The collective start was a clear improvement compared to the tame effort against Finland on Saturday.
But the efficiency was so-so.
Tre Kronor left the ice after 20 minutes with the fifth consecutive goalless period in the Swiss Hockey Games behind them – and also at a disadvantage.
Filip Chlapik outsmarted Lasse Johansson after an attack where the puck bounced right for the Czechs.
Ketchup Effect
Tough spot? You bet. But the pure ketchup effect offensively waited and it came directly after the period break.
+ Andreas Wingerli equalized after 2.50.
+ Mathias Bromé sent in the lead puck 70 seconds later.
We come out and win the battles, create long attacks, and finally get the payoff
It was nice, says Bromé to SVT.
Filip Zadina's equalizer meant a tied game before the tournament's last 20 minutes. Already after 3.02, Tre Kronor were back on the uphill slope.
Jachym Kondelik made it 3–2, and when Tom Nilsson was in the penalty box, Ondrej Kovarcik exploited the numerical advantage.
Intensive Equalization Hunt
Tre Kronor countered with Jacob De La Rose's 3–4 reduction in power play, after fine preparatory work by Marcus Sörensen, who played on home ice in Fribourg. He missed the matches against Switzerland and Finland.
He has top-notch qualities. He calms things down with the puck when needed. It was sad that he wasn't available earlier, but I'm glad he's healthy, says Sam Hallam.
An intense press in six-on-four play did not yield a payoff. Instead, the Czechs scored 5–3 into an empty net with nine seconds left and won the tournament via three straight wins.
