Jarkko Immonen.

But Tuomo Ruutu finalised the scoring in the regular time with 5:48
remaining.

After a goalless overtime the teams decided the winner in a shootout.
Finland skipper Mikko Koivu scored the deciding shot for his team's win.

Olympic champions Canada also needed a shootout to record a 4-3 win over the United States in their qualifying Group F encounter at the ice of Kosice arena.

Four minutes into the second period US defender Mike Komisarek put his team into the lead with a long-range shot before Canada's Brent Burns equalised with a powerplay goal three minutes later.

US grabbed the lead again through Los Angele Kings blueliner Jack Johnson, who sent the puck in between James Reimer's pads.

Canada replied with goals by John Tavares and Jason Spezza early into the third but Derek Stepan equalised at 3-3 with a powerplay goal at 51:15 sending the match into overtime, which also ended goalless.

In the shootout that followed Canada scored twice to record a win, while the Americans missed both of their attempts.