The United States got the revenge it desperately craved.
Isaac Howard scored twice in the second period as the Americans beat host Sweden 6-2 to capture gold at the world junior hockey championship Friday in Gothenburg.
Gabe Perreault, with a goal and two assists, Zeev Buium, Ryan Leonard and Rutger McGroarty, into and empty net, provided the rest of the offence for the Americans, who secured the under-20 tournament for a sixth time after last winning in 2021.
Will Smith added two assists. McGroarty also had an assist for a two-point performance.
Trey Augustine picked up the victory in goal for the U.S.
Zeeeev with the one-timer 馃毃
B次元官网网址� USA Hockey (@usahockey)
Otto Stenberg and Jonathan Lekkerimaki replied for the Swedes, who have claimed just two titles in the eventB次元官网网址檚 48-year history. Hugo Havelid took the loss.
Czechia roared back from a 5-2 deficit with six unanswered goals to shock Finland 8-5 and claim bronze earlier Friday.
The U.S. fell 6-4 to Sweden at the under-18 worlds in 2022 despite holding a 51-14 shot advantage B次元官网网址� Augustine and Havelid were the goalies in that one as well B次元官网网址� before returning the favour in the 2023 rematch.
The Swedes, who have now finished second 12 times and lost to the U.S. in last yearB次元官网网址檚 bronze-medal game, have produced a long list of NHL stars, but thatB次元官网网址檚 rarely translated to world junior success.
The countryB次元官网网址檚 last triumph came in 2012 after topping the field in 1981. Sweden also settled for silver on home soil in 1993 and 2014.
The U.S. led 3-2 through 40 minutes after Lekkerimaki sliced his teamB次元官网网址檚 deficit in half late in the second period, but restored its two-goal advantage 1:19 into the third when Buium scored his third of the tournament on a one-timer off a setup from Smith.
The Swedes killed off a double-minor for high-sticking later in the period, but the Americans put it out of reach with 3:48 left in regulation when Leonard scored his third.
McGroarty added an empty netter 38 seconds later before things turned a little ugly late when a couple of players on both sides throwing punches B次元官网网址� a rarity in international hockey B次元官网网址� as bad blood from tournaments past bubbled to the surface.
After the dust settled, the U.S. spilled off the bench to celebrate its third gold since 2017.
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Sweden came out flying inside a thunderous, yellow-clad Scandinavium arena that included thousands of Canadian fans still in Gothenburg following their teamB次元官网网址檚 stunning quarterfinal exit against Czechia B次元官网网址� along with small pockets of U.S. support.
The Americans withstood that early barrage and went ahead with 3:04 left in the first.
The son of Quebec-born former NHLer Yanic Perreault finished off a patient American sequence with his third on a delayed penalty when Smith found him at the lip of HavelidB次元官网网址檚 crease after McGroarty B次元官网网址� the U.S. captain and a Winnipeg Jets prospect B次元官网网址� fed a pass back to the point.
Sweden tied at 2:13 of the second when Stenberg tipped his fifth past Augustine.
The U.S. steadied itself and went back in front at 9:24 when Howard B次元官网网址� a member of the 2022 under-18 team looking for redemption B次元官网网址� moved in alone on a breakaway and slid his seventh through HavelidB次元官网网址檚 pads.
The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect added his second of the night at 14:19 when he took advantage of a turnover behind the Swedish goal and surprised Havelid with shot from a tight angle for a 3-1 lead.
The hosts responded on a power play with 5.2 seconds left in the period when Lekkerimaki B次元官网网址� a 2022 first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks before its followup 2005 age group returned the favour in the 2023 rematch. blasted his seventh on a one-timer before the U.S. pulled away in the third.
The Americans now own 15 medals at the world juniors, while Sweden picked up a bitterly disappointing 21st.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
