3 takeaways from Sweden’s 4-3 overtime loss to Finland – The Hockey Writers – World Junior Hockey Championship

Sweden faces Finland in the semi-finals and is expected to return to the gold medal contention for the second consecutive year at the 2025 World Junior Championships. The game was uneventful for both sides, with the Swedish team ultimately losing 4-3 in overtime. A few things stood out about the Swedish team that was about to win the bronze medal.

Penalties come back to haunt Swedes

Sweden had the best performance in this World Cup, but on the other hand, they were last in penalty kill. In the loss to Finland, penalty kicks were an important reason for their loss. They gave up two power-play goals in a five-game deficit, but added another immediately after the Finnish power play. This goal opened the scoring for Finland, and the first of two power-play goals gave Finland a 2-1 lead in the second period. The second goal eventually gave Finland a 2-1 lead in overtime. Won victory in the game. The Swedish team's untimely penalty may be directly related to the semi-final defeat.

Melker Thelin's Up and Down Game

Entering the tournament, Swedish netminder Melk Thelin has been the driving force behind his team's undefeated streak, capping Group B with a 28-save performance against the Czech Republic on Dec. 31. Number one. At times he made big saves when challenged, but at other times he looked shaky. On many occasions, Trin's poor rebound control resulted in second chances for Finland.

The few goals Thelin conceded in this defeat were also very out of character for him. That included Finland's equalizing goal in the third period. He had a clear view of Wilhelm Hallqvist's penalty kick, but the puck somehow sailed past him and it went in, and he was certainly hoping to get one back. The same could be said for Benjamin Rautiainen's winning goal, which he fired from a bad angle from almost the goal line. Serling didn't grip the post tightly enough as he shot, causing the post to bounce off him and into the net. After strong performances in most games, Thelin surprised and disappointed Swedish fans with his performance against Finland.

The game reached par in the third quarter

In the first two quarters, although Sweden scored two goals (in the second quarter), Sweden's offense did not look like it has in this World Cup. The power play worked when needed, but Finland held them down for the most part at five-on-five. This was thanks in part to Finland keeping Sweden out of the attacking zone, limiting their high-danger chances. But the third quarter and overtime were another story.

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Sweden took complete control of the game in the third period and probably would have won the game if not for the strong goalkeeping from Finnish goalkeeper Petri Limpinen. In the third quarter, they defeated the Finnish team 20-3. It seemed that everyone was used to this kind of offense. Players such as Felix Unger Sorum (Carolina Hurricanes), Axel Sandin Pelica (Detroit Red Wings) and Otto Steinberg (St. Louis Blues) Lead the offense in the third quarter. They only scored one goal in the third quarter but lived up to expectations offensively.

What’s next for Sweden?

Sweden will compete in the bronze medal match on January 5, aiming to win a medal for the second consecutive year. Sandin Pellikka, who won the tournament's Defensive Player of the Year award last year, has nine points in six games heading into the final day to lay a solid foundation for another title shot this year.

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