Norway has impressed during the Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland and has now also beaten "big brother" Sweden - for the first time in a World Championship context in 15 years. At the World Championship in Slovakia in 2011, Norway won the opening match 5-4 after a penalty shootout in Kosice.
Saturday night's meeting in the BCF Arena in Fribourg, Switzerland, ended 3-2 after Tre Kronor, among other things, conceded two goals while on the power play.
Noah Steen, who played for Örebro in the SHL last season, gave Norway the lead 1–0 on the power play after 9:32 of the first period.
Norway, which had previously taken points from hockey powerhouse Canada during the World Championship, went into the break in the lead.
Frondell was missing
At the beginning of the second, Tre Kronor equalized through the in-form Ivar Stenberg, who pushed the puck in on the power play after 2:23. The goal was the 18-year-old Frölunda talent's third in two days after scoring twice in Friday's 3–0 win against Italy.
After the equaliser, Sweden found themselves at a disadvantage again. Steen scored his and Norway's second goal of the match when the 21-year-old made it 2–1 while shorthanded after 13:15, finishing a counterattack after turning away Stenberg.
Tre Kronor, who were missing Anton Frondell because he was injured against Italy, started strongly in the third period as well. Detroit's Lucas Raymond scored Sweden's second equaliser to make it 2–2 after 3:10. But just like in the second period, Sweden were sloppy when outnumbered. Goal scorer Raymond lost the puck on his own blue line and Eirik Salsten made it 3–2 after 9:11.
Sweden chased another equaliser at the end of the third period, but came no closer than a shot on goal and Norway took a historic victory.
Hallam's last match?
The three points scored meant that Norway passed Sweden in Group B where the four best teams advance to the quarter-finals. Norway, now fourth on ten points, plays again on Monday evening, against the Czech Republic, who are second in the group. On Tuesday, the group stage of the World Championship concludes. Then, fifth-placed Sweden, with nine points, will face third-placed Slovakia and sixth-placed Denmark.
The Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland is Sam Hallam's last as Swedish national team captain and Tuesday's match could therefore be his last with Sweden. Next season, Rikard Grönborg will return as Swedish national team captain.
"We've put ourselves out there and hope to have a little luck if we need any results, and we'll do what we can on Tuesday," Sam Hallam told Aftonbladet.
Corrected: A previous version had the wrong date for Norway's match against the Czech Republic. The correct date is Monday evening.
