2004 World Championship: Canada Escapes the Quarterfinals

The defending champs have not looked great in this tournament. But Team Canada managed to avoid disaster today, coming back from a poor start to salvage an overtime win against Finland in the quarterfinals at the 2004 World Hockey Championship. Today's win continues Canada's tradition of success in overtime games.

Dany Heatley helped pull this one from the fire. After the Finns jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead, Heatley scored Canada's first goal early in the second. Later, he added the game-winner with a perfect slap shot in overtime. Heatley is the tournament's leading goal scorer.

"This kid has a chance to be unbelievable," Canadian head coach Mike Babcock said, in a game report issued by the Canadian Press. "He has a chance to influence little kids for a long time if he wants to be a star, if he'll embrace it."

Otherwise, this was a game notable for strange goals and wild momentum swings. After Canada tied it at 2-2, the Finns took leads of 3-2 and 4-3 before the game went to overtime. Both teams had goals that deflected off defending players. One Finnish shot hit three bodies before landing in the net.

Canada is the world's most successful sudden-death team. Since overtime was introduced to the World Championship in 1977, Canadian teams have won nine of 12 OT games.

The Canadians will face Slovakia in Saturday's semifinals. The Slovaks, featuring NHL stars like Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara and Marian Gaborik, defeated Switzerland 3-1 in today's other quarterfinal game.

Saturday's second semifinal has the United States taking on Sweden. The Swedes will have a bolstered lineup for that game, with news that Peter Forsberg and Nicklas Lidstrom are flying to Prague to join the team.

Ther winners meet in the gold medal game on Sunday.

The 2004 World Championship page includes all the tournament results, and the schedule for the medal round.