Japan routed Romania 7-0 to set up a winner-takes-all contest against Ukraine ©IIHF/Yuuri Tanimoto

Japan will face Ukraine for the right to compete in the final stage of Olympic ice hockey qualification after both sides made it back-to-back preliminary round victories in Sapporo.

Group J hosts Japan routed Romania 7-0 in Sapporo, following Ukraine’s emphatic 6-0 win against Croatia.

The two sides are due to go head-to-head tomorrow with the winners earning a spot in one of three final qualifying groups for Pyeongchang 2018.

Japan opened up a tight game with five goals in the second period as Shuhei Kuji, Yushiroh Hirano, Hiroki Ueno, Masahito Nishiwaki and Daisuke Obara all found the net.

Kuji added a second goal in the third period before Takuro Yamashita rounded off the scoring in the closing minutes.

"I felt the team played a very good hockey game tonight," said Japan coach Greg Thomson.

"We didn't score any goals in the first period, but we stuck to our game plan and they came in the second."

Goals from Artem Gnidenko, Olexander Pobyedonostsev and Yuri Petrangovsky put Ukraine into a commanding 3-0 lead against Croatia after the first period.

Georgi Kicha’s first international goal made it 4-0 in the second period and the scoring was completed by Roman Blagy and Artem Bondaryev in the final frame.

"We scored the first goal quickly and that really helped us," said Ukraine coach Olexander Savytsky.

"We kept up the pressure after that."

Prior to Ukraine’s showdown with Japan, Romania are due to play Croatia in a battle for third place.

Great Britain claimed a 6-2 win over Serbia in Group G
Great Britain claimed a 6-2 win over Serbia in Group G ©IIHF/Stefano Darin

There will also be a winner-takes-all encounter in Cortina d'Ampezzo tomorrow, after Group G hosts Italy beat The Netherlands 4-2 and Great Britain overcame Serbia 6-2 to make it two wins out of two for both countries.

Serbia will face The Netherlands in a fight to avoid finishing last before the crucial contest.

One other four-team tournament is currently taking place in Budapest with action in Group H due to conclude tomorrow.

Home country Hungary will meet with Poland for top spot following a clash between the two eliminated sides, Estonia and Lithuania.

All 12 teams involved are two steps away from the Olympics - with the winners of all three round-robins going through to one of three final qualifying groups for Pyeongchang 2018.

The three winners of those events will progress to the Games in South Korea - joining the hosts and already qualified nations Finland, Sweden, Canada, Russia, the United States, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Slovakia.