Canada beats Sweden in dramatic gold medal final at World Juniors
Canada is the best in the world of junior hockey once again.
With the score tied 1-1 late in the third period, Tyler Steenbergen picked one hell of a time to score his first goal of the tournament. The Sylvan Lake, Alberta native tipped home a shot/pass from the point from Conor Timmins with 1:40 to play in the third period to give Canada their first gold medal at the World Juniors since 2015.
.@ArizonaCoyotes prospect & @SCBroncos forward Tyler Steenbergen scores the go ahead goal for 🇨🇦@HC_WJC 🇨🇦with 1:40 left in the third period!
🥇🥇🥇
🏒#WorldJuniors 🇨🇦 #Yotes pic.twitter.com/q9ybge7FLz
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 6, 2018
Calgary Flames draft pick Dillon Dube scored for Canada early in the second period to open the scoring.
.@NHLFlames prospect & @Kelowna_Rockets forward Dillon Dube opens the scoring for 🇨🇦@HC_WJC 🇨🇦!
🇨🇦1⃣-🇸🇪0⃣
🏒#WorldJuniors 🇨🇦 #CofRed pic.twitter.com/32OLyKXHe3
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 6, 2018
Sweden’s Tim Soderlund tied the game later in the period with a shorthanded goal that hushed the pro-Canadian crowd that traveled to Buffalo.
.@NHLBlackhawks prospect Tim Soderlund rifles one off the post and in to tie it up for 🇸🇪@Trekronorse 🇸🇪.
🇨🇦1⃣-🇸🇪1⃣
🏒#WorldJuniors 🇸🇪 #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/ZzgWXJXEZf
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 6, 2018
Alex Formenton added another for the red and white into an empty net to seal the deal.
Taylor Raddysh hit the post with just over five minutes to play on a Team Canada power play that was unable to score in the game, but it didn’t end up mattering despite the 1-1 score at the time.
The gold medal is just Canada’s second in this tournament in the last nine years. It’s sweet redemption for the returning players, who lost in a shootout in the gold medal game one year ago. That’s particularly true for No. 1 goaltender Carter Hart, who was outstanding in the final.