Semifinal vs. Sweden Game Blog

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Game links: Game recap and box score | Photos

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Team USA defeated Sweden twice tonight. The Jr. team won and the U17 team won a dramatic OT thriller to reach the gold medal game at the World Hockey Challenge

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The fans have cleared out but you can be sure they’ll pack it up on Tuesday. Sorry the blog went down. I’ll have to get that cleared up before the gold medal game.

GOAL: Team USA 5 – Sweden 2

00:54 – Empty net goal. That seals it. Hockey fans strap them on Tuesday night. It’s Team USA and Canada in the final.

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2:26 – “Markstrom” is the chant from a few fans. What? Pro-U.S.?

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3:06 – Big save by Lee keeps this a two-goal margin.

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GOAL: Team USA 4 – Sweden 2

4:28 – D’Amigo roofs his second goal of the night in shorthanded. Stepan did the work in the offensive zone getting past the defender and passing to D’Amigo.

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4:42 – Lee falls on the puck with 30 seconds left iin the advantage.

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6:00 – Bourque off for delaying the game. Big PK for the U.S. now.

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GOAL: Team USA 3 – Sweden 2

7:23 – Carlson blasts one from the point that slides five hole on Markstrom. Big goal.

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8:15 – The fans wanted a tripping call against the U.S. but nothing came. The blog has been down for me at the worst time. Sorry.

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9:43 – They took some time to review a shot that slid down Markstrom’s back, but ruled no goal was scored.

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12:00 – Penalty killed. Team USA back on the attack.

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14:23 – No goal for the U.S. and then a breakaway by Sweden draws a slashing penalty on Fowler. Bad turn of events for the U.S. Sweden on the power play.

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15:30 – One minute left in the advantage. Three shots on goal. This could be a big lift for Sweden after losing its captain.

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17:15 – Only one shot on goal so far. Lots of passing but no shots.

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19:21 – D’Amigo took a hit to the head from Sweden captain Johansson in the neutral zone. He gets up and appears OK. Johansson is being sent off with a game misconduct and a five minute major. Huge opportunity for the U.S. Full five minute power play. A must score moment

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20:00 – Third period underway. I get the feeling this one will come down to which team can force the other to make a mistake. Both sides are skating hard and have moments when they look like they are controlling the play. The U.S. leads the shots 26-19. Keep an eye on Kristo this period. He’s been great this tournament and is one of the team leaders that the U.S. will rely on to win the game.

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One reader wanted a better description of the setting. I’m sitting in the lower bowl in the corner behind the Sweden net for the third period. The benches are on my side of the ice with the penalty boxes opposite.

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End of period 2: Team USA 2 – Sweden 2

Just before the buzzer someone from Team USA absolutely leveled Rodin in the U.S. zone. Clean hit and Rodin was stunned. Sweden fired a couple shots on Lee right after but he held strong. Great finish to the period.

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00:44 – Good puck movement by Sweden but Team USA was in all the lanes. Good effort.

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3:29 – Stepan gets sent off for delay of game. From my seat behind the U.S. net it sounded like the puck knicked the glass. U.S. PK gets its first work.

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GOAL: Team USA 2 – Sweden 2

4:54 – D’ Amigo makes a great play to chip the puck past the defenseman, then raced into the Swedish zone and wristed the puck past Markstrom. Huge goal.

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5:58 – Everything piles into the U.S. crease and the melee ends up with offsetting penalties. We’ll go 4-on-4. Good job by Lee to somehow keep the puck out.

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GOAL: Team USA 1 – Sweden 2

7:28 – A dump in goes behind the net, Lee tries to clear and Swedes hold. The shot came from Lee’s left and the rebound bounced right into the slot. Lander scored the easy one. The Swedes are working harder than the U.S. right now

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9:07 – Some more chances that time, but still can’t crack the penalty kill.

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12:29 – Tripping call on Johansson. U.S. back on the power play. They spent a lot of the last one in their own zone. They need to improve to beat the Swedes. The aggressive penalty kill is successful so far.

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14:55 – Team USA gets another power play. Interference on Erixon.

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GOAL: Team USA 1 – Sweden 1

15:43 – A shot hit Lee in the mask and the play wasn’t blown dead. The rebound went to his  right and Lander ripped it into the net. Curious non whistle there.

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15:56 – Great blocked shot by Bourque.

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16:52 – Nothing going on that advantage until the last 10 seconds. Big scramble at the Swedish net, but the puck stayed out of the net. The Swede penalty kill was very aggressive.

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19:35 – Stepan walked and dangled the puck around a defenseman and only a hook could prevent the goal. Back on the power play for Team USA.

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20:00 – Back to the action in Saskatoon. Forgot to mention that there was a loud cheer when Team USA scored. Good to hear.

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End of period 1: Team USA 1 – Sweden 0

Good start for the U.S. They outshot Sweden 11-8. It’s very obvious that the teams are evenly matched.

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3:30 – Morin just lifted a stick to stop a shot. Good effort. Heading off now. Be back for the second.

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4:45 – Sweden has been controlling play the last couple minutes, but the U.S. just had a good rush and held the zone.

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7:38 – A bomb from the point sounded like it hit the post a little bit behind Lee. Close one.

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10:34 – The U.S. had a couple chances on the man advantage, but didn’t get any traffic or contain the puck for long stretches. 0-for-1

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12:44 – Carlson charges hard to the net and Andersson hooks him to slow him down. Team USA on its first power play.

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13:16 – Lee makes a save and then Ekman Larsson sprayed him with ice. Team USA obviously didn’t like that.

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14:25 – Team USA has the early lead, but Sweden is pressing. They are very talented.

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GOAL: Team USA 1 – Sweden 0

18:36 – McRae does the work in the corner to take the puck away and Palmieri collected the puck at the side of the net and found Johnson streaking down the slot. Great start.

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20:00 – And we’re off. Speed on speed. Should be a great one.

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Youth players are circling the ice with the Swedish and American flags. So far I haven’t heard any “USA” chants, but have heard “Let’s go Sweden” … it will sound really strange if a legitimate pro-U.S. chant picks up in here tonight. My guess is we’re going to get a lot of cheering for a good hockey game. That’s the chatter in the concourse.

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I’ll post a box score link above from the IIHF. That will update live with goals, penalties etc. That will cover those of you following the game on here while I run around the stadium between the first and second.

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10 minutes to go. Team USA is assured of playing for a medal no matter the outcome, but oh how big the difference is between playing for gold and playing for bronze.

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Pulling extra work again tonight so I won’t be able to finish out the first period. Apologies if you are stuck without an update for a little while.

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25 minutes until the puck drop. Sweden has been rolling through the tournament and carries an undefeated record into tonight’s game. The U.S. needs a Poltova moment. (Anyone? Anyone?)

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The crowd was a mixture of boos and cheers for both teams.

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40 minutes until the opening face off. Team USA is about to take the ice for pregame warmups. This crowd should be warmed up from the 6-1 Canadian victory over Switzerland in the first semifinal. I’ll be curious to see how each team is treated tonight.

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I know you can’t call it a ‘winning streak’ when it involves games that took place so far apart, but Team USA has won four straight over Sweden and is unbeaten in nine straight. It doesn’t have any bearing on tonight’s game, but I thought it was an interesting fact.