<p>RIGA, Latvia — Kevin Labanc and Conor Garland scored two goals apiece and the United States won its sixth straight game with a 4-2 victory over Italy in its final preliminary game at the world hockey championship on Tuesday.</p>
<p>With the victory, the U.S. clinched first in Group B and will play Slovakia in the single-elimination quarterfinals, which start Thursday.</p>
<p>“Seventeen days ago, we came together some of us not knowing each other, and to now be sitting here in first place, we’re a proud group,” coach Jack Capuano said.</p>
<p>Jake Oettinger made nine saves in winning for the third time in the tournament. Brian Boyle took over as captain with Justin Abdelkader sidelined with an injury.</p>
<p>Italy lost all seven games in the tournament. Italian goaltender Davide Fadani made 39 saves.</p>
<p>Finland, Germany and Canada also advanced in Group B. Russia, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia advanced to the quarterfinals in Group A.</p>
<p>The Canadians had to sweat out the final hours of the preliminary round after dropping a 3-2 shootout decision to Finland earlier Tuesday. They moved on after Germany edged host Latvia 2-1.</p>
<p>Canada, which had never missed the playoffs at the world championship or Olympics, will face Group A winner Russia in the quarterfinals. The other quarterfinals on Thursday will have Finland face the Czechs and Switzerland taking on Germany.</p>
<p>The semifinals will be played on Saturday and gold and bronze medal games on Sunday.</p>
<p>Canada was within four minutes of advancing outright to the quarterfinals, but Arttu Ruotsalainen scored his second goal of the game to force extra time.</p>
<p>Ruotsalainen also had the winner in the shootout. Finnish goaltender Jussi Olkinuora had 32 saves in regulation and two more in the shootout, stopping Connor Brown on the final attempt.</p>
<p>Brandon Pirri and Maxime Comtois scored for Canada. Darcy Kuemper had 29 saves.</p>
<p>All Canada needed to reach the quarterfinals after that was to have either Germany or Latvia win in regulation. </p>
<p>The Germans got goals from John Peterka and Marcel Noebels in the opening 6:40 and 23 saves from Mathias Niederberger in prevailing. Rodrigo Abols scored for Latvia.</p>
<p>Russia captured Group A with a 6-0 win over Belarus. Nikita Nesterov ignited and capped a five-goal first period with tallies. </p>
<p>Christoph Bertschy scored twice in a four-goal second-period outburst that carried Switzerland to a 6-3 win over Great Britain. Tristan Scherwey had three assists for the Swiss.</p>
<p>Filip Zadina, Michael Spacek, Libor Sulak, Matej Stransky, and Libor Hajek each had a goal and an assist as the Czech beat Slovakia 7-3 to secure third place.</p>
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