Stjernborg's short-handed goal pushes Sweden past Finland in WJC QF
Published
Victor Stjernborg scored a short-handed goal with 1:05 left to send Sweden past Finland 3-2 on Monday in the first quarter-final game at the World Junior Championship in Moncton, NB.
Leo Carlsson scored the other two goals for the Swedish as they overcame a 2-1 deficit with less than five minutes to go in the final frame.
Sweden's Carl Lindbom made 33 saves, while Jani Lampinen countered with 17 in his first start for Finland.
Oliver Kapanen and Niko Huuhtanen were the goal scorers for the Finnish.
The Finns controlled the opening minutes of the first period and tilted the ice heavily in their favour. Finland hemmed Sweden into their own end for a majority of the opening minutes before Oliver Kapanen beat Swedish goaltender Lindbom at the 3:10 mark to open the scoring.
At the other end, Finland's Lampinen went relatively untested in the opening frame.
Fresh off a 31-save shutout against Lativa in a 3-0 win on Dec. 29, Lampinen didn't face his first shot until 8:07 left to play in the period.
Finland continued to sustain pressure on Sweden, but a penalty call on Aleksi Heimosalmi sent Sweden to the power play.
Sweden's power play was short-lived as Isak Rosen was called for tripping soon after. Finland and Sweden battled four-on-four before Finland enjoyed a brief man advantage.
Carlsson scored his first goal of the tournament for Sweden on their second shot of the game late in the first period off a deflection to knot the game up at one apiece.
A revitalized Swedish team took to the ice in the second period and traded scoring chances with Finland.
Fabian Wagner had the best chance for Sweden in the first half of the period, sending a shot wide of an open Finnish net.
Sweden immediately had another scoring chance as Fabian Lysell beat Lampinen, but not the post as it rang off the iron to keep the game tied.
Sweden headed to the power play midway through the second and the once-distant shot totals began to draw even.
Poking the puck free from the Finnish blueliners, Sweden's William Stromgren sprung free on a breakaway as he barreled down on Lampinen only to shoot wide of the net.
Huuhtanen finally broke the tie with 15:57 left in the third beating Lindbom on an assist by Verner Miettinen.
Sweden's power-play opportunity in the final period went to waste as they failed to get a single shot in Lampinen's direction.
It was Carlsson who found a way to keep his team in the game one more time as he beat Lampinen once again on assists by Wagner and Filip Bystedt.
A late power play for the Finnish backfired as Stjernborg stole the puck and burried it between Lampinen's leg for the win.
Finland outshot Sweden 35-20.
Semifinal action starts Wednesday on TSN as Sweden faces Czechia, who beat Switzerland 9-1 on Monday.