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Russia downs Canada in Olympic hockey

TURIN, Italy, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- A goal by Alexander Ovechkin early in the final period finally broke the ice Wednesday night as Russia downed Canada in the Olympic hockey quarterfinals, 2-0.

Having entered these Games as the defending champion, Canada underachieved amid the distractions involving a National Hockey League betting scandal that has touched Canadian Olympic general manager and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

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Both Finland and Switzerland shut out Canada in the preliminary round and the Canadians could not manage a goal Wednesday night against Evgeni Nabokov.

Russia will play unbeaten Finland in the semifinals Friday.

The game was scoreless until the budding superstar Ovechkin produced a power-play goal 90 seconds into the third period.

It stayed 1-0 until the game's final 30 seconds, when Russia added a goal by Alexei Kovalev on a power play.

Canada pulled goaltender Martin Brodeur with 1:01 to play, but Chris Pronger was called for holding with 33 seconds left. Brodeur returned to the ice and Nabokov scored 10 seconds later to clinch it.

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