Patrick Kane, having already broken U.S. records for points and assists at a world championship, scored two more goals in a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic in Thursday’s quarterfinals in Denmark.
The U.S., whose only standalone world title came in 1933, gets Sweden in Saturday’s semifinals.
Kane, a two-time Olympian and captain of this team, leads the tournament with 19 points and 11 assists. His eight goals are two shy of the U.S. record at a single worlds held by Buzz Johnson from 1950.
The U.S., with all NHL players save one on its roster, reached the final four for the fourth time in six years. The Olympic team made up of non-NHL players lost to the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals in PyeongChang.
The other Saturday semifinal pits Canada, a 5-4 overtime winner over Russia on Thursday, against Switzerland, which upset Finland in the quarterfinals.
The Americans won their first six games for the first time at a standalone worlds (the Olympics doubled as the world championship in Olympic years as recently as 1968). They ended group play with their first loss, 6-2 to Finland, on Tuesday.
The U.S. is trying to earn its first world title since 1960, when the Olympics doubled as worlds, and third medal in six years. Kane headlines a roster that also includes NHL All-Stars Johnny Gaudreau, Dylan Larkin and Cam Atkinson.
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