After winning their opening matches in the top group, both teams knew victories would ensure their progression to the last four.

Canada showed no mercy to the Czech Republic, who had been beaten 6-0 by the US yesterday, as they ruthlessly scored 11 goals without reply to cruise to victory in front of their home fans in the Meridian Centre.

Kristin O’Neill, Amy Potomak and Lindsay Agnew found the net on two occasions as the Canadians look to win their fourth title in five editions.

The 2015 tournament, though, saw the Canadians come up short against the US in the final and the defending champions look in fine form, as they recorded their second successive 6-0 victory.

Their Russian opponents withstood their challenge in the first period of the match, which ended goalless, but four strikes in a blistering 12-minute spell saw the Americans take full command.

Alex Woken and Rebecca Gilmore added further gloss to the final scoreline with goals in the final period seeing both players end with a brace.

The group will be completed on Monday (January 11) following a rest day tomorrow, when Canada and the United States meet to decide the winners.

The Czech Republic and Russia will meet and will also advance to the knock-out stage - with the bottom two teams in the top group handed another chance with quarter final clashes.

In the second group, the top two countries will advance to the quarter finals and Sweden look best placed to join Russia and the Czechs as they recorded their second victory of the tournament by brushing aside a French outfit, who had endured a humiliating 11-1 opening day loss to Finland.

While the French produced an improved display they were unable to prevent Sweden from running out as 7-0 winners to sit top of the standings.

Finland could not reproduce the kind of performance which saw them thrash France as they went down 2-0 to Switzerland.

The victory sees the Swiss occupy second place in the standings, due to their better head-to-head record, and with France to come they also appear on course for the quarter-finals.

Finland will meet Sweden on the final day with the bottom two countries in the group facing a relegation play-off.