Kris Baker will be recapping the action involving Sabres prospects at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship for SABRES.COM.
In the second semifinal, Alexander Nylander (2016, first round) notched one assist and Rasmus Asplund (2016, second round) went hard to the final buzzer to earn his team’s Player of the Game honor as Sweden succumbed to Canada 5-2 in the day’s second semifinal.
The loss puts Sweden in a bronze medal matchup versus Russia.
Nylander at times out-stickhandled the Canadians, as evidenced by his undressing of Jake Bean on a first-period rush, and out-smarted the Canadians, clearly illustrated by his intercepting of a pass along the left boards in the second period before taking it to the net to draw a hooking penalty, but he was unable to find the back of the net on a night when the Canadians kept getting better and better as the game played on.
Nylander continues to carry the torch as the tournament’s leading scorer with 12 points (5+7). Asplund, who has been masterful at the faceoff circle while demonstrating a no-quit attitude and complete 200-foot game, has one goal and seven points in six games entering the third-place contest.
One of eight returning players for the Swedes, Joel Eriksson Ek (MIN) silenced the home crowd at 6:05 of the opening period when he skated down the right wing and slung a wrist shot for a short-handed goal.
The crowd woke back up just 1:38 later when Canada punched right back with a Mitchell Stephens (TBL) goal to even the score, but that was merely Nylander’s cue to quiet them once again with his first point of the evening.
With Sweden breaking out of their zone, Nylander chipped a puck off the boards and tipped it to himself in mid-air before quickly zipping a cross-ice pass to spring Carl Grundstrom (TOR) for the breakaway. Grundstrom fanned on the shot, but it went in the net anyways to give Sweden a 2-1 lead and chase Connor Ingram (TBL) from the Canadian net just 8:05 in after allowing two goals on three shots.
Carter Hart (PHI) took over for Ingram, and it appeared to be all Team Canada needed to take control of the game, making 28 stops the rest of the way to earn the nod as Canada’s Player of the Game.
Anthony Cirelli (TBL) beat Felix Sandstrom (PHI) high over the blocker with 1:11 left in the first period to send the teams to the first intermission tied 2-2.
Canada continued to dictate the play in the second period, earning the only goal of the frame when Sweden turned the puck over down low in their own zone, allowing Julien Gauthier (CAR) to swoop in, jam the crease and push the puck over the line.
Over seven minutes into the third period, Dylan Strome took a pass from the point, turned and quickly released a shot through traffic to give the Canadians a two-goal lead.
Canada sealed the deal with 1:58 remaining with Gauthier’s second of the night into an empty net.
Thursday’s gold medal tilt will be a revenge game of sorts for Canada, who fell to the U.S. 3-1 in preliminary round play.