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World Junior 2015: Team Canada defeats Denmark, gets semifinal vs. Slovakia

Canada's Connor McDavid scores on Denmark goalie Georg Sorensen during second period quarter-final action at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Toronto on Friday January 2, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Canada's Connor McDavid scores on Denmark goalie Georg Sorensen during second period quarter-final action at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Toronto on Friday January 2, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO — Canada lost winger Robby Fabbri to injury on Friday while defeating Denmark 8-0 to reach the world junior championship semifinal.

The 18-year-old Fabbri did not return after getting his right leg twisted after checking Denmark defenceman Anders Krogsgaard along the boards to the right of the Danish goal early in the first period. The TSN commentator Bob McKenzie tweeted that Fabbri could miss Canada's remaining two games.

The injury put a slight damper on the win for Canada, which otherwise cruised to a win and set up a Sunday evening semifinal against Slovakia at Air Canada Centre. Canada got two goals and an assist from captain Curtis Lazar and a one-goal, two-assist effort from top NHL draft prospect Connor McDavid. McDavid set up Lazar for the icebreaker 10:37 into the game. The 17-year-old centre raced down the left wing side and circled the net before passing out to  Lazar, who one-timed a shot by Denmark goalie George Sorensen.

Top-line centre Sam Reinhart went upstairs on the 5-foot-8 Sorensen at 15:17 for his team-leading ninth point, staking Canada to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Canada scored three times in just more than 5½ minutes in the second to put the game out of reach. Fourth-line left wing Lawson Crouse, the squad's youngest player, got his first world junior goal after toe-dragging a defender and snapping a shot by Sorensen. McDavid scored his second of the tourney, before Lazar tallied on a breakaway.

Goalie Zach Fucale faced only 14 shots to record his second shutout of the tournament.

In the absence of Fabbri, a third-line wing who also plays on the power play, Team Canada coach Benoît Groulx shifted 13th forward Brayden Point on to Lazar and McDavid's line. Vancouver Canucks prospect Jake Virtanen moved from McDavid's line to take Fabbri's wing alongside Nick Paul and Nick Petan.

Paul, Point and Nick Ritchie each scored during the third period.

Sorensen, who was instrumental in Denmark reaching the quarter-final for the first time, was removed with 13:14 left after stopping 32-of-39 shots. The 19-year-old goalie received a warm ovation from the Toronto crowd when the goalie change was announced.

Slovakia lost 8-0 to Canada on the first day of the tournament. The other semifinal on Sunday pits Sweden against Russia. The Russians have eliminated Canada for four consecutive years, including the 2011 final, 2012 semifinal and '13 and '14 bronze-medal games.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.