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Last year's silver medalists Canada remained top of the world ice hockey championships qualifying Group F despite a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Finland in Zurich.

Finland needed to beat Canada in regular time to leapfrog them in the table and they got off to a lively start as Tuomas Pihlman put them into the lead four minutes and two seconds into the match by beating Canada goalie Dwayne Roloson from close range.

Defender Anssi Salmela scored Finland's second, sending the puck through a group of players at 7:54 before Ottawa Senators striker Jason Spezza made it 2-1 with a sharp-angled shot on powerplay.

In the second, Niko Kapanen made it 3-1 for Finland at 37:22 but another Ottawa Senators forward Danny Heatley reduced the arrears again a minute later.

Halfway into the third period Heatley netted his second of the match to level at 3-3 to dash Finns hopes of the top spot.

Meanwhile, hosts Switzerland came into the match with the United States in a must-win position with a desperate need to clinch three points to continue playing in the championship at Latvia's expense.

The US collected 29 penalty minutes in the first period, allowing the hosts to clinch the lead at 9:42 through Andres Anbuhl, who swept in a rebound when two Americans were sin-binned.

US defender Ron Hainsey pulled them level 5:57 into the second, also on powerplay, by firing home with a slap shot.

Romano Lemm restored the Swiss lead sending the puck in from a Sandy Jeanin pass at 31:03 but the United States scored twice through Christopher Higgins and Hainsey again before the second break for a 3-2 lead.

Martin Pluss levelled at 3-3 half-way into the third period but the Swiss mission remained impossible as they failed to score the winner in regular time.

Roman Wick's winning goal in overtime is unlikely to sweeten the bitter pill for the hosts.

The Finns will play the United States in the quarter-finals, while Canada will face Latvia. The champions Russia play Belarus, while Sweden will meet Czech Republic in the match for a place in the semis.

In the early Group E match Sweden outclassed France 6-3 to finish in second place in the table.

Kristian Huselius, Marcus Nilson and Dick Tarnstrom all scored in the first period to give the Swedes a commanding 3-0 lead.

In the second the Swedes took their foot off the gas but nevertheless scored through Carl Gunnarsson and Johnny Oduya, while Antoine Lussier, Pierre Edouard Bellemare and Sacha Treille were on target for France.

Kenny Jonsson finalised the scoring in the third.

"We're happy with the result, being able to stay up after the first round," said the French coach David Henderson. "We did play two great games, against the US and Sweden."

"Scoring three goals against Sweden was unheard of for France. Our young guys are growing into their roles and they're getting ready to step up now."

Earlier Slovakia beat Norway 3-2 in overtime in the match of Group F underdogs.

In the relegation group Denmark beat Austria 5-2 sending them down to the lower division. Though Germany finished in third place they will stay in the top division as the hosts of next year's championships.

The relegated teams Austria and Hungary will be replaced by Italy and Kazakhstan next year.

AFP