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Qualification round-up from Canada

Zach Parise's powerplay goal with 8:57 remaining proved decisive as the United States earned a 6-4 victory over Germany in the World Championship qualifying round.

After storming into a 3-0 lead in the opening 2:52 the Americans looked set for an emphatic win, but Germany battled back bravely and chipped away at the lead.

Germany levelled the scores at 4-4 early in the third, but Parise of the New Jersey Devils placed a shot over goalie Dimitrij Patzold for his second of the game. Dustin Brown sealed the victory with an empty netter with 1:36 remaining.

The United States burst into a 3-0 lead with their first four shots. Parise opened the scoring 26 seconds in, Patrick O'Sullivan made it 2-0 at 2:10, and James Wisniewski increased the deficit to three 42 seconds later.

Germany got on the board at 14:03 of the first when Michael Hackert bounced in a wraparound shot off a sliding O'Sullivan and behind goalie Craig Anderson.

Dramatic win

Three minutes later Germany scored again when Christopher Schmidt one-timed a shot under Anderson, who faced only four shots in the period.

In the second, the USA took a 4-2 lead when Jason Pominville banked the puck in off Patzold during a five-on-three powerplay. Germany cut the deficit to one just five minutes later when Florian Busch scored his second of the tournament.

Germany restored parity 4:55 into the third when Michael Bakos beat Anderson from the point, but the Europeans couldn't hold on and America went on to claim a dramatic win.

Earlier in Halifax, Rick Nash scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:58 left to lift Canada to a 2-1 victory over winless Norway.

Canada scrape home

Norway went into the game as heavy underdogs against the unbeaten Canadians and the Scandinavians so nearly defied the odds. Nash foiled the plan with a strong effort which proved to be enough to secure an unspectacular win.

Mads Hansen scored Norway's only goal on a short-handed breakaway against Columbus' Pascal Leclaire in the second period.

Mike Greens earlier strike was cancelled out by Hansen who made it 1-1 with just over 26 minutes to play, but Nash pounced late in the day as Canada hung on for the win.

In Quebec City, Sweden bounced back from a lacklustre loss to Switzerland with an 8-1 rout of Denmark on Thursday.

Sweden joy

Just 23 hours after its first loss of the tournament, Sweden took the ice with shuffled lines and coasted to victory in its first qualifying round game.

Team captain Kenny Jonsson, formerly of the New York Islanders, gave Sweden a 1-0 lead just 8:47 in. Calgary's Marcus Nilson scored his first of the tournament with a slap shot that made it 2-0.

After pushing the lead to 4-0 in the second period, Sweden broke the game open with four goals in the third. Former Minnesota and Islanders forward Mattias Weinhandl bagged a goal and three assists.

In the other game at Quebec City, the Czech Republic handed Switzerland its first loss of the tournament with an emphatic 5-0 win.