Tue May 6 18:52:14 2008

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Heatley's late goal leads Canada over USA at Worlds

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Quebec City, QC (Sports Network) - Dany Heatley scored with just 46.8 seconds to play as Canada defeated the United States, 5-4, at the 2008 World Hockey Championship.

Trailing, 4-2, early in the third period, the Americans scored a pair of power play goals by Dustin Brown and Jason Pominville just 1:36 apart to tie the game.

With time ticking down, Ryan Getzlaf fired a quick pass from the left circle on the fly to the slot where Heatley one-timed it past Tim Thomas and the Canadians survived a USA power play at the end to hang on for the win.

The win gives Canada first place in Group B heading into the Qualification Round beginning on Thursday. The United States finished second.

Russia, behind a goal and an assist from Sergei Fedorov, downed Denmark 4-1 for their third straight win. The win, which came with Russia's only healthy registered goaltender, Mikhail Biryukov, in net, secured first place in Group D for the Russians.

Alexander Eremenko, Russia's other goaltender, was sidelined with an injury. The club gets a reinforcement for the Qualifying Round in the form of San Jose Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov, now available to play for his country after the Sharks were bounced from the NHL playoffs on Sunday night. Russia will get two days off before facing the third-place finisher in Group A on Friday.