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Lekkerimaki has Canuck fans smiling as he leads Sweden to WJC final

VancouverB次元官网网址檚 top prospect scores twice as host team moves on to face U.S.
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SwedenB次元官网网址檚 Otto Stenberg (25) celebrates a goal by teammate SwedenB次元官网网址檚 Theo Lindstein (not shown) in front of Czechia goaltender Michael Hrabal (30) and Marek Alscher (27) during first period semifinal hockey action at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Thursday Jan. 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Jonathan Lekkerimaki doesnB次元官网网址檛 say much in front of the cameras or behind the scenes.

The Vancouver Canucks prospect does his talking on the ice.

ItB次元官网网址檚 a big reason why Sweden sits one win from the countryB次元官网网址檚 third gold medal at the world junior hockey championship.

Lekkerimaki scored twice in the third period as the hosts beat Czechia 5-2 on Thursday to set up a mouth-watering final against the United States.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 going to be a lot of fun,B次元官网网址 Lekkerimaki said of FridayB次元官网网址檚 gold-medal game. B次元官网网址淰ery excited.B次元官网网址

The 19-year-old and his teammates will meet a motivated opponent after the Americans battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to beat Finland 3-2 in the other semifinal. The Finns and Czechs will play for bronze.

The U.S. lost to Sweden at the under-18 worlds in 2022 before the 2005 age group got a measure of revenge in the 2023 rematch.

B次元官网网址淪tripped the gold medal from our necks,B次元官网网址 said Cutter Gauthier, who scored ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 winner. B次元官网网址淲e remember it like yesterday.B次元官网网址

American captain Rutger McGroarty, another player born in 2004 on the wrong end of things in 2022, is ready for the jeers from the partisan crowd B次元官网网址 including plenty of Canadians cheering on the Swedes B次元官网网址 at Scandinavium arena.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know who doesnB次元官网网址檛 love that, being the bad guy,B次元官网网址 said the Winnipeg Jets prospect. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e up for being the bad guy and getting a gold medal on their home turf.B次元官网网址

Sweden will be their toughest test to date.

Lekkerimaki bagged his fifth and sixth goals of the under-20 event inside a raucous rink to snap a 2-2 tie through 40 minutes.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 pretty laid back, but can give some fun comments,B次元官网网址 said linemate Noah Ostlhund, who scored SwedenB次元官网网址檚 fourth goal and added an assist. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a good guy.B次元官网网址

A teenager of few words, Lekkerimaki blasted a one-timer past Michael Hrabal on SwedenB次元官网网址檚 first man advantage at 5:14 of the third to make it 3-2.

B次元官网网址淨uiet guy, definitely,B次元官网网址 Swedish head coach Marcus Havelid said. B次元官网网址淏ut thatB次元官网网址檚 OK. We are all different.B次元官网网址

Ostlund then added his third goal on a breakaway with eight minutes left to make it 4-2 before Lekkerimaki, who had a game-high nine shots, sealed things with his sixth just 1:02 later.

Axel Sandin Pellikka and Theo Lindstein also had a goal and an assist each for Sweden. Hugo Havelid made 23 saves.

B次元官网网址淣ot afraid to do things on the ice,B次元官网网址 Sandin Pellikka said of Lekkerimaki, selected 15th overall at the 2022 NHL draft. B次元官网网址淕oes out there and plays his game.

B次元官网网址淔别补谤濒别蝉蝉.B次元官网网址

Despite a long list of talent-loaded rosters, the Swedes have only won the world juniors twice, with the countryB次元官网网址檚 last triumph coming in 2012 after previously topping the field in 1981.

B次元官网网址淭ry to think of the opportunity,B次元官网网址 defenceman Tom Willander, picked 11th overall in June by Vancouver, said of playing for gold. B次元官网网址淒onB次元官网网址檛 see the negative, try to push those thoughts away of anything going wrong and just seeing more of what a possibility it is.B次元官网网址

Sweden made the final in front of its fans in 1993 and 2014, but twice settled for silver.

B次元官网网址淭errific opportunity,B次元官网网址 Sandin Pellikka said.

Matyas Melovsky and Tomas Cibulka scored for Czechia, which upset Canada 3-2 in the quarterfinals. Hrabal stopped 26 shots.

Finland, meanwhile, jumped out to that early lead before the Americans, who are looking for a sixth gold after last winning in 2021, responded with two in the second.

Gauthier then scored a late power-play goal as the U.S. remained the tournamentB次元官网网址檚 only undefeated team. Jimmy Snuggerud and Will Smith had the other goals for the Americans, who got 19 saves from Tre Augustine, including one late with his skate blade on a scramble.

Oiva Keskinen and Rasmus Kumpulainen replied for the Finns. Niklas Kokko stopped 27 shots.

The Swedes, who have finished second 11 times, lost to the U.S. in last yearB次元官网网址檚 bronze-medal game.

Melovsky opened ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 scoring at 6:55 of the first for the Czechs, who lost the 2023 final to Canada in Halifax, before Lindstein fired home his second when Hrabal whiffed on a fluttering point shot at 11:52.

The Swedes pushed ahead 2-1 just 2:35 into the middle period when Sandin PellikkaB次元官网网址檚 point shot once again fooled the hulking Hrabal high on the glove side for the defencemanB次元官网网址檚 second.

The Czechs responded again on a power play 5:01 later when Cibulka hammered his second on a one-timer before Lekkerimaki dragged Sweden into its first final since falling to Canada in 2018.

B次元官网网址淔rom anywhere, he can just score,B次元官网网址 Willander said. B次元官网网址淒angerous player.B次元官网网址

Lekkerimaki said he hadnB次元官网网址檛 spoken to Swedish-born Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin at the tournament as his country looks to step atop the world junior podium for just the third time.

Does he feel pressure?

B次元官网网址淣ope,B次元官网网址 Lekkerimaki replied. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just hockey.B次元官网网址

For these countries B次元官网网址 especially in this age group B次元官网网址 Friday means a lot more.

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