Jesper Wallstedt makes 27 saves to lead Sweden to Bronze Medal Game victory

It's not the game either team expected to be playing in. With their hopes of a gold medal dashed on Friday, Sweden and Czechia met in the bronze medal game at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship on Saturday afternoon.

The Czechs have an opportunity to win their first medal at the World Juniors since 2005, when they took down the United States in the bronze medal game. Meanwhile for Sweden, their gold medal drought extends for another year, with their last win coming in 2012. Two tournaments ago in the bubble in Edmonton, Sweden came away with the bronze medal after defeating Finland in that game by a score of 3-2.

The game remained scoreless until the 5:38 mark of the first period. Boston Bruins prospect Fabian Lysell tipped the puck past Czechia defenceman Jiri Tichacek inside the Swedish blue line and uses his speed beat Tichacek to the puck in the Czech zone. Lysell then took the puck around the net and wrapped it in the open side on Czechia netminder Tomas Suchanek to make it 1-0 Sweden.

WRAP AROUND GOAL! Fabian Lysell kicks things off for @Trekronorse!#SWECZE #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/dUsF9B8g10— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 20, 2022

With less than seven minutes left in the middle frame, the Czechs headed to the powerplay and it didn't take them long to find the back of the net. Columbus Blue Jackets 2022 first rounder David Jiricek threw the puck on net from the point and it hit Jesper Wallstedt's glove, then chest and came back in front where it went off of Michal Gut and in to make it 1-1.

Michal Gut ties it for Czechia 8 seconds into the powerplay! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/OIE3Dzz29D— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 20, 2022

Less than two minutes later, the Swedes re-gained the lead. Red Wings prospect Theodor Niederbach won the face-off back to Isak Rosen, who ripped a shot under the arm of Tomas Suchanek to make it 2-1 Sweden.

SWEDEN RESPONDS!

Isak Rosen gets the shot off quick to give Sweden back the lead. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/8V31SPsDV4— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 20, 2022

Late in the third period, Sweden added an insurance goal. William Wallinder made a nice pass to Linus Sjodin ripped a shot on the blocker side of Suchanek to extend Sweden's lead to 3-1. Sjodin's goal was his first point of the entire tournament, talk about coming up clutch when needed most.

Linus Sjodin puts Sweden up by 2 with three minutes to go in the bronze medal game! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/toPuTzpTsk— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 20, 2022

The Czechs would pull their goal with just over two minutes to play, but Sweden held on to win the game by a score of 3-1. Sweden has now won the Bronze Medal for the second time in the last three tournaments, while Czechia's medal drought will go on.

Players of the Game

Sweden: Linus Sjodin
Czechia: Michal Gut

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