Six players score for U.S. in 6-2 win over Austria
MYTISCHI, Russia -- Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec scored twice in the Czech Republic's 8-2 victory over Belarus in Group B preliminary round action Friday at the world hockey championships.
Earlier, St. Louis Blues forward Lee Stempniak had a goal and an assist to help the United States to a 6-2 win over Austria.
In Moscow, Timo Parssinen scored two power-play goals in the second period to help Finland open with a 5-0 win over Ukraine, and nine different Russians scored as the host nation routed Denmark 9-1.
The Czechs, who took the silver medal in 2006, converted on three of seven power-play opportunities. The Florida Panthers' Rostislav Olesz also scored a short-handed goal.
"It was an unexpectedly easy match for us," Jaroslav Hlinka said. "We didn't expect this against Belarus. The goalkeepers were probably not in their best shape."
Hlinka and Columbus Blue Jackets forward David Vyborny opened the scoring with power-play goals within the first 10 minutes. Belarus captain Oleg Antonenko scored the first of his two goals at 16:18, but Plekanec scored 13 seconds later and Olesz made it 4-1 for the Czechs with less than 2 minutes left in the first period.
Edmonton Oilers center Petr Sykora scored at 7:21 into the second period and Antonenko answered 19 seconds later.
Plekanec notched his second goal in the final period, Jan Marek added another on the power play 5:13 in and Zbynek Irgl closed out the scoring 15 seconds later.
The United States is seeking its first medal since winning bronze at Prague in 2004. During the last worlds at Moscow in 1986, the U.S. team lost in the preliminary round robin -- but avoided relegation.
"I thought it was critical that we get off to a good start," U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said. "Certainly, if you can win the first game it takes a little bit of pressure off as far as your ability to advance in this tournament."
Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel, who helped the United States win world junior gold in 2005, opened the scoring less than 2 minutes into the game, coming from behind the net to fire the puck over Reinhard Divis' glove.
The Oilers' Tobias Petersen made it 2-0 at 10:22 when the puck bounced off his skate and through Divis' five-hole. Raimund Divis put Austria on the board at 14:51, but Stempniak converted a two-man power play less than 3 minutes later to restore the two-goal lead.
Chris Clark of the Washington Capitals scored 24 seconds into the middle period to make it 4-1. Austria's Oliver Setzinger closed out the second-period scoring at 10:51.
Erik Cole and Brandon Bochenski scored in the final period to put the game out of reach.
"We needed to get one under our belt and we did," Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter said. "We just want to win, and winning by the score we did was a bonus. We had it on them in the first period and then they turned it on a bit at the end of the second period. Hopefully, we can get another one on Sunday."
On Sunday, the U.S. faces Belarus, and Austria plays the Czechs.
Russia scored early and often against Denmark.
Evgeni Malkin capped a three-goal outburst in the first 4 minutes, and Alexander Ovechkin scored a goal and added an assist.
Danis Zaripov redirected a pass from Sergei Zinoviev under Denmark goaltender Peter Hirsch to put Russia ahead after 28 seconds.
Ilya Nikulin scored at 3:32 and Malkin beat Hirsch 22 seconds later to give Russia an early 3-0 lead.
Ovechkin set up linemate Nikolai Kulemin to make it 7-1 midway through the second period and then scored a spectacular goal less than 3 minutes later.
Skating backward in the slot, Ovechkin took a pass from Ivan Nepryaev and wristed a shot into the top corner past Hirsh, who was then replaced by Michael Madsen.
Also in Moscow, Parssinen deflected from the point a shot by Petteri Nummmelin at 7:18 of the second period to give Finland a 3-0 lead.
He scored again 6 minutes later on a 5-on-3 when he picked up a rebound and tucked it behind Ukraine goaltender Igor Karpenko on a backhand.
Sean Bergenheim also scored for Finland in the second and Petri Kontiola completed the scoring with a power-play goal midway through the third.
Finland took a 1-0 lead at 12:07 of the first period when Ville Peltonen of the Florida Panthers fed Pekka Saravo, who beat Karpenko with a slap shot from the high slot.
Fredrik Norrena, playing in place of the injured Antero Niittymaki, faced little pressure but made several key saves in the third period to preserve the shutout.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
