Czechia tops Canada, faces Sweden in all-European world junior final

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Tomas Poletin scored on a deflection off his skate with 1:14 left and Czechia beat Canada 6-4 on Sunday night to advance to face Sweden in the first all-European world junior hockey final since 2016.

Earlier, Anton Frondell scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give Sweden a 4-3 victory over Finland. The final is Monday night.

In the last all-European final, Finland beat Russia 4-3 in overtime in Helsinki in 2016. Czechia and Sweden are each trying to win their third title. Czechia won in 2000 and 2001, and Sweden in 1981 and 2012.

Poletin scored 1:27 after Porter Martone tied it for 20-time champion Canada.

“Obviously we wanted this win, because you heard them in the media,” said Vaclav Nestrasil, a Chicago first-rounder who plays at the University of Massachusetts. “They were chirping. … We wanted to keep their ego down, and we did that. I think we were better.”

Czechia eliminated Canada for the third straight year. The Czechs beat the Canadians in the quarterfinals the previous two years.

“It’s the same feeling,” said Canadian star Gavin McKenna of Penn State, one of six returnees from last year. “Letting your country down sucks.”

Vojtech Cihar scored twice for Czechia, and Maxmilian Curran, Adam Titlbach and Adam Benak also scored. Michal Orsulak made 20 saves.

“We were a little more hungry,” Czechia coach Patrik Augusta said. “The guys just showed that they are a team. They showed a lot of character and a lot of will.”

Tij Iginla, Zayne Parekh and Cole Reschny added goals for Canada, and Jack Ivankovic stopped 31 shots.

“They’re down,” Canadian coach Dale Hunter said. “That’s hockey. Be a pro about it.”

Canada’s Michael Hage failed on a penalty shot with 1:56 left in second period after getting a second chance when Orsulak tripped him on the first try. The University of Michigan player – who earlier fired three shots off posts – tried the same move and lost control as he tried to move the puck to the right.

“I had an empty net, and he tripped me,” Hage said. “I just thought he bit so hard I’d try the same thing.”

Sweden avenged a 4-3 overtime loss to Finland in the semifinals last year in Ottawa, Ontario.

Frondell — drafted third overall by Chicago last summer — put a wrist shot through Petteri Rimpinen’s pads after failing on his first two attempts in the tiebreaker. His first attempt hit both posts.

“I blacked out,” Frondell said. “It was an amazing feeling … happy the last one went in.”

Sweden survived a power play in the 10-minute, 3-on-3 overtime after Viggo Bjork — who missed on three OT breakaways — was called for slashing with 2:03 left.

“This game, it was crazy, long game, tight, overtime, everything. Just one goal and then it’s over,” Frondell said. “You love to play those games.”

Linus Eriksson, Ivar Stenberg and Eddie Genborg scored for Sweden in regulation, and Love Harenstam stopped 33 shots. Atte Joki, Japser Kuhta and and Joona Saarelainen countered for Finland. Rimpinen made 29 saves.

Saarelainen tied it at 3 from close range with 5:59 left in the third.

Finland and Canada will meet in the third-place game.

“Very tough, but doing it for Canada,” McKenna said about playing for bronze. “We’ve got to regroup to be ready.”

On Friday night in the quarterfinals, Finland beat the two-time defending champion United States 4-3 in overtime.