FRIBOURG, Switzerland (AP) — Macklin Celebrini scored again and Jet Greaves stopped 34 shots as Canada beat the United States 4-0 to advance to the semifinals at the ice hockey world championship on Thursday.
In the latest edition of their fierce rivalry, Canada's quarterfinal victory ended the Americans' quest to retain the trophy that they had won for the first time since 1933.
The two teams met for the first time since the final at the Milan Cortina
Olympics three months ago, when the Americans prevailed 2-1 in overtime to take the gold medal.
Canada remains on course to capture its 29th title at the worlds.
Celebrini scored his sixth goal at the worlds, Sidney Crosby netted his first, and Dylan Holloway and Connor Brown also scored. Mark Scheifele had two assists, and Greaves turned away every shot he faced.
“He is calm and tonight came up with the big save when we needed it,” forward John Tavares said of Greaves. “He was the best player on the ice tonight, for sure.”
The 19-year-old Celebrini broke the deadlock with 1:29 remaining in the opening period on a power play with a shot from the slot to beat U.S. goalie Devin Cooley.
Earlier, Canada wasted a five-minute major penalty for Ryan Lindgren’s illegal check to the head of defenseman Evan Bouchard and game misconduct.
Holloway doubled the advantage midway through the middle period on a rebound off his own shot from the right circle.
The Americans pulled Cooley with 2:22 left in the third before Brown and Crosby finished the scoring with a couple of empty-net goals.
In their most-recent matchup at the worlds, Canada won 4-2 in the semifinals in 2021 and went on to capture gold. The U.S. took bronze.
Matthew Tkachuk lost a chance to become the first American in hockey’s Triple Gold Club. He won the Stanley Cup back-to-back with the Florida Panthers and claimed the Olympic gold in Milan.
"In the third period we played really, really good and their goalie made some incredible saves,” Tkachuk said. “They ultimately were better for most of the game and so deserved to win.”
In Zurich, Finland reached the semifinals with a 4-1 victory over Czechia in a game between the 2022 and 2024 champions, respectively.
Finland was 2-0 up after the opening period on goals from Sakari Manninen and Anton Lundell. In the second, Konsta Helenius made it 3-0 before Filip Hronek scored for the Czechs on a two-man advantage. Lenni Hameenaho closed out the scoring in the third.
In the remaining quarterfinals later Thursday, host Switzerland played Sweden, and Latvia faced Norway.
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