2009 IIHF Women's World Championship

BOTTERILL STRIKES TWICE FOR CANADIAN WOMEN'S HOCKEY TEAM IN 8-0 WIN OVER FINLAND

by Donna Spencer | The Canadian Press

HÄMEENLINNA, Finland (CP) – Jennifer Botterill scored a pair of goals to pace Canada to an 8-0 win over Finland in the playoff round of the women's world hockey championship Wednesday.

The 29-year-old from Winnipeg scored her 60th and 61st goals wearing the Maple Leaf and also had an assist.

Gina Kingsbury of Rouyn Noranda, Que., Sarah Vaillancourt of Sherbrooke Que., Meghan Agosta of Ruthven, Ont., Jayna Hefford of Kingston, Ont., captain Hayley Wickenheiser of Shaunavon, Sask., and Haley Irwin, also scored for Canada (3-0).
Poulin and Montreal's Caroline Ouellette each had a pair of assists.

Kim St. Pierre stopped 15 shots to earn her second straight shutout and 11th of her career.

The score would have been more lopsided if not for the work of Finland goaltender Noora Räty, who stopped 31 of 37 shots before she was replaced by hometown goaltender Maija Hassinen in the third period.

Canada's next playoff game is Friday against defending champion U.S. (TSN, noon ET). The Americans face the Finns on Thursday and will have less rest heading into their game against the Canadians.

The two countries with the best record in the three-team playoff round advance to Sunday's championship game (TSN, noon ET). If the teams are all tied at 1-1, goal differential between them would be the tiebreaker.

In other games Wednesday, Sweden thumped Kazakhstan 9-0 in the round of pool runners-up while Switzerland edged China 5-4 in a shootout in the relegation round.

Finland, winner of the bronze medal eight times, pressured Canada in their own zone and produced some scoring chances with their forecheck. But Canada had them on the run once they crossed Finland's blue-line.

The Canadians cycling the puck quickly below the face-off circles opened up space in the slot, which is how Canada scored its first two goals. Even when Finland was on the power play they couldn't distribute the puck as quickly down low.

Finnish coach Hannu Saintula pulled Räty, the top goaltender at last year's world championship, after Canada's sixth goal to rest her for Thursday's game versus the U.S.

Poulin beat Hassinen with a backhand at 17:06 of the third to cap Canada's scoring.

Hefford scored Canada's third power-play goal of the night on the first shot Hassinen faced at 11:57. Wickenheiser and Vaillancourt combined on a give-and-go for Canada's sixth goal at 9:22 with Wickenheiser finishing Vaillancourt's drop pass.

Botterill scored her second of the game on a Canadian power play at 1:17 of the second period to make it 5-0 for Canada. She snared a pass from Catherine Ward, took a moment to get control of the puck and tucked it under Räty's pad.

Agosta's backhand deflected off teammate Hefford and caught Räty wrong-footed for Canada's fourth goal at 15:10 of the second period. Vaillancourt buried a rebound for a power-play goal at 2:10.

Botterill turned Ouellette's pass from the boards into Canada's second goal at 6:30 of the first period as she beat Räty low stick side.
Kingsbury scored an almost identical goal at 4:43 on a Colleen Sostorics pass from the boards.

Notes – Canada is 44-0-1 versus Finland all-time ... Wickenheiser's two points puts her first all-time in Canadian scoring at the world championships with 69. She passed Danielle Goyette, who had 68 ... Caroline Ouellette's first assist on Canada's second goal was her 150th career point in her 138th game for Canada

Goals/Buts :
04:43 CAN Gina Kingsbury (Marie-Philip Poulin, Colleen Sostorics)
06:39 CAN Jennifer Botterill (Caroline Ouellette)

Penalties/Pénalités :
02:35 FIN Emma Laaksonen (Hooking/Accrocher)
12:36 FIN Saara Tuominen (Hooking/Accrocher)
14:30 CAN Gillian Apps (High-sticking/Baton élevé)

Goals/Buts :
02:10 CAN Sarah Vaillancourt (Meaghan Mikkelson, Marie-Philip Poulin) PP/AN
15:10 CAN Meghan Agosta (Jayna Hefford, Caroline Ouellette)

Penalties/Pénalités :
01:52 FIN Anne Helin (Interference/Obstruction)
09:08 FIN Anne Helin (Interference/Obstruction)
15:22 FIN Saara Tuominen (Slashing/Coup de bâton)

Goals/Buts :
01:17 CAN Jennifer Botterill (Catherine Ward) PP/AN
09:22 CAN Hayley Wickenheiser (Tessa Bonhomme, Sarah Vaillancourt)
11:57 CAN Jayne Hefford (Jennifer Botterill, Hayley Wickenheiser) PP/AN
17:06 CAN Haley Irwin (Marie-Philip Poulinp)

Penalties/Pénalités :
00:35 FIN Mari Pehkonen (Delay of Game/Arrêter le match)
06:26 FIN Venla Heikkila (Slashing/Coup de bâton)
07:02 CAN Sarah Vaillancourt (Interference/Obstruction)
11:21 FIN Mari Pehkonen (Slashing/Coup de bâton)
12:15 CAN Carla MacLeod (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
14:02 CAN Meaghan Mikkelson (Hooking/Accrocher)