Ice hockey | Sweden sent the Young Lions on their way home with an underpowered goal

The quarter-final match of the Under-20 World Championships ended with a 3–2 victory for Sweden.

Moncton

Young people The Lions suffered a dull defeat in the World Cup quarter-final on Monday evening. At the same time, the streak that started with the 2019 gold festival, during which Finland was always in the medal games, was broken.

Sweden advanced to the semi-finals with a 3–2 win.

Finland led the match three and a half minutes before the end, but melted in a catastrophic way.

Sweden equalized in 56:33, and the winning goal was scored in 58:55 by a runaway Viktor Stjernborg.

As the home team Finland, who played, entered the rink first for the host. Captain Oliver Kapanen scored Finland’s 1–0 goal in time 3.10.

The opening set was dominated by the Young Lions. Sweden got their first shot on goal when the game had been played for almost 12 minutes. The audience in Moncton rewarded the Swedes with ironic applause.

Finland’s slight difficulties were mainly the result of slow starts and the subsequent puck losses to Swedish players.

Sweden’s super promise Leo Carlsson managed to reduce the time in 16:55 by directing the puck in from in front of the goal. It was Sweden’s second shot on goal.

In another in the set, the game was evened out when Sweden got its own longer period of possession. Jani Lampinen the goalpost wobbled, but no goals were scored at either end.

Finland’s best place went to the first chain, which got into a surprising three-on-one attack in the middle of Sweden’s rotation. Oliver Kapanen did not succeed Ville Koivunen input.

Finland took the lead again at the beginning of the final set. Niko Huuhtanen scored a 2–1 lead goal with a fiery wrist shot in 44.03.

After that, Sweden gained control while seeking an equalizer, which was rewarded in 56:33. It was Juuri Huuhtanen who blocked a couple of Sweden’s shots during the yellow jerseys’ long rotation, but in the end Carlsson beat it to make it 2–2.

After the equalizer, Finland was offered another opportunity with superiority, when Sweden fooled the attacking end into the ice just under two minutes before the end.

Overpowering however, Finland’s nightmare came. Aleksi Heimosalmi lost the puck on the line, Stjernborg broke through and nailed Sweden to the semi-finals.

Finland tried to equalize in the last minute without a goalkeeper, but Sweden held on.

Sweden’s success on the youth World Cup stage has been strong in recent years.

In August, Sweden won bronze after losing to Finland in the semi-finals. The last time the crown jerseys played in the final was 2018, and it’s been more than ten years since the last championship.

Of Finnish descent Mika Zibanejad decided the gold for Sweden in 2012. Finland has since won three golds – but not this year.

Finnish players:

1st field:

24 Ville Koivunen–27 Oliver Kapanen–37 Joakim Kemell

10 Topias Vilén–21 Aleksi Heimosalmi

At goal: 31 Jani Lampinen

2nd field:

29 Niko Huuhtanen–18 Verner Miettinen–22 Jani Nyman

7 Aleksi Malinen–3 Otto Salin

3rd field:

33 Brad Lambert–13 Topi Rönni–15 Lenni Hämeenaho

2 Jimi Suomi–6 Kalle Ervasti