Achi news desk-
PRAGUE –
Switzerland dominated in penalty kicks to stun Canada 3-2 and set up the final against the Czech Republic at the world ice hockey championship on Saturday.
Sven Andrighetto scored the decisive shootout goal after the game ended in a 2-2 draw with neither team scoring in the 10 minute overtime.
The 28-time Canadian champion had to settle for the bronze medal match against Sweden.
Kevin Fiala scored, added an assist and scored one of the two Swiss goals in the shootout. Nino Niederreiter also scored for Switzerland. Goalkeeper Leonardo Genoni stopped 42 shots.
Earlier, Brandon Tanev scored with a backhand with 5:53 remaining in the middle period to reduce Switzerland’s lead to 2-1. Captain John Tavares tied the game for Canada with 2:07 left in the final period on a power play when Connor Bedard fed him in the right circle to force overtime.
Canada’s first shot on Switzerland’s goal came only after more than 11 minutes.
Fiala put Switzerland ahead with a slap shot from the point with 4:54 to go in the opening period on a power play for his seventh-place finish in Prague.
Niederreiter doubled the lead 2:10 later with another power play goal when defenseman Owen Power deflected his shot from the blue line into his own goal.
Switzerland defeated Canada 17-8 in the first game.
Canada beat Switzerland 3-2 in the qualifier last Sunday in Prague with every goal scored on power plays.
Switzerland also defeated Canada in the 2018 world semi-finals, where Switzerland finished second for their last world medal.
Earlier, the Czech Republic produced a three-goal second period as they downed Sweden 7-3 and progressed to the final for the first time since 2010.
Forward Dominik Kubalik and Lukas Sedlak each scored two goals and added an assist each, while forward Martin Necas had a four-point game with a goal and three assists.
Canadian goalkeeper Jordan Binnington, right, makes a save in front of Switzerland’s Deon Kukan. (Photo by Darko Vojinovic/AP)
David Kampf and Ondrej Kase each had a goal and an assist for the Czechs and goalkeeper Lukas Dostal stopped 37 shots in front of the roaring home fans at the Prague Arena.
“I play my best game when I enjoy myself in a game and I enjoy it 110%,” said Necas. “My dream has always been to play a semi-final and a final in front of Czech fans. But it’s not done, not yet. We have the most important game ahead of us tomorrow and we need to be ready.”
Necas became the first player with four points in a semi-final since Canada’s Luc Robitaille in 1994.
Marcus Johansson, Marcus Pettersson and Joel Eriksson scored for the Swedes, who ended their eight-game winning streak in the tournament.
“We felt we had some chances but it’s difficult when you concede so many goals,” said Pettersson.
The Czechs took a 5-2 lead in the second period after the teams were tied at 2-2.
Kase gave the Czechs a 3-2 advantage from close range 6:05 into the period, and that was the first time the Swedes had tried in the tournament.
Necas doubled the advantage with a one-time slap shot from the slot after Kampf won a draw 16 seconds later. Kubalik then made it 5-2 with a one-timer from the right circle that went between the pads of goaltender Filip Gustavsson.
The goalkeeper was removed after conceding five goals from 17 shots and Samuel Ersson took his place.
Joel Eriksson cut the Czech lead to 5-3 on the power play with his seventh goal of the tournament.
Sweden piled on the pressure in the third period but Sedlak extended the lead to 7-3 with two breakaway goals, both going between Ersson’s pads.
“They were mentally stronger than we were today,” said Swedish captain Erik Karlsson. “They scored almost every chance they had,” said the star defender.
Johansson picked up the puck near the right boards before scoring the opening goal 3:39 into the game.
Kubalik tied it at 7:48 on a rebound after a slap shot by Necas from the blue line.
The Swedes needed just 20 seconds to go 2-1 up through Pettersson, whose attempt from the left was deflected into the net by Czech defender Jakub Krejcik.
The Czechs answered again.
Necas set up the second by feeding Kampf from behind the goal to tie the game again at 2 all from the slot midway through the first.
