ESPOO, Finland -- Natalie Spooner scored a hat trick for Canada in a costly 5-1 win over Russia at the women's world hockey championship Monday.
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin reinjured her left knee late in the first period. She limped to the dressing room and did not return to the bench.
Spooner posted a four-point night also assisting on a Blayre Turnbull goal. Rebecca Johnston also scored for the Canadians, who pulled even with Finland at 2-1 in Group A.
Defending champion United States was assured first place in the pool at 3-0.
Canadian goalie Genevieve Lacasse made seven saves for the win in her first start of the tournament.
Canada scored five unanswered goals over two periods and held the Russians to zero shots in the second.
Russian defender Liana Ganeyeva scored a power-play goal early in the third period.
Starting goalie Anna Prugova was replaced by Nadezhda Morozova after Turnbull's goal at 6:22 of the second period.
Poulin injured her knee Feb. 24 playing for Les Canadiennes de Montreal in the final game of the Canadian Women's Hockey League regular season.
After dressing and participating in warmup for two games at the world championship, Poulin was on the ice for Canada's first shift Monday.
But her left knee buckled going into the boards with Olga Sosina late in the period. She went to the bench in pain.
Canada faces the host Finns on Tuesday in a game determining second place in the group.
Finland downed Switzerland 6-2 earlier to hold the Swiss winless in four games in Group A.
The Americans conclude their preliminary round Tuesday against Russia (1-2).
The top five countries in the IIHF's women's world rankings comprise Group A, while six to 10 make up Group B.
All Group A countries and the top three from Group B will play in Thursday's quarterfinals. Saturday's semifinals are followed by Sunday's medal games.
The Czech Republic topped Group B at 3-0 following a 3-1 victory over Japan.
Germany was second with six points ahead of Sweden with four and Japan with three points.
France earned its first win of the tournament, edging Germany 3-2 in overtime to get to two points.
Anna Shokhina returned to Russia's lineup after serving a two-game suspension for a kicking infraction at the buzzer of last year's Olympic bronze-medal game in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Captain Anna Shibanova was barred from last year's Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee because of a doping rules violation.
Ganeyeva threaded a shot through traffic at 1:01 of the third period to beat Lacasse with Russia's fourth shot of the game.
Spooner scored her second and third goals on wraparounds in the second period, giving Canada a 5-0 lead. Turnbull, in the slot, tipped a Spooner feed by Prugova at 6:22 to make it 3-0.
Canada led 2-0 after Johnston's first goal of the tournament. She skated out from behind the net, spun on her forehand and beat the Russian goalie short side at 4:22 of the second period
Spooner tipped Brigette Lacquette's shot from the point upstairs on Prugova at 13:43 of the first.
