Achi news desk-
You can call this an instant classic.
Canada jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period and led 5-1 in the second but had to defend a one-goal lead late in the game as the Swedes never went away. Canada held on for a 5-4 win and a berth in the gold medal game at the 2024 IIHF World U18 Championship.
“We talked in that room. We wanted to get off to a great start to that game and we did; we had four goals in the first 10 minutes,” said Canadian captain Porter Martone. “And then we got off our game. (On Sunday in the final) we have to flip that and just stay consistent for the whole 60 minutes and that’s what will win the game.”
The Canada-Sweden game showcased the speed, skill and energy of both teams and what makes this tournament one of the best on the hockey calendar every year. Sweden outshot Canada 35-26 but could not beat Canadian goalie Carter George to tie the game. George was great in net and that was the difference.
Canada led 5-2 after two periods but third period goals from Sweden’s Victor Eklund and Hugo Orrsten caused tense moments on the Canadian bench keeping the result in doubt until the end.
Canada’s win sets up a gold medal final against the United States, the first time since 2013 that the arch-rivals will meet in the U18 final.
Canada had its first Grade A chance of the game just 26 seconds in when, following a Swedish turnover, Ryder Ritchie was alone in front and had a great shot on Love Harenstam but it was turned over. -keeper away.
Less than two minutes later, defender Spencer Gill made a nice pass from the blue line to Liam Greentree, who scored from an impossible angle – think Leon Draisaitl’s office to the left of the goalkeeper almost close to the goal line. A review by the referee followed as, earlier in the game, Kashawn Aitcheson made a thunderous hit on a Swedish player and the referees looked to see if it was head contact. No penalty was called and the goal made it 1-0 Canada.
Gavin McKenna scored to make it 2-0 at 7:09 when Matthew Schaefer made a perfect stretch pass to Porter Martone at the Swedish blue line, who one-touched the puck to beat McKenna. The Wizard from Whitehorse then ran into the attacking zone and made a Connor McDavid-like move through defenders Gabriel Eliasson and Viggo Gustafsson before burning Harenstam.
McKenna’s first period goal was his 16ed point this tournament, which sets a new Canadian mark for most points in an under-18 singles team. Macklin Celebrini (2023) and Tyson Jost (2015) had 15 points in their respective U18s.
Schaefer got his second assist of the game at 8:10 when he executed a give-and-go with Ritchie and then finished with a backhand flip pass to Tij Iginla, whose hard wrist shot went over Harenstam’s arm.
Although George wasn’t busy in the first, he was forced to make some key saves, his best coming with 2:38 left in the opening frame when Viggo Gustafsson found open ice at the top of the right faceoff circle and fired a shot and George swallowed up.
Moments later, Ritchie made it 4-0 when he finished off a Canadian tic-tac-toe, with Iginla and Frankie Marelli helping to set up the goal. Canada outscored Sweden 12-6 in the period.
Sweden found some life at 3:53 of the second. After Marrelli tripped and turned the puck over in his own head, Linus Eriksson grabbed it and made a cross-seam pass to Viggo Nordlund, who one-timed the puck past George.
Henry Mews restored Canada’s four-goal lead at 7:07. The silly passing play saw McKenna feed Martone, who dropped the puck past Caleb Desnoyers, who then found a wide open Mews on the side of the net for another one-time goal. Martone’s assist was his 22ndf point all-time in the U18 team and that sets a new Canadian record, held before this year’s tournament by Connor Bedard at 21 points.
However, the Swedes would not go away. At 8:29 Nordlund played a give and go with Alfons Freij and buried his second of the game to make it 5-2 Canada. Nordlund had a chance for the hat trick late in the second break but George managed to make another big save.
George made his best save of the game moments later as he robbed Lucas Pettersson with a glove save. George had Pettersson’s number throughout the game, preventing the highly skilled Swedish forward several times from getting close. The Swedes outscored Canada 16-7 in the second and George was the reason Canada took a 5-2 lead into the break.
Sweden got closer at the 7:58 mark of the third when Nordlund made a nice back pass to Eklund who quickly put the puck past George. It was Nordlund’s third point of the game.
With 5:41 to play, Orrsten jammed in a loose puck in the paint after Gustafsson’s point shot and Sweden made it 5-4 but that was as close as it would get.
“We started a little bit not as we wanted. We kept going and the whole team stepped up,” said Nordlund. “We had two good periods this game.
“I don’t know (why we started slow). They are a good team. Canada is always there from the beginning. He wasn’t there in our skating. We didn’t play the puck well and they had a lot of chances to score.”
The result is sweet revenge for Canada, who were soundly beaten by Sweden in the 2023 U18 semi-final, 7-2. Canada will now play for gold, while Sweden is forced to play for bronze against Slovakia.
“They got our number last year, they beat us in the first game of the tournament and in the semi-finals,” said Martone, the only returning player from that team in 2023. “We flipped’ r script this year by winning the first game and we grinded one out here to get to the gold medal game.”
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