🇸🇪 Sweden 4-3 Canada 🇨🇦
World Junior Championship Preliminary Round
ČEZ Aréna, Pardubice 🇨🇿
Saturday, 29 December 2007

The streaks are over for Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship after Tobias Forsberg scored at 19:53 of the third period to give Sweden a 4-3 win.

The goal capped a Swedish rally from a 2-0 third-period deficit and ended Canada’s 20-game winning streak at the World Juniors.

“I think we just got a little ahead of ourselves,” said Brad Marchand, who scored Canada’s first goal.

The Swedes are in first place in Group A, with a 3-0 record and nine points, while Canada and the Czech Republic are 2-1 and sit tied for second.

On the winning goal, Marchand lost the puck at the Swedish blueline, creating a 2-on-1 that Forsberg finished off by sweeping the puck past goaltender Jonathan Bernier.

Canada ends the preliminary round on Monday against Denmark.

Up 1-0 on Marchand’s first-period goal, Shawn Matthias scored off a scramble at 2:17 of the third, and the Canadians looked in control.

But the lead was short-lived.

Eric Moe’s point shot on a Swedish power play got past a screened Bernier at 5:14, ending Canada’s shutout string at 165 minutes, 14 seconds, the first time in 20 tries the three-time defending gold medalists had allowed a power play goal at this year’s championship.

The Swedes then scored a pair of lucky goals to take the lead.

Tony Lagerström was behind the Canadian net when his pass hit a skate and the puck ended up behind Bernier at 6:45, and Oscar Möller netted the go-ahead goal when his sharp-angle shot hit a Canadian skate and found its way past a surprised Bernier just moments later.

“We could feel the momentum change and it wasn’t fun,” said Marchand. “Things could be better.”

But Claude Giroux’s power play goal at 16:18 on a scramble tied the game at 3-3, and overtime loomed until Forsberg’s late strike.

Marchand said the Canadians can’t wait to redeem themselves.

“There is a lot of character in the room and we can’t wait to get back out there. We came here to win a world title and that is why we are here.”

“We know what we have to do, and we can do it.”

BOXSCORE
1st Period
03:31 – 🇸🇪 PEN – P. Berglund, hooking
16:00 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Subban, tripping
19:05 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Marchand (Giroux)

2nd Period
23:18 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Holzapfel, hooking
26:42 – 🇸🇪 PEN – Lundh, roughing
29:58 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Legein, boarding
34:34 – 🇸🇪 PEN – Forsberg, interference
37:31 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Stamkos, tripping

3rd Period
42:17 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Matthias (Halischuk, Giroux)
43:34 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Sutter, tripping
46:14 – 🇸🇪 PP GOAL – Moe (Andersson, Figren)
46:45 – 🇸🇪 GOAL – Lagerström (Backlund)
48:05 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Holzapfel, tripping
49:09 – 🇸🇪 PP GOAL – Möller (P. Berglund)
55:09 – 🇸🇪 PEN – team, too many players
55:40 – 🇸🇪 PEN – Motin, roughing
56:18 – 🇨🇦 PP2 GOAL – Giroux (Turris)
59:53 – 🇸🇪 GOAL – Forsberg (Backlund, Andersén)

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇸🇪 Enroth (18-21)
L: 🇨🇦 Bernier (28-32)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇸🇪 7+12+13 = 32
🇨🇦 6+5+10 = 21

ROSTERS
🇸🇪 Goaltenders: Jhonas Enroth, Stefan Ridderwall. Defence: Niclas Andersén, Kristofer Berglund, Jonathan Carlsson, Oscar Eklund, Victor Hedman, Eric Moe, Johan Motin. Forwards: Johan Alcén, Joakim Andersson, Mikael Backlund, Patrik Berglund, Robin Figren, Tobias Forsberg, Carl Hagelin, Mario Kempe, Tony Lagerström, Tomas Larsson, Patrik Lundh, Oscar Möller, Magnus Pääjärvi.
🇨🇦 Goaltenders: Jonathan Bernier, Steve Mason. Defence: Karl Alzner, Drew Doughty, Josh Godfrey, Thomas Hickey, Logan Pyett, Luke Schenn, P.K. Subban. Forwards: Zach Boychuk, Colton Gillies, Claude Giroux, Matthew Halischuk, Riley Holzapfel, Stefan Legein, Brad Marchand, Shawn Matthias, Wayne Simmonds, Steven Stamkos, Brandon Sutter, John Tavares, Kyle Turris.

Article Credit: Hockey Canada