HALIFAX, Nova Scotia—Rick Nash scored a third-period powerplay goal to lift defending champions Canada to a 2-1 win over Norway at the ice hockey world championships on Thursday.
In contrast to Canada's struggles, Olympic champions Sweden got the second round off to a dream start by pounding Denmark 8-1.
Coming off an emotional victory over Germany 24 hours earlier, Norway were not expected to provide much resistance for Canada 's well-rested lineup of NHL all-stars playing in front of raucous home crowd.
But the gritty Norwegians, who do not have an NHL player in their lineup, dug deep into their reserves, throwing a scare into the hosts before Nash came to the rescue to earn Canada their 13th consecutive world championship win.
Nash, the MVP at last year's world championships, ended the drama with just under four minutes to play when he took a pass in his own end, raced into the Norway zone then sliced across the goal crease, lifting the puck over Pal Grotnes.
"I don't think we expected it to be that close but it was a good team-building win for us," Nash told reporters. "They've had some upsets already in this tournament and we knew what we were in for."
Canada's players did not have to look too far back to be reminded of what the Norwegians are capable of. They were upset 4-3 at the 2000 championships in what remains the Scandinavian country's biggest hockey victory.
"You could kind of feel the tension," said Norway captain Tomy Jakobsen, a member of the 2000 team. "It's too bad it ended like this, we didn't get a point.
"In 2000 we beat them 4-3, we were hoping again but it didn't work out that way."
Canada dominated play from the opening face-off out-shooting Norway 53-16 but were continually frustrated by Grotnes's sparkling play in net.
Mike Green gave Canada a 1-0 lead with a first-period powerplay goal but Norway hit back in the second with a shorthanded effort from Mats Hansen sending a shudder through the Metro Centre Arena.
Norway had their chances to put away the defending champions in the third. Canada ran into penalty trouble playing nearly eight minutes shorthanded but could not convert any of three two-man advantages.
In Quebec City, New York Rangers all-star netminder Henrik Lundqvist made his first appearance in the Sweden goal, anchoring the Tre Kronor to a lopsided win.
Tony Martensson paced the Swedes with a pair of goals while Kenny Jonsson, Marcus Nilson, Fredrik Warg, Rickard Wallin, Mattias Weinhandl and Karl Fabricius each tallied once.
