Canadian women 3-0 at hockey worlds

Canada geared up for Friday's much-anticipated matchup against the United States with an 8-0 trouncing of host Finland in playoff action at the women's world hockey championship on Wednesday.

Jennifer Botterill led a balanced attack with two goals and an assist, while Gina Kingsbury, Sarah Vaillancourt, Meghan Agosta, Jayna Hefford, Hayley Wickenheiser and Marie-Philip Poulin added singles.

Poulin and Montreal's Caroline Ouellette also set up goals for Canada, which improved its record to 44-0-1 versus Finland all-time and 3-0 at this year's tournament in Hameenlinna.

Ouellette's assist was her 150th career point in her 138th game for Canada.

Kim St. Pierre kicked aside 15 shots to earn her second straight shutout and 11th of her career.

The Canadians and Americans will face off at noon ET a day after the U.S. tangles with the Finns.

The two countries with the best records in the three-team playoff round advance to Sunday's championship at noon ET. If all three teams are tied 1-1, goal differential between would be the tiebreaker.

Wednesday's score would have been more lopsided if not for the work of Finland goaltender Noora Raty, who stopped 37 of 43 shots before she was replaced by hometown goalie Maija Hassinen in the third period.

Coach Hannu Saintula pulled Raty, the top goaltender at last year's world championship, after Canada's sixth goal to rest her for Thursday's game versus the U.S.

The Canadians were effective cycling the puck low in the home team's zone and scored their first two goals from the slot. Even when the Finns were on the power play, they couldn't distribute the puck as quickly down low.

In other games Wednesday, Sweden thumped Kazakhstan 9-0 in the round of pool runners-up while Switzerland edged China 5-4 in a shootout in the relegation round.

Wickenheiser's two points puts her first all-time in Canadian scoring at the world championships with 69. She passed Danielle Goyette, who has 68.