Team Canada hits reset button for quarter-final after loss to U.S.

HERNING — With Canada's bid to defend its women's world hockey title a work in progress, players and coaches got down to the work of making progress Wednesday ahead of their quarterfinal against Sweden.

A 5-2 loss the previous night to archrival United States to cap the world championship's preliminary round exposed cracks in the armour of the reigning world and Olympic women's hockey champions.

Generating more offence below the faceoff circles, stouter defence of that same area in their own end, setting up to win puck races and more efficient power-play puck movement were among Canada's practice drills at Kvik Hockey Arena, which presents its own wrinkle for players to iron out.

"I think we had a really good bounce-back practice today," defender Renata Fast said. "The energy was high. You could tell the girls were dialled in on the small details that we know we needed to improve.

'I don't think we're letting the result of a preliminary game affect what the future holds. We're ready to look forward to that quarterfinal game and continue to grow."

Canada, which finished second in Pool A behind the U.S. at three wins and a loss, crosses over to face Pool B No. 2 Sweden in Thursday's quarterfinal.

The U.S. meets No. 3 Hungary, Finland takes on Czechia, which went undefeated in Pool B, and the Swiss and Japan square off in a meeting of the fourth and fifth Pool A seeds in the other quarterfinals.

Saturday's semifinals are followed by Sunday's medal games.

Canada blanked the Swedes 11-0 in their Olympic quarterfinal in February, but Thursday's game will be their first world championship meeting since 2009.

The International Ice Hockey Federation has barred Russia from competing in tournaments because of that country's