Ice Hockey / Canada tames U.S. to reach last eight

MYTISHCHI, Russia - Matthew Lombardi got a hat-trick as Canada tamed the United States 6-3 yesterday to storm into the quarterfinals of the ice hockey world championship undefeated.

The showdown between the North American rivals to decide the top spot in Group F was expected to produce plenty of excitement, but Canada ended the suspense early, racing to a 4-0 first-period lead and then coasting to its sixth straight win to set up a quarterfinal meeting against Switzerland on Thursday.

The United States will play Finland the same day.

Alexei Morozov scored two goals to lead Russia to a 4-2 victory over defending champion Sweden in the top-of-the-table Group E clash as the host kept its 100 percent record at the tournament.

The Russians, chasing their first world title since 1993 on home ice, finished top of the group and will now take on 2005 champion the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. The Swedes will face Slovakia.

Canada had not scored first in any of its previous five games but needed just eight seconds to take a 1-0 lead over the Americans. The St. Louis Blues' Jay McClement moved into the slot and blasted the first shot of the game past John Grahame.

The Los Angeles Kings' Mike Cammalleri contributed a pair of goals to the first period barrage, and the Calgary Flames' Lombardi also found the back of the net to send Canada into the intermission with a commanding lead.

The United States finally pierced the Canadian defense midway through the second when the Colorado Avalanche's NHL rookie-of-the-year candidate Paul Stastny pounded home a rebound past Cam Ward.

But Lombardi restored Canada's four-goal cushion with his second of the game before the Blues' Lee Stempniak closed out the second period, scoring his fifth of the tournament to trim the deficit to 5-2.

The U.S. changed netminders to start the third with the Blues' Jason Bacashihua taking over from Grahame, but the Americans could not close the gap any further with Lombardi and Stastny trading goals to complete the scoring.