Reigning world champions Canada opened their title defense with a surprising 2-2 Group D draw with Austria in Prague on Sunday.
The result left Austria on top of the group table with three points from two matches, while Canada sit third, one point behind Switzerland.
Canada, who came into the match as clear favorites after winning all nine previous head-to-head matches with Austria at the world championships, seized the initiative from the start.
However, it was Austria who grabbed the opening goal when defender Andre Lakos slapped into the net through the traffic from the blue line 15:40 into the game.
Thomas Vanek stunned the North Americans again when he netted Austria's second 3:37 into the second period.
Canada replied with tough physical play but to no avail as the Austrians looked more focused, while their netminder Reinhard Divis was in command of his territory.
But in the third Canada finally tightened their play and leveled the scores as their forwards Matthew Cooke and Dany Heatley scored within five minutes.
In the other Group D match Switzerland whitewashed France 6-0.
Switzerland started full of confidence, pinning their opponents back right from the initial face-off, but France defended fiercely and kept their net clean in the first period.
But after the break the Swiss team confirmed their supremacy at Prague's Sazka Arena as Ivo Rutheman, Beat Forster, Thomas Ziegler and Olivier Keller all scored before the second intermission.
In the third Rutheman and Ziegler both notched their second goals of the match.
Last year's runners-up Sweden scored their second consecutive victory in Group C with an easy 5-1 win over Japan.
Daniel Alfredsson recorded a double while Dick Tarnstrom, Andreas Salomonsson, Jonathan Headstrom added their goals for the Scandinavian team. Takamoto Suzuki was on target for Japan.
Russia's legendary coach Viktor Tikhonov celebrated his return to the ice hockey extravaganza with a 6-2 win over Denmark.
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