Sweden to play for gold at 2024 world juniors after beating Czechia
Sweden will look to win gold at the World Junior Championship for the first time since 2012 after beating Czechia 5-2 on Thursday in semifinal action.
It’s Sweden’s first trip to the gold medal game since 2018, and just the fourth time since their last championship. It’s a step up from 2022, when the Swedes beat Czechia for bronze in Edmonton. Czechia, meanwhile, will seek a medal for the second straight year after taking silver last year in Halifax.
The gold medal game is set for 1:30 PM ET, while the bronze medal game will begin a little after 9:00 AM ET.
The Czechs knew they needed to score early to take the crowd out of the game, and that’s exactly what they did. At 6:55, Matyas Melovsky’s shot got underneath Hugo Havelid’s pad and in to make it 1-0. But at 11:52, a long shot by Theo Lindstein hit off Michael Hrabal’s glove and in, knotting the game up at one apiece.
Hrabal’s glove hand cost him another goal early in the second. This time, Axel Sandin Pellikka’s shot went top corner without any interference, with Hrabal being slow to react. Fortunately for the Czechs, a power-play goal by Tomas Cibulka at 27:36 made it a 2-2 game, giving the Czechs a chance to relax after surrendering an early lead.
The game was tight early in the third, but the Swedes took the lead at 3-2 on the power play. This time, Sandin Pellikka set up Jonathan Lekkerimaki for the blast from the point, giving the Swedes their third advantage of the contest.
From there, everything fell apart for the Swedes. At 52:00, Theo Lindstein sent Noah Ostlund on a breakaway, and the Sabres prospect made no mistake on the backhand deke. Then, at 53:02, Ostlund found Lekkerimaki in front for his second of the game, closing out the game with a three-goal Swedish lead.
Sweden
#23 Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW (Vancouver Canucks): Between drawing penalties and getting shots on target on a consistent pace, Lekkerimaki had another solid game. The Canucks prospect leads all players in shot attempts in the tournament, and he’s not afraid to shoot from anywhere. That’s what helped him score the 3-2 goal, putting the Czechs on their heels late in the contest. He then scored again to make it 5-2, just to really push the game out of hand. Lekkerimaki now shares the tournament lead in goals with USA’s Gavin Brindley with six through six games.
#4 Axel Sandin Pellikka, D (Detroit Red Wings): Sandin Pellikka has been one of the best players in the tournament, no question. The way he controls the play with the puck, and can slow it down in his own zone if needed, was matched by very few. So when he scored the 2-1 goal with a perfectly placed wrister, it only added to ASP’s spectacular showing. And then his pass to Lekkerimaki on the 3-2 goal made it all a little sweeter.
#16 Felix Unger Sorum, RW (Carolina Hurricanes): I’ve made it clear how much I’ve loved FUS’ game. He makes so many intelligent passes and uses his patience to wait until lanes open to make the right play, not just any play. He didn’t score today, but Unger Sorum still attacked plays with purpose and was the driving force behind his team’s chances.
#12 Noah Ostlund, LW (Buffalo Sabres): The Swedes scored two goals just 62 seconds apart, and Ostlund was the driving force. He scored on a nice breakaway goal at 52:00 before setting up Lekkerimaki for his second of the game at 53:02, putting the game far out of reach. Ostlund has been one of Sweden’s best players in this tournament, and he was vital today.
Czechia
#19 Ondrej Bechar, C (Undrafted): Bechar got banged up early in the third period, but I liked his game. He showed some great high-end speed that allowed him to create a breakaway chance midway through the contest. He’s difficult to contain at speed and has the hands to keep up with his feet, although it didn’t result in anything on the scoresheet.
#7 Tomas Cibulka, D (Undrafted): The way Cibulka adjusted his shot as he was ready to take what led to the 2-2 goal showed his understanding of Havelid’s weakness below the pads. Every time Cibulka has had a chance to shoot in this tournament, it’s been off of a smartly placed chance where he clearly has a plan. And it proved to be important, even for a short span.
Discover Betano.ca – a premium Sports Betting and Online Casino experience. Offering numerous unique and dynamic betting options along with diverse digital and live casino games, Betano is where The Game Starts Now. 19+. Please play responsibly.