World Cup of Hockey 2016 Results: Russia vs. Canada Score and Reaction

Canada posted a perfect record in group play at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and it kept the streak alive with a dominant 5-3 win over Russia in the tournament's first semifinal at Toronto's Air Canada Centre on Saturday.

Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand proved to be a dynamic one-two punch all night long, finishing with three and two points, respectively, while accounting for the team's first three goals on a night when Canada outshot Russia 47-34.

Russia couldn't match that level of scoring potency, but it was buoyed for stretches by a resilient effort from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who notched 42 saves.

Canada entered Saturday's semifinal as a heavy favorite, and it wasn't hard to see why in the early going.

Although Russia attempted to intimidate the opposition by imposing its will on the boards, Canada responded with speedy moves through the neutral zone that allowed it to establish an early edge.

Not only did Canada outshoot Russia 6-3 over the first 10 minutes of the period, but it also controlled the faceoff circle and ultimately nabbed the game's first tally when Crosby created a turnover in front of the Russian net and beat Bobrovsky with a filthy backhand 7:40 into the contest.

The tournament's official Twitter account provided a unique look at the game's opening goal:

NHL.com's Arpon Basu noted Crosby was likely the last player Russia wanted to give the puck to in that situation:

Though Canada entered the second period with a 1-0 lead, it could have been more.

The Group A winners totaled 17 shots on goal over the game's first 20 minutes, and Bobrovsky made a slew of stellar saves to keep Russia within striking distance, as the Toronto Star's Bruce Arthur noted:

As ESPN.com's Scott Burnside explained, Canada's offensive onslaught continued at the start of the second period:

Though Canada continued to dictate the tempo as its shot advantage ballooned, Russia found the back of the net and knotted the score when Nikita Kucherov capitalized on a two-on-one break.

With a goal in hand, Russia's intensity increased exponentially as Canada continued to pepper Bobrovsky with shots that he turned aside.

With the Columbus Blue Jackets netminder locked in thanks to some outrageous post-to-post stops, Russia's Evgeny Kuznetsov rattled home a go-ahead tally to take a 2-1 lead.

That lead proved fleeting, though.

A minute after Kuznetsov thrust the Russians into the lead, Marchand slotted home Canada's second goal of the game thanks to a slick feed from Crosby.

When the game was on the line, Canada turned to that same line to seal the deal.

Crosby, Patrice Bergeron and Marchand pressured the Russian defense throughout the night, and the Boston Bruins star put Canada up 3-2 a minute into the third period off another assist from Crosby.

Canada was also aided by tremendous coverage of Alex Ovechkin, whom the team held to a single shot on goal. Thanks to that determined defense, Canada was able to neutralize Russia's offense and move into the offensive zone to take a 4-2 lead on the back of Corey Perry, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen:

John Tavares added a fifth Canadian goal for good measure following a smooth toe drag, and at that point, head coach Mike Babcock's side was able to rest easy.

Now 4-0 in the tournament, Canada will head to the World Cup final with a boatload of confidence and more scoring savvy than either of its potential foes.

Canada will await the winner of Sunday's game between Sweden and Team Europe. Once the final showdown is set, Canada will square off against its final World Cup counterpart in a best-of-three series to determine which team owns global superiority.

Postgame Reaction

"Any time you play in a game of that magnitude and win it's an incredible feeling," Marchand said, according to the Canadian Press (via CBC). 

Marchand also took time to compliment Crosby following a sensational outing. 

“One of the things that makes him such a great player is his determination,” he said, per the National Post's Mike Zeisberger. "He always makes big plays in big games. And when you see plays like that, that’s where the leadership comes in."

"I thought we were dominating territorially, had the puck all the time,” Babcock said, per Arthur. "Basically I said, we’re playing real well, here’s a couple things to consider, just keep doing what we’re doing. There’s no chance they can keep up if we’re doing what we’re doing. And that proved to be true."