Kulich’s OT goal puts Czechia into final

In front of 9,265 fans at Scotiabank Centre, the Swedes executed a disciplined, defence-first style that almost put them into the final for the first time since losing 3-1 to Canada in 2018.

Coach Radim Rulik’s Czechs suffered some brain cramps in this clash, like taking two delay-of-game penalties for flipping the puck over the glass in their own end. But they came through in the crunch.

Each of these nations has just two World Junior gold medals to its credit. Czechia won back to back titles in 2000 and 2001, while Sweden triumphed decades apart in 1981 and 2012.

Czechia hasn’t won any World Junior medals since 2005’s bronze in Grand Forks, North Dakota. So a medal of any shade would be meaningful.

This was a highly anticipated goaltending duel between Lindbom and Czechia’s Tomas Suchanek, both of whom have excelled while playing every game for their countries. Final shots favoured Czechia 31-22.

The scoreless first period presaged a titanic defensive struggle. The Swedes clogged up the neutral zone and looked for the counterattack against the more dynamic, prolific Czechs.

Near the seven-minute mark, the best early chance went to Czechia’s Martin Rysavy, who beat Jansson wide and cut in with a close-range backhand that Lindbom denied.

The Czechs’ lone group-stage loss at these World Juniors was 3-2 to Sweden. Jansson, Sweden’s scoring leader on defence, tallied the winner at 1:35 of overtime. He maintained his hot hand here.

In the second period, Jansson drew first blood at 1:39 with a heavy one-timer from the left side, set up by Elias Pettersson. Cheers increased when a fan in the crowd held up a sign: “We Love IKEA.”

Swedish head coach Magnus Havelid used up his timeout to strategize late in a Juniorkronorna 5-on-3 that lasted 1:55, but the gambit didn’t bear fruit. Sweden’s power play has been as weak as its tournament-leading penalty kill has been effective in the Maritimes.

Eduard Sale nearly drew Czechia even about six minutes into the third period when, off a faceoff in the Swedish end, he rattled one off the cross bar from the bottom of the right faceoff circle.

Lindbom drew a huge ovation when he picked off a lightning wrister from Czech D-man David Jiricek with a glove save worthy of Grant Fuhr or Roberto Luongo.

Sweden hunkered down with some big shot-blocks as the Czechs pressed for the equalizer in the final minutes. However, Rulik pulled Suchanek for the extra attacker with less than three minutes left, and it paid off. Jiricek stepped…