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Ziegler celebrates

Switzerland usurped Sweden at the top of Group A at the World Championships in Quebec City after scoring a 4-2 victory over their Scandinavian rivals.

The Swiss took the lead after just 48 seconds courtesy of a Thierry Paterlini strike and were never headed thereafter.

Andres Ambuhl, Thibaut Monnet and Thomas Ziegler also netted for the Swiss while Fredrik Warg and Patric Hornqvist replied for Sweden.

The Swedes, however, can look forward to the arrival of their gold medal-winning goaltender Henrik Lundqvist after his NHL side New York Rangers were knocked out of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"Today is a big day for Swiss hockey," coach Ralph Krueger told reporters. "Things went the way we wanted.

"I think we were better in front of the nets, just as we wanted to be."

Dominance

Finland maintained their dominance of Group C with a 3-2 victory over a Slovakia side that is still to confirm its place in the second phase.

The teams traded goals in the opening frame, Niko Kapanen and Tuomo Ruutu finding the net for Finland and Robert Petrovicky and Miroslav Kovacik replying for Slovakia.

Teemu Selanne gave the Finns the go-ahead goal in the second period but it was the goal-tending of Niklas Backstrom that was key to the win as the Slovaks outshot their rivals 14-0 in the final period, without finding a way through.