Canada prevailed late to beat Sweden 5-3 and open the ice hockey world championship Friday in Fribourg, Switzerland, the report says. Jet Greaves stopped 22 shots while John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly, Dylan Holloway, Connor Brown and Dylan Cozens provided the offense.
Tavares opened the scoring 2:21 into the game by beating Magnus Hellberg on Canada’s first shot, and O’Reilly added a backhand with four minutes remaining in the first period to make it 2-0, the report says.
Sweden, last year’s bronze medalist, replied in the middle period. Jacob Larsson scored from the left circle 8:21 into the frame, and Lucas Raymond tied the game eight seconds into a power play by wristing a shot past Greaves. Holloway put Canada back ahead from the slot with 5:44 left in the period before Mattias Ekholm’s one-timer from the point evened the score again at 3-3, per the report.
In the final period, Brown gave Canada the lead 3:21 in, and Cozens sealed the victory with a deflected backhand later in the frame, according to the report.
The report notes Canada is the most successful nation at the tournament with 28 titles and last won the trophy three years ago. The team hopes to rebound from a fifth-place finish last year and received a late boost when Sidney Crosby, 38, decided to join the roster for a second straight world championship and a fourth time overall after his Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the NHL playoffs in the first round. With Macklin Celebrini, 19, named captain, Crosby was listed as an alternate and replaced Tavares in that role, the report says.
Elsewhere, Finland beat Germany 3-1 in Zurich, and the report says the defending champion United States faces host Switzerland later Friday while the Czech Republic meets Denmark.
