IIHF World Championship: Czech Republic Beats Switzerland

The IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republic wrapped up on Sunday with the highly anticipated medal matches, ultimately crowning the hosts with gold, while Switzerland settled for silver and Sweden clinched the bronze. Let’s dive into the day’s action!

World Championship Final

Czech Republic 2, Switzerland 0

After a 14-year wait, the Czech Republic seized the gold medal at the IIHF World Championship, triumphing in a nail-biting final against Switzerland with a 2-0 victory on home soil in Prague.

In front of an electrifying crowd at the O2 Arena, David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins broke the deadlock in the third period with a crucial goal, followed by an empty-netter from David Kampf, sealing the historic win. Goalkeeper Lukas Dostal played a pivotal role, securing his third clean sheet of the championship.

The match remained tense in the opening periods, with both teams unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities. However, Pastrnak’s decisive slapshot in the 50th minute shifted the momentum in favor of the Czechs. Switzerland made a late push by pulling their keeper, but Kampf’s late goal dashed their hopes, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

With this victory, the Czech Republic claimed their second medal in the last three championships, previously securing bronze in 2022. Switzerland’s silver medal matched their best-ever finish in the tournament, achieved in 1935, 2013, and 2018.

Third-Place Playoff

Sweden 4, Canada 2

In the third-place playoff preceding the final, Sweden emerged victorious over Canada with a 4-2 win, securing the bronze medal in Prague.

Forward Carl Grundstrom was instrumental, netting two goals for the Swedes. This victory marked Sweden’s first medal since the 2018 World Championship in Denmark, where they defended their title.

Despite Canada initially taking the lead with goals from Dylan Cozens and Pierre-Luc Dubois, Sweden rallied in the latter stages of the match. Erik Karlsson leveled the score, followed by Grundstrom’s decisive goal in the 54th minute, and Marcus Johansson sealed the victory with a late empty-net goal.

This win was particularly significant for Sweden, as they had not reached the semifinals since 2018 and failed to make the playoffs three years ago.

Overall, the IIHF World Championship concluded with thrilling matches, celebrating the Czech Republic’s golden moment and Sweden’s return to the podium after a three-year hiatus.