Rick Nash scored the winning goal midway through the third period Wednesday to give Canada a 5-4 win over Slovakia at the men's world hockey championship in Russia.
 
With team captain Shane Doan screening Slovakian netminder Jaroslav Halak, Nash deflected Cory Murphy's shot in the net at 9:02 of the third in the final preliminary-round game in Mytischi.

Canada (3-0) will play its first game of the qualifying round Friday against Belarus (1-2).
 
Murphy, Jamal Mayers, Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis also scored for Canada.

Canada's Jay McClement congratulates goaltender Dwayne Roloson after the team's 5-4 win on Wednesday.
(Dmitry Lovetsky/Associated Press)

Doan, whose selection as team captain has been criticized in Ottawa by some politicians, did not register a point but also screened Halak on Murphy's goal, Canada's first of the game.

Teenager Jonathan Toews had three assists for Canada. Toews, 18, plays at the University of North Dakota.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson made a critical save in the dying seconds to preserve the win.

Slovakia (2-1) rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits during the game. Milan Jurcina, Marian Hossa, Marek Uram and Miroslav Satan scored for the Slovaks, with Marian Gaborik two assists.

Jurcina, a defenceman with the Washington Capitals, opened the scoring just over two minutes into the game with a shot from the point on the power play.
 
Defenceman Murphy tied it over one minute later with Canada enjoying a man advantage.
 
Murphy has played in Finland in recent years, but is expected to make a bid for a roster spot with the Florida Panthers in September.

The teams combined for five goals in an exciting second period.

Just 25 seconds into the frame, Jason Chimera skated behind the Slovakian net and fed Mayers in the slot to put Canada ahead.

Midway through the period, Toews and Brewer exchanged passes on the power play, with the St. Louis Blues defenceman finishing the play for a 3-1 lead.

Not long after, Brewer coughed the puck up in his own end, with Hossa stealing it and deking Roloson with a backhander.

Hamhuis restored the two-goal advantage at 15:09, pinching in from the blue-line to convert a rebound from Nash's first shot.

Uram closed the gap with a breakaway goal late in the second, and Satan got the equalizer just over three minutes into the third. Roloson lost the puck behind his net and couldn't get back in time to reach Satan's shot.

Nash would notch the winner midway through the period, Canada's sixth power-play goal in their last two games.

Dion Phaneuf notched an assist in his first game with the team. The Calgary Flames defenceman was summoned after Shea Weber incurred a three-game suspension for checking a German player in the head.

House committee to hear about Doan selection

Hockey Canada oversees the team and receives federal funding. Senior director Brad Pascall will appear before the House of Commons committee of official languages on Thursday to explain Doan's selection.

It was alleged the Phoenix Coyote player used a francophone slur in a 2005 NHL game, but an investigation by the league cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Colin Campbell, the NHL's executive vice-president and director of hockey operations, told the Canadian Press Wednesday that Canadian fans should be embarrassed by the political flap.

With files from the Canadian Press