Canada remains unbeaten after 9-0 rout of Japan at women's hockey worlds

Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice and had an assist for Canada in a 9-0 win over Japan at the women's world hockey championship on Sunday.

Victoria Bach also had a three-point game for the defending champions with a goal and two assists in Herning, Denmark.

Emma Maltais, Ella Shelton, Blayre Turnbull, Jamie Lee Rattray, Sarah Fillier and Sarah Potomak each contributed a goal to Canada's third straight win to start the tournament.

In her first start, Emerance Maschmeyer didn't handle a shot until the final minute of the second period and repelled the five she did face.

Japan starter Akane Konishi stopped 28 of 32 shots before she was relieved by Riko Kawaguchi midway through the second period of the first game between the two countries in 22 years. Kawaguchi made 22 saves.

Canada caps the preliminary round Tuesday against the U.S., which is unbeaten after two games and meets the Swiss on Monday. The top four teams in each pool advance to Thursday's quarter-finals.

The semifinals are Saturday followed by Sunday's medal games in Herning, Denmark.

Japan finished a best-ever sixth in last year's world championship in Calgary and posted the same result in February's Winter Olympics in Beijing.

But almost half the roster turned over, which made for a young Japanese team in Denmark with 13 players aged 22 or younger.

The International Ice Hockey Federation's removal of Russia from tournaments because of that country's invasion of Ukraine shifted Japan into Pool A's top five seeds in Herning alongside Canada, the U.S., Finland and Switzerland.

Canada played its second game in less than 24 hours following a 4-1 win over the Swiss on Saturday.

But Japan took five minor penalties in the first period as it struggled to contain the