STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Claude Giroux had a goal and two assists to pace Canada to a 4-1 win over Belarus at the IIHF World Championship on Friday.
Ryan O’Reilly, Andrew Ladd and Steve Stamkos also scored for Canada. Defenceman Justin Schultz had a pair of assists. Canadian goaltender Devan Dubnyk earned his third win of the tournament with nine saves.
Alexei Yefmineko scored late in the third period for Belarus and goaltender Dmitri Milchakov made 33 saves.
Canada added Vancouver Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis to the team Friday. The Smithers, B.C., native is expected to arrive Saturday and will bump the roster up to 23 players, including eight defencemen. Countries can have a maximum of 25 players in the tournament.
Hamhuis represented Canada in four world championships. He won gold in 2007 and silver in 2008 and 2009. The Canucks were swept in the first round of the NHL playoffs by San Jose.
The top four countries in each group of eight qualify for quarter-final games.
Canada (4-0-1) moved into first in its group with 13 points, but unbeaten Switzerland was just two points back with a game in hand. Sweden (3-2) was third with nine points and the Czech Republic (2-2-1) fourth with eight.
Canada has Saturday off and concludes the preliminary round with back-to-back games Sunday and Monday against the Czechs and Slovenia respectively.
Finland moved into the lead in the Helsinki pool with a 3-2 win over Russia, who lost their second in a row. Finland has 11 points followed by Russia and the United States tied with nine.
Slovakia into fourth in that pool after a 2-1 shootout loss to the Austrians. Thomas Vanek of the Buffalo Sabres scored the shootout winner as Austria claimed its second win of the tournament and moved into sixth.
Belarus is ranked No. 14 in the world behind Canada at No. 5 and is the host country of next year’s IIHF World Championship in Minsk.
Until they met Canada, the Belarusians were a solid defensive team in the tournament, but their anemic offence has been their downfall. They’re the lowest-scoring team in the tournament with six goals in four games.
Canada played its second game in as many days after beating host Sweden 3-0 the previous night. The game against Belarus didn’t have the atmosphere of the night before, but the Canadians went to work earning the win with excellent special teams.
Giroux, Ladd and Stamkos scored power play goals and Canada’s penalty killers held Belarus scoreless on five chances with an extra attacker.
Yefimenko spoiled Dubnyk’s shutout bid at 15:58 of the third period. His pass from the boards to the front of the net sneaked between the Canadian goaltender’s pads.
Giroux put the game away when he scored a wrap-around goal at 2:35 of the third.
Stamkos scored his fourth goal of the tournament at 5:27 of the second period. He joined Giroux on a rush with the Philadelphia Flyer drawing Milchakov out of his net and dishing to Stamkos at the last second.
Stamkos now has nine points in five games.
Canada led 2-0 after the opening period on a power-play goal from Ladd and O’Reilly’s first of the tournament.
Giroux fed Ladd in the high slot at 16:59. O’Reilly whipped Jeff Skinner’s backhand pass from behind the goal-line past Milchakov at 11:17.
