ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) Canada rolled to its sixth win of the world ice hockey championship in beating France 4-0 on Monday.
Canada leads Group B and will be top seed for the quarterfinals if it beats Finland on Tuesday.
Winger Mark Stone finished with a goal and assist in Canada’s lowest-scoring game of the tournament. Canada had at least five goals in each previous game. Goaltender Calvin Pickard made 13 saves for Canada’s third shutout.
The French stayed in the game thanks to a strong performance from goaltender Ronan Quemener, who made 42 saves. France’s Charles Bertrand missed a penalty shot in the second period after Canada’s Ryan Ellis slashed Jordann Perret.
In Moscow, Russia continued its strong form with a 3-0 win over Norway, to move to second in Group A.
After facing criticism from home fans for its slow start to the tournament with a loss to the Czech Republic and a difficult win over Kazakhstan, Russia has improved sharply. In its last four wins, Russia has 22 goals and allowed just two.
Russia plays Sweden on Tuesday with second place at stake. The Russians could climb above the Czech Republic for first if the Czechs lose to Switzerland.
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