HOCKEY WORLDS: Canada, Russia win opening round games

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Eric Staal scored four goals to help Canada rout Germany 10-1 for its fifth straight win at the hockey world championships on Saturday.

Canada faces Finland on Monday with the top seed in the single-elimination quarterfinals at stake.

Martin St. Louis had five assists, and Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, Patrick Sharp, Derek Roy and Mike Green scored the rest of the goals.

“We were just trying to get Staal as many goals as possible,” Roy said. “We said he was on pace for six. We were just trying to feed him in the third period, he had the hot stick going.

“He’s a great player.”

Canada even put the puck in the net for Germany, spoiling Cam Ward’s shutout bid. Frank Hordler was the last Germany player to touch the puck before Dan Hamhuis knocked it into the goal.

Staal scored with about six minutes left in the first period, as part of Canada’s four-goal outburst.

German coach Uwe Krupp sent in goalie Robert Mueller to start the second period but he was of no help. Staal scored two more goals in the first 8:20 of the second period before getting a fourth at 15:30.

“Obviously you want to help out as much as you can,” Staal said. “I felt like I was working hard and getting to those areas but just not getting enough wood on it.

“It was just a matter of time.”

Staal and St. Louis became the sixth and seventh Canadian players in the modern era to record five points in a game at this event. Eric Lindros holds the record with six points, which he had twice during the 1993 world championship in Germany.

In Quebec City, Alexander Ovechkin scored with six seconds left in the third period to lead Russia to a 3-2 comeback win over Sweden.

Russia trailed 2-1 going into the third period, but Sergei Fedorov scored at 4:57 to tie the score.

With overtime looming, Alexander Semin fed Ovechkin on a break for a shot that goalie Henrik Lundqvist got a piece of, but the puck jumped into the air and landed behind him in the net.