It has been 13 years since Sweden last won the Junior World Championship in ice hockey for men. Now, Juniorkronorna are two wins away from a new gold.
We're going to win no matter which team we face, said David Edstrom confidently to Expressen after Thursday's quarterfinal win against Latvia (3–2) regarding which semifinal opponent he prefers.
It will be Finland that stands in their way on Saturday evening. Lauri Mikkola's team started the tournament heavily, when host nation Canada won clearly 4–0. But the Finns have grown into the tournament and beat gold favorite USA in the group stage. In the quarterfinal, it was 5–3 against Slovakia after a new solid performance from the "Little Lions".
Outstanding Goalkeeper
A strong contributing factor to Finland's semifinal spot is Petteri Rimpinen, who has excelled between the posts. Not least in the quarterfinal, when the Kiekko-Espoo goalkeeper stepped up when the team needed it most.
We can rely on him 100 percent when it matters most. Today, we got a five-minute penalty and then he stepped up, said Finland's forward Kasper Halttunen to the International Ice Hockey Federation's website after the win against Slovakia.
The question is whether Rimpinen can withstand Sweden's power play, which is the Junior World Championship's most potent so far. Eight goals in numerical superiority in five matches speak for themselves.
On the other hand, Finland is best in numerical inferiority, with only one goal conceded.
Another key to Swedish victory may be Skellefteå's Axel Sandin-Pellikka. The 19-year-old – already named best defenseman in the Junior World Championship last year – has been brilliant and is tied for the lead in the scoring league with nine points (4+5) in five matches.
Disaster for the Host Nation
During his three Junior World Championship tournaments, he has accumulated 16 points in total. That's only three fewer than Peter Andersson, who holds the record among Swedish defensemen, according to Aftonbladet.
Sandin-Pellikka couldn't care less.
I'm not in Ottawa for personal awards, but to win gold, he said to Aftonbladet the other day.
In a potential final, USA or the Czech Republic await. The Czechs did as last year and knocked out Canada in the quarterfinal. It's the first time in Junior World Championship history that Canada has missed the semifinal two years in a row.
A major disappointment for the host nation, which has taken five gold medals in the last ten years.
Lasse Mannheimer/TT
Facts: The Playoffs in the Junior World Championship
TT
+ How the Quarterfinals Went
Sweden–Latvia 3–2.
USA–Switzerland 7–2.
Finland–Slovakia 5–3.
Czech Republic–Canada 4–3.
+ How the Junior World Championship Continues
Semifinals:
Saturday 21.30: Sweden–Finland.
Sunday 01.30: USA–Czech Republic.
Medal Matches:
Sunday 21.30: Bronze Medal Match
Monday 01.30: Final
