3 takeaways from Sweden’s 3-2 win over Finland
The first match of the 2023 Junior World Cup quarter-finals featured Sweden against Finland, one of the tournament’s most intense rivalries. These two teams are no strangers to elimination games against each other, with Finland knocking out Sweden in 2021 before sending them to the bronze medal game in 2022.
Each team understood the stakes of the win-or-go-home game; however, the Swedes were sluggish for the second game in a row. After falling behind 1-0, outshot for most of the period, the team battled back to tie the game in the middle. Neither team lit the lamp in the second period before Finland took another lead minutes into the third. Despite being down, the Swedes rallied Leo Carlssons second goal of the game before captain Victor Stjerborg scored a match-winning goal with a short hand with only 1:05 left.
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One of the tournament’s best goaltenders, Carl Lindbom, shut the door in the dying seconds and held off a 6-on-4 Finland attack to send his team to the last four. Here are today’s takeaways from another legendary match between the Scandinavian neighbours.
Leo Carlsson’s Star shone under the bright lights
Sweden took a bronze medal at the 2022 World Junior Championships in August without Carlsson in their lineup. The future top-10 National Hockey League prospect in the 2023 Entry Draft has had a golden opportunity to grow his stock at this year’s tournament and has not disappointed.