LAST SECOND GOAL GIVES SWEDEN 4-3 WIN OVER CANADA

by Alan Adams

PARDUBICE, Czech Republic – The streaks are over for Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship after Tobias Forsberg scored at 19:53 of the third period to give Sweden a 4-3 win.

The goal capped a Swedish rally from a 2-0 third-period deficit and ended Canada's 20-game winning streak at the World Juniors.

"I think we just got a little ahead of ourselves," said Brad Marchand (Hammonds Plains, NS/Halifax, QMJHL), who scored Canada's first goal.

The Swedes are in first place in Group A, with a 3-0 record and nine points, while Canada and the Czech Republic are 2-1 and sit tied for second.

On the winning goal, Marchand lost the puck at the Swedish blueline, creating a 2-on-1 that Forsberg finished off by sweeping the puck past goaltender Jonathan Bernier (Laval, QC/Lewiston, QMJHL).

Canada ends the preliminary round on Monday against Denmark.

Up 1-0 on Marchand’s first-period goal, Shawn Matthias (Mississauga, ON/Belleville, OHL) scored off a scramble at 2:17 of the third, and the Canadians looked in control.

But the lead was short-lived.

Eric Moe's point shot on a Swedish powerplay got past a screened Bernier at 5:14, ending Canada's shutout string at 165 minutes, 14 seconds, the first time in 20 tries the three-time defending gold medalists had allowed a power play goal at this year’s championship.

The Swedes then scored a pair of lucky goals to take the lead.

Tony Lagrerstrom was behind the Canadian net when his pass hit a skate and the puck ended up behind Bernier at 6:45, and Oscar Möller netted the go-ahead goal when his sharp-angle shot hit a Canadian skate and found its way past a surprised Bernier just moments later.

"We could feel the momentum change and it wasn't fun," said Marchand. "Things could be better."

But Claude Giroux's power play goal at 16:18 on a scramble tied the game at 3-3, and overtime loomed until Forsberg’s late strike.

Marchand said the Canadians can't wait to redeem themselves.

"There is a lot of character in the room and we can't wait to get back out there. We came here to win a world title and that is why we are here.

"We know what we have to do, and we can do it."