Olympics-Ice hockey-Czech Republic down Denmark to set up Canada meeting in quarters

By Amy Tennery

MILAN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic outlasted Denmark 3-2 in the men's ice hockey qualification play-off on Tuesday, setting up the unenviable task of playing hot favourites Canada in the quarter-finals.

Forward Martin Necas drew first blood in the second period and assisted on a goal from David Kampf less than five minutes later, while the captain Roman Cervenka capped the scoring for the Czech team with what proved to be the game-winner.

A sleepy, scoreless first period gave way to electrifying play after the intermission, as the Colorado Avalanche's prolific scorer Necas lit the fuse with a mighty slap shot on a power play.

Alexander True completed a give-and-go with Joachim Blichfeld to level it, but the Czech Republic retaliated quickly, scoring twice 69 seconds apart, when Kampf redirected a shot from Jan Rutta into the net and Cervenka beat the Danish goalie on a breakaway.

A power play opportunity gave Denmark a chance to trim the lead and Nick Olesen pounced with less than three minutes to go in the period, flicking the puck around the Czech goalie Lukas Dostal's left skate.

But frantic last-minute attempts to get the upper hand went unrewarded against a smothering Czech defence that kept up the fight as Denmark pulled their goalie to free up another skater with two minutes left on the clock.