Slovakia are top on goal difference at the moment, after beating Japan 3-0 today for a second shutout at the P09 Eissporthalle.

The first of these goals came at the end of the first period through Martin Joppa, but the second period was uneventful.

Another goal went their way near the end of the third after Milos Vecerek made it two - and Joppa got his second to finish the scoring.

Joining them on six points is Italy, who survived a late scare to beat Sweden 5-4.

The Swedes took the lead in the first through Niklas Ingvarsson, but Italy quickly equalised through Gianluigi Rosa.

It was the second period that won the game for the Italians - first Nils Larch put them in front and less than a minute later, Alessandro Andreoni netted another.

Another quickfire double came 10 minutes later thanks to Stephan Kaffman and Rosa, who got his second.

Rasmus Lundgren kept Sweden in with a shot with a very late goal in the second to make it 5-2.

Unfortunately, goals from Maximilian Dickson Gyllsten and a second from Lundgren was not enough to get an equaliser.

The hosts Germany ended the day with an emphatic 6-2 win over Norway.

Jörg Wedde and Felix Schrader scored in the first, but goals from Loyd Remi Solberg and Ola Oiseth brought the game back level in the second period.

Before 30 minutes were up, Bernhard Hering nudged the Germans back in front.

Schrader turned a tight affair into a third period rout by scoring three more goals to end with a tally of four.

On one win each are Norway and Germany, while Sweden and Japan are still seeking their first.