Canada (4) Kazakhstan (1)

Detroit Red Wings teammates Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman scored 32 seconds apart late in the second period as Canada defeated a pesky Kazakhstan team, 4-1, to move into the semifinals of the Olympic hockey tournament.

Canada will meet the Czech Republic and red-hot goaltender Dominik Hasek on Friday with a berth in the gold medal game on the line. The Czech Republic advanced earlier today with a 4-1 victory over the favored United States squad. Finland will play Russia in the other semifinal.

Joe Nieuwendyk and Shayne Corson scored on Canada's first two shots, opening a 2-0 lead just two minutes into the game, but Kazakhstan quickly scored a goal of its own and controlled play for much of the opening period.

"It took us a while to get going," Team Canada coach Marc Crawford said of his team's sluggishness after the opening assault. "We tried to go up the middle too much. I told the players to play patient, smart hockey and that's what they did."

Canada took over in the second period, outshooting Kazakhstan by a 16-3 margin and opening a three-goal cushion on the goal by Shanahan and Yzerman.

With 3:31 to play in the period, Wayne Gretzky slid a pass from the slot to Shanahan, who was camped near the crease and easily beat Kazakhstan goalie Vitali Yeremeyev to the stick side for his first goal of the tournament. Gretzky assisted on Yzerman's first goal, a quick shot from the slot which also beat Yeremeyev to the stick side.

"I had a lot of chances in the first and second games," said a relieved Shanahan, who is already sizing up Canada's semifinal opponent. "Now we have to solve Hasek. He's going to be tough, so we have to get pumped up against him. On the otherhand, we have to worry about our game."

Canada was an overwhelming favorite against Kazakhstan, one of two teams to advance from the preliminary round. The Kazakhs were outscored 25-6 in the three championship round games and appeared headed to another lop-sided loss was early in today's game.

Just 91 seconds in, Nieuwendyk walked in from the blue line and beat Yeremeyev between the legs. Less than a minute later, Eric Lindros set up Corson on a 2-on-1 break for Canada's second goal.

A fortunate bounce brought Kazakhstan back into the game. Konstantin Shafranov fired a shot which hit Canada defenseman Chris Pronger's stick and deflected off defenseman Adam Foote before beating goaltender Patrick Roy. Kazakhstan outshot Canada, 10-8, in the opening period, but managed just seven shots the rest of the way.

"We applied pressure but kept our good habits," said Crawford.