SWEDEN FIRST TO THREE WINS IIHF 2025 World Junior Championship

Sweden and Switzerland combined for eight power-play goals in the game and Sweden held on for a wild 7-5 win this afternoon at TD Place in Ottawa. Sweden built a 6-1 lead only to see the Swiss score all four of their gols in the third on the power play.

The win moves Sweden to the top of Group B standings with a 3-0-0 record and ensuring them a place in the quarter-finals. The Swiss lost for the third time in as many games and are now in a precarious position.

Both teams have a day off before playing critical games on New Year’s Eve. The Swedes clash with the Czechs in what might well be a fight for first place. The Swiss take on Kazakhstan in a game that will have huge implications for either qualifying for the quarter-finals or being forced to play the pressure-packed relegation game.

Tom Willander had tow goals and an assist for the winners while Leon Muggli had three assists for the Swiss.

The Swedes jumped into an early 1-0 lead thanks to a power play slapshot form the point by Tom Willander. His long blast at 6:52 went cleanly over the shoulder of Elijah Neuenschwander.

Switzerland tied it less than six minutes later, on a lucky play. Kimo Gruber was trying to get the puck to the front of the Swedish goal, but his pass banked off the skate of Theo Lindstein and under the pad of Melker Thelin at 12:18.

Just 63 seconds later, however, the Swedes restored their lead on a perfect dump in. Isac Hedqvist got the puck in front to Zeb Forsfjall, who snapped a shot past Neuenschwander before he realized what had happened.

A late power play gave the Swedes further chance to extend their lead, which they did when Otto Stenberg drilled a shot from the off wing under the glove of the Swiss goalie.

The Swedes poured it on in the second, scoring three more goals, two with the extra skater. David Granberg made it 4-1 at 4:52 when his shot off the rush snuck through Christian Kirsch, who started the period, on the short side. It was their fourth goal on only seven shots. Four minutes later, it was a 5-1 game when Willander replicated his goal from the first. On the power play again, his long shot went high over the shoulder.

And then, with 11.8 seconds remaining, Viktor Eklund pushed a puck over the goal line from the blue ice after Kirsch made the initial save but wound up on his back.

The Swiss got a power-play marker of their own early in the third courtesy of Gruber's second of the night. He got the puck after a faceoff win and snapped a shot under the blocker of Thelin at 4:21 to make it a 6-2 game.

Captain Axel Sandin Pellikka repsonded five minutes later for the Swiss, snapping home another shot on a power play at 9:44, his fourth of the tournament. Not to be outdone, the Swiss counted another three goals with the extra player. Leo Braillard wristing a high shot over Thelin's glove at 11:17 and then three minutes later another long and high shot, this from Leon Muggli tipped in front by Andro Kaderli. Braillard got the final one with 12.2 seconds remaining.