Canada was looking for payback.

The national team got it, and then some, in a dominant wire-to-wire performance Saturday at the world junior hockey championship.

The Canadians scored three times before their semifinal with Finland was four minutes old in cruising to a 5-0 victory that sets up a mouth-watering gold-medal showdown with Russia on Sunday.

Alexis Lafreniere scored twice, while Connor McMichael, with a goal and an assist, Jamie Drysdale and Ty Dellandrea provided the rest of the offence.

Joel Hofer picked up his fourth straight win and first international shutout. Barrett Hayton, who was hurt in the third period, and Aidan Dudas chipped in with two assists for Canada, which lost in last year’s quarterfinals to the Finns on home soil.

Justus Annunen, who entered with a tournament-best .936 save percentage after blanking the United States 1-0 in the quarters, took the loss for shell-shocked Finland.

Russia, which embarrassed Canada 6-0 in the preliminary round, beat Sweden 5-4 in overtime to take the other semifinal. Finland will meet its Scandinavian rival Sunday for bronze.

Canada beat Russia in the 2015 gold-medal game in Toronto.

(CP)