2024-01-05 20:59:00
GOTHENBURG, Sweden – Isaac Howard scored twice in the second period and the United States shattered the Swedish dream by winning 6-2 in Friday’s game for gold in the final of the World Junior Hockey Championship.
The Americans triumphed for a sixth time in this competition, which now places them alone in third place in history, ahead of Finland.
Only Canada and Russia (formerly called the Soviet Union) are ahead of the United States in winning the Under-20 World Cup.
The United States was led by David Carle, head coach of the University of Denver Pioneers in the NCAA.
He is the brother of former NHL defenseman Matt Carle, who himself was a member of the first ever gold medal-winning American team in 2004.
Gabriel Perreault opened the scoring in the final for “ Team USA » late in the first period, when his club had been playing six once morest five for many seconds due to a delayed penalty once morest Sweden.
Posted at the mouth of the Swedish net, the son of former NHLer Yanic and first round pick of the New York Rangers inherited a superb sweeping pass from his linemate Will Smith.
Forward Otto Stenberg then tied the game early in the second period, the result of a clever deflection of a point shot that would miss the goal.
The euphoria of the crowd gathered in Gothenberg was short-lived, however, as Howard, the 31st overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, scored twice at the expense of Hugo Havelid five minutes apart to give in the United States a serious option for victory.
Sweden’s best sniper, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, brought his nation within one goal once once more with his seventh goal of the competition, on the massive attack, at 19:55.
Lekkerimaki, first round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, used his favorite weapon, the one-timer, to thwart American goaltender Trey Augustine.
One of the great revelations of this World Juniors, 18-year-old defender Zeev Buium, put a damper on the celebrations in the Scandinavium, scoring the fourth American goal at 1:19 of the final period thanks to a powerful throw on reception from the side distant which surprised Havelid.
The Swedish disappointment means that the host team for the 2024 edition of the World Juniors has still not won gold since their conquest in 2012.
Several minutes of play then passed with no real chance to score on either side, until Ryan Leonard scored with 3:48 left in the contest.
Rutger McGroarty added a formative goal in an abandoned cage, just over a minute following Leonard’s net.
We had promised an intense match steeped in the rivalry that has been created between the two countries in recent months.
The end of the match, however, gave rise to acrimonious gestures, as the premature celebrations of the Americans combined with the obvious frustration of the Swedes led to jostling, and even expulsions, all with 31 seconds on the board. The hope of the Canadians, Lane Hutson also exchanged blows with the Swede Anton Johansson.
Hutson is not the only Canadian hope to return from Sweden with the gold medal around his neck. Goalkeeper Jacob Fowler is also a member of the champion team.
1704490720
#World #Juniors #United #States #wins #edition #final #Sweden
