In most sporting events – in selected tournaments, generally in knock-out competitions, but even in the quarter-finals – the match for third place is rightly called a match of frustrated teams, because the sides competing for the bronze medal in the vast majority of cases wanted to play for the gold medal. At the current Ice Hockey World Championships, the disappointment is perhaps most expressive when the performance of the Swedes has to be presented: they were the only ones from the field to get through the group stage unbeaten and even unblemished, and then with a major defeat. After their success in extra time against their great rivals, the Finns, they reached the quarter-finals, where they then defeated the host Czech Republic seven times and conceded (while conceding a total of 10 goals in the previous eight matches of the tournament). Canada, which also won its group undefeated but also had two overtime victories, eliminated Slovakia in the quarterfinals with a confident play, followed by a penalty shootout defeat to Switzerland.
After such precedents, it is understandable that neither team gave their all in the first twenty minutes: the crowd could only see 11 shots on target, but one goal was scored. At the beginning of the second half of the third Carl Grundstrom He gained leadership for the Scandinavian nations. Early in the second half of the Maple Leafs match, he scored his ninth goal in the World Cup, with a good chance to win the top scorer title. Dylan Cousins They tied the game during that, and then at the start of the third period Pierre-Luc Dubois At the end of the match, the foreign players were already in the lead. But the Swedes did not give up, Eric Carlson They equalized in the 50th minute and in the 53rd minute. Grundstrom With his second goal, which was mercilessly big, they regained the lead. The Canadians dropped their goalie, Jordan Binnington, in the final minute and a half, but they couldn't get the overtime goal, because Filip Gustafsson on the other side defended everything – and the final score was an empty net. Marcus Johansson Set five seconds before the horn. 4-2
With this, the Swedes won the bronze medal in the World Championship for the 17th time. The last time they finished third was ten years ago, in 2014, while they won the bronze medal again after 1999 against Canada.
Hockey
World Championship, Prague
For third place
Sweden – Canada 4-2 (1–0, 0–1, 3–1)
finals
20.20: Czech Republic-Switzerland (television: Sports 2)
