Eric Staal hurt as Canada eliminated at hockey worlds

The quarter-final of the IIHF World Championship has become a hurdle Canada just can't get over.

Canada was eliminated from medal contention in the round of eight for a fourth straight year. It was a 3-2 shootout quarter-final loss to host Sweden that knocked Canada out this time.

The team last advanced to the semifinals in 2009 en route to a silver medal. Current head coach Lindy Ruff was behind Canada's bench that year too. Canada last won a world title in 2007.

For all the skill, experience and firepower this Canadian team had at forward, shootouts were not its forte in Stockholm. 

Thursday's loss in extra shots was Canada's second of the tournament following a 3-2 shootout loss to Switzerland in the preliminary round.

'It's the worst feeling obviously. Every time we put the Canada sweater on you are expected to win. This is tough to take.' — Canada goaltender Mike Smith

Fredrik Pettersson scored the winner in the fourth round and Canada's Jordan Eberle was stopped by Jhonas Enroth as the Swedes moved onto a semifinal meeting Saturday with archrival Finland. The United States and Switzerland meet in the other semifinal.

Canada lost captain Eric Staal to a knee-on-knee collision with Edler in Sweden's zone at 15:52 of the first period. The Carolina Hurricanes forward went down writhing in pain and clutching his right knee. He needed assistance off the ice and did not return.

Edler was served a major and a game misconduct and threw his stick like a harpoon when he left the ice.

Ruff said he didn't have an update on Staal's status, but te captain walked to the team bus on crutches and with a brace on his knee.

Shootouts hurt Canada

In the two shootouts combined, Canada scored twice on 12 chances. Eberle and Matt Duchene were both 1-for-4. Claude Giroux was a combined 0-for-2. Steve Stamkos and Matt Read were also stopped on their single attempts.

"When you look at the numbers of some of our shooters, how good the numbers are, that's the one thing we let slip away," Ruff said.

"Shootouts are strange. You want curse at shootouts sometimes and then you want to second-guess the personnel you use when you don't score and you're happy when you do score.

"You would think you'd be able to put it away, but it's a split second. You've got a chance to be a hero or you end up being a bum."

Mike Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes suffered both shootout losses in addition to earning wins of 3-0 and 2-1 over Sweden and the Czech Republic respectively in the round-robin.

"It's the worst feeling obviously," Smith said. "Every time we put the Canada sweater on you are expected to win. This is tough to take."

Stamkos and Giroux scored for Canada on Thursday. Smith, who played in his first world championship for Canada, made 30 saves in regulation and overtime.

Enroth of the Buffalo Sabres stopped 39 before the shootout. Jacob Markstrom made a pair of saves when Enroth left the game briefly in overtime. Swedish coach Par Marts said it was because Enroth needed hydration.

Short preparation

Canada has three practices as a team before playing seven games in 10 days in the round robin. The NHL's lockout-shortened season ended three weeks later than usual, so there was no time for a proper training camp or exhibition games.

Despite their lack of prep, the team won six games, lost two in a shootout and finished second in their pool to the Swiss. Eberle has now been on Canadian teams that have lost those four quarter-finals in a row and Duchene has experienced it three times.

"It doesn't get any easier," Duchene said. "Third time losing for me losing in this game and the fourth time for a couple of other guys. It hurts.

"I can't believe we lost. I thought we had the team to do it this year. It just shows you one game, anyone can win. We don't like that penalty shot rule, that's for sure. It sucks we couldn't keep playing overtime."

Despite heaping the pressure on Canada for the quarter-final by declaring themselves the underdog, Sweden had its swagger by the end of the preliminary round because of the arrival of forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin and defenceman Alex Edler from the Vancouver Canucks.

Canada added defenceman P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens and Dan Hamhuis also from the Canucks after the tournament started.

Trailing 1-0 in the third, both Sedins assisted on a pair of power-play goals by Nicklas Danielsson, although Giroux pulled Canada even.

Canada's penalty kill was the best in the tournament until Thursday, but Danielsson scored both of his through traffic.

Stamkos scored a power-play goal early in the second period, but was stopped on a breakaway by Enroth later in the period.

That, special teams and the loss of Staal, who was the only player on the roster from the 2010 Olympic team, hurt Canada's chances of pulling out a win in regulation.

"It had some impact because there was a lot of shuffling going on," Ruff said of Staal's absence. "Still we had our opportunities. One of the turning points was we built a 1-0 lead and if Steve scores on the breakaway, it might have given us a little bit of cushion. We didn't. We let them hang around."

Canada appeared to go up 2-0 at the end of the second period on a last-second shot from Subban, but referees determined via video review that time expired before the puck crossed the goal-line.

"That's why we have the instant replay. It wasn't a goal obviously I guess," Subban said. "I thought we did enough things to win this game today. I think what it comes down to is we had opportunities early in the game to put them away. We didn't capitalize."