QUISPAMSIS, N.B. – Jesper Wallstedt was terrific in a 47-save performance, and Sweden scored four times in the third period to pull away for a 6-1 win over Finland in the tournament opener Saturday at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Six different players scored for the Swedes, who beat their Nordic neighbours for the fifth time in seven all-time U17 meetings and avenged their preliminary-round loss from a year ago.
Alexander Holtz finished with a goal and an assist, while Samuel Eriksson added two helpers. Erik Hedlund, William Hallén, Lucas Raymond, Zion Nybeck and Daniel Ljungman also found the back of the net.
Holtz needed less than five minutes to open the scoring, racing away on the breakaway and tucking a backhand behind Finnish goaltender Joel Blomqvist for the lone goal of the first period.
Hedlund doubled the lead at 7:22 of the second period, snapping a quick shot past Blomqvist, but Roby Järventie finished a pretty cross-ice feed from Oliver Suni to get Finland within one again after 40 minutes.
The Finns held a 20-12 advantage in shots on goal in the third period, but it was the Swedes who lit up the scoreboard.
Hallén restored the two-goal advantage at 2:43, beating Blomqvist after a turnover deep in the Finnish zone, and Raymond jumped on a rebound in close just past the midway mark of the final frame.
Nybeck roofed a backhand in the slot for the 5-1 goal with five minutes left, before Ljungman redirected a Helge Grans shot with 95 seconds to go to finish the offensive festivities.
The Swedes are back in action Monday night, taking on Canada Red at the qplex (7 p.m. AT), right after the Finns face Russia (12 p.m. AT).
Raymond scored the lone goal in the shootout to give Sweden bronze.
2018 U17: RUS 2 – FIN 1 (Gold Medal)
Gushchin and Kokhanin scored to give the Russians a fourth U17 gold.
2018 U17: RUS 6 – SWE 4 (Semifinal)
Ponomaryov had 2G 2A to help the Russians reach the gold medal game.
2018 U17: CZE 2 – USA 1 (7th Place)
Mysak had a goal and an assist to lead the Czechs to seventh place.
2018 U17: FIN 5 – CAN-R 2 (Semifinal)
Korkalainen tipped in the GWG to send the Finns to play for U17 gold.
2018 U17: CAN-B 5, CAN-W 3 (5th Place)
Crnkovic scored a hat trick to help Black beat White for fifth place.
2018 U17: RUS 5 – CZE 0 (Quarter-final)
Kokhanin had a goal and two assists to send the Russians to the SFs.
2018 U17: FIN 4 – CAN-W 3 SO (Quarter-final)
Blomqvist finished with 43 saves to help the Finns pull the upset.
2018 U17: CAN-R 2 – USA 1 OT (Quarter-final)
Desnoyers was the overtime hero, giving Red a spot in the semifinals.
2018 U17: SWE 4 – CAN-B 2 (Quarter-final)
Hallén scored early in the third period to give the Swedes a SF spot.
2018 U17: CAN-W 5 – CZE 1 (Preliminary)
McClennon scored two more to help White to a perfect prelim record.
2018 U17: CAN-R 4 – FIN 3 OT (Preliminary)
Jarvis tucked in the OT winner to help Red finish prelims on a high.
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