AFTER SPOTTING SLOVAKIA AN EARLY LEAD, CANADA EXPLODED FOR THREE THIRD PERIOD GOALS IN UNDER TWO MINUTES TO CLAIM A 4-1 WIN AND A PLACE IN THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS ON WEDNESDAY, DPA REPORTED. CANADA MOVES ONTO THE FINAL FOUR WHERE THEY WILL MEET OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS SWEDEN, WHO ADVANCED AFTER THRASHING THE US 6-0. THE QUARTER-FINALS CONTINUE ON THURSDAY WITH UNBEATEN RUSSIA TAKING ON DEFENDING CHAMPIONS THE CZECH REPUBLIC, WHILE OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALISTS FINLAND FACE-OFF AGAINST BELARUS. DESPITE CANADA'S DOMINATING THE OPENING TWO PERIODS, SLOVAKIA LOOKED POISED TO PULL OFF AN UPSET, UNTIL THE TOURNAMENT'S TOP SCORING LINE OF BRAD BOYES, PATRICE BERGERON AND SIDNEY CROSBY ONCE AGAIN CAME TO THE RESCUE IN THE SWIFT THIRD PERIOD RALLY. "THEY TESTED OUR WILL," SAID CANADIAN NETMINDER MARC DENIS, WHO MADE 22 SAVES IN THE WIN. "WE WERE PATIENT, WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING STUPID AND STUCK WITH IT UNTIL THEIR BUBBLE BURST." TIED 1-1 AFTER TWO PERIODS, CANADA BROKE THE CONTEST OPEN WITH THEIR THIRD PERIOD BURST, SCORING THREE TIMES IN 1 MINUTE, 39 SECONDS. BOSTON BRUINS BERGERON TRIGGERED THE RALLY WHEN HE SKATED INTO THE LEFT FACE-OFF CIRCLE AND RIFLED A SHOT PAST KAROL KRIZAN. JUST 90 SECONDS LATER, CROSBY POUNCED ON A LOOSE PUCK IN THE SLOVAKIA GOAL CREASE AND FLIPPED IT OVER KRIZAN. BUT BEFORE CANADIAN FANS HAD EVEN FINISHED CELEBRATING A 3-1 LEAD, CARTER PUT THE PUCK BEHIND KRIZAN JUST NINE SECONDS LATER, AND THERE WAS NO COMING BACK FOR SLOVAKIA. SLOVAKIA TOOK THE EARLY INITIATIVE WHEN MILO DUSAN'S SHOT FROM THE BLUE LINE FOUND ITS WAY THROUGH A CROWD IN FRONT OF THE CANADIAN GOAL PAST DENIS. CANADA HAD THE ONLY GOAL OF THE SECOND, LOS ANGELES KINGS CAMMALLERI HAMMERING HOME A REBOUND AFTER KRIZAN WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL A SLAP SHOT FROM BRENDAN SHANAHAN.
