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Favorites win in hockey World Championships

Alexei Morozov of Russia watches his shot enter the net behind team Denmark goalie Peter Hirsch during first-period action at the World Hockey Championship on Friday in Moscow. PHOTO: AP

No upsets were registered on the opening day of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships here on Friday as all the favorites won.

The Czech Republic, last year's runner-up, started confidently against Belarus by clinching a 1-0 lead on a powerplay goal by Jaroslav Hlinka 7:57 into the match.

Columbus Blue Jackets striker David Vyborny added another powerplay goal at 10:19 for the Czechs.

Oleg Antonenko scored for Belarus at 16:18 to cut the deficit, but Tomas Plekanec of the Montreal Canadiens and the Florida Panthers' Rostislav Olesz scored to make it 4-1 for the Czechs before the first break.

Petr Sykora netted the Czechs' fifth goal 7:21 into the second period, just 19 seconds before Antonenko scored his second goal of the match.

Plekanec also netted his second goal 2:27 into the last period, while Jan Marek and Zbynek Irgl added one apiece to complete the 8-2 thrashing.

US overcomes Austria

In the other Group B match, the US easily overcame Austria 6-2.

The US took control right from the start as Boston Bruins striker Philip Kessel scored just 1:59 into the game.

Austria had a clear chance to level as they had a two-man advantage for more than a minute, but they failed to find the net.

Tobias Petersen of the Edmonton Oilers made the score 2-0 with a close-range, sharply angled shot.

A powerplay goal by Raimund Divis reduced the US lead, but Lee Stempniak of the St. Louis Blues restored it with 2:47 remaining before the first intermission.

The US eased up in the second half but nevertheless scored on three more occasions on goals by the Washington Capitals' Christopher Clark, the Carolina Hurricanes' Erik Cole and Brandon Bochenski of the Boston Bruins.

Oliver Setzinger made Austria's second goal.

In Group D, Fredrik Norrena had 25 saves to record the first shootout of the event, while Timo Parssinen scored two goals to help Finland, last year's bronze medalists, blank Ukraine 5-0.

Defender Pekka Saravo netted the opener 13:00 into the match.

Seam Bergenheim made it 2-0 four minutes into the second, while Parssinen added his double to make it 4-0 for Finland.

Petri Kontiola ended the scoring with 8:32 to go with a shorthanded goal to record Finland's seventh win over Ukraine in as many head-to-head meetings.

In the other Group D match, hosts Russia got off to a flying start by taking a commanding 3-0 lead just four minutes into their showdown with Denmark.

Cross-ice pass

Danis Zaripov put Russia 1-0 up just 28 seconds into the game by sliding the puck home from just outside the crease after a long pass from across the ice by Sergei Zinoviev.

Defender Ilya Nikulin slapped the puck in from just inside the blue line though traffic at 3:32, while Pittsburgh Penguins striker Yevgeny Malkin added a goal just 22 seconds later.

Peter Regin netted Denmark's first goal of the game at 2:41 remaining to play in the first period.

Russian skipper Pyotr Schastlivy, Andrei Markov of Montreal Canadiens, Alexei Morozov, Nikolai Kulemin and the Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin all scored in the second.

Los Angeles Kings forward Alexander Frolov completed the scoring with 4:17 remaining before the final horn.
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