Bern, Switzerland (My Sportsbook) - Jack Johnson tallied twice, including the game-winner late in the second period, as Team USA opened its 2009 World Championship slate with a 4-2 win over Latvia.

Drew Stafford and Patrick O'Sullivan also lit the lamp for the Americans, who extended their winning streak against the Baltic country in this tournament to six games. Team USA hits the ice next on Monday to play Austria.

Robert Esche stopped 18-of-20 shots for the win.

Herberts Vasiljevs and Martins Karsums scored for Latvia, which next faces Sweden on Monday.

Edgars Masalskis allowed four goals on 38 shots in defeat.

Karsums beat Esche with a quick wrister at the 6:39 mark of the second period and Latvia was ahead 2-1, but the Americans took control of the contest from there.

Less than five minutes later, Stafford scored from a bad angle to knot the game and Johnson followed up a Stafford rebound for his second of the contest with under four minutes left in the stanza.

O'Sullivan locked up the game with a little over six minutes played in the third, knocking home the carom from Ron Hainsey's point shot.

Vasiljevs converted a pass from Aleksandrs Nizivijs nine seconds into a power play and Latvia enjoyed a 1-0 lead 4:40 into the contest. Johnson had gone off for interference to set up the score.

The young defenseman atoned for his mistake with his first of the game at 11:15 and the score was tied after one period.

In earlier action, in Zurich, Pekka Rinne made 30 saves to lead Finland past Norway, 5-0, in the preliminary round opener for both nations.

The two late contests on Saturday were decisive wins. Sweden opened its tournament by ripping Austria, 7-1 in Bern, while Jaromir Jagr's goal and two assists plus 21 saves from Jakub Stepanek aided the Czech Republic in its 5-0 decision against Denmark in Zurich.