Canada gets by Switzerland to punch ticket to semis

Switzerland gave Canada everything it had, but it wasn't enough to pull off a mammoth upset.

The Canadians beat the Swiss 6-3 in the quarterfinal of the world juniors on Wednesday, punching their ticket to the semis. They'll play Czechia on Friday with a shot at advancing to the gold-medal game.

Canada's quarterfinal victory wasn't free of stress, though.

Each time Canada seemed to pull away, Switzerland would immediately answer to stay in the game. When Canada went ahead 1-0 early, the Swiss tied it up. When Canada went up 4-1, Switzerland scored to cut the lead in half. When Canada stretched the lead to 5-2, Switzerland answered to keep it a two-goal game. The Swiss didn't go away, but Canada was able to lock it down in the third period and add the empty-netter to secure the victory.

Forwards Logan Stankoven and Tyson Foerster were standout offensive performers for Canada, recording three points apiece. Defenseman Ronan Seeley also churned in a two-point effort.

Goaltender Dylan Garand didn't have his best showing, but he got the job done, stopping 22 of the 25 shots he faced.

Ottawa Senators prospect Ridly Greig left the game due to an undisclosed injury. He appeared to be favoring his left shoulder after taking a hit from Switzerland's Vincent Despont in the first period. Greig has played a key role for Canada as the team's shutdown center.

The Canadians remain a perfect 5-0-0 in the tournament.