Defending champions Canada and hosts the Czech Republic are poised from a battle to win their Group E at the Ice Hockey World Championship after beating Germany 6-1 and Switzerland 3-1, respectively, on Sunday.
The unbeaten Czechs top the group's table with eight points from four matches, one point ahead of second-placed Canada.
Both teams have already clinched their places in the knockout round of the event and the Group E winner will be decided in their head-to-head clash on Monday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
In Ostrava, Group F leaders Slovakia easily outclassed Denmark 8-0, while Sweden beat the US 3-1.
Slovakia are equal on seven points with second-placed Sweden but top the group due to a better goal difference.
Canada started out by storming Germany's net right from the initial face-off and went 3-0 up through Buffalo Sabres striker Danny Briere and Atlanta Thrashers goalman Dany Heatley, who followed with a double in the first period.
Both Niedermayer brothers scored for Canada after the break, while Germany's Jochen Hecht netted a consolation with a shot through the traffic halfway into the second.
In the third, Scott Niedermayer finalized the scoring with his second of the match with slightly over three minutes remaining.
The Czechs looked dominant right from the start in front of their 18,000 home crowd at Prague Sazka Arena but failed to find the net in the first period as a class performance by Swiss goalie Marco Buhrer saw him save 41 of 44 shots throughout the match.
However, Jaroslav Spacek and Jaromir Jagr both scored in the second period to lift the Czech squad 2-0.
But Martin Pluss reduced the arrears with a powerplay goal with six minutes remaining before the second break.
In the third period both teams squandered numerous opportunities but missed all of their chances before Vaclav Prospal netted the Czech team's third goal just before the final horn.
Meanwhile, Sweden got off to a lively start against the US when Jonas Hoglund beat the US netminder Mike Dunham with an unopposed shot just 2:26 into the match.
The Americans fought tooth and nail, searching for an equalizer, and Bates Battaglia equalized at 26:10 with a shorthanded goal, beating Sweden goalie Henrik Lundqvist on a breakaway.
Hoglund recorded a double just 1:42 into the final period sending the puck into the net from just outside the crease after Per-Johan Axelsson's pass from behind the net.
US head coach Peter Laviolette substituted his goalie for a sixth field player in an attempt to level again but Michael Nylander scored an empty-netter with four seconds remaining to secure Sweden's win.
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