Europe beats Sweden in OT, advances to World Cup final against Canada

TORONTO (AP) — Tomas Tatar stuffed in a shot, triggering quite a celebration. Tatar scored his second goal 3:43 into overtime to give Team Europe a 3–2 victory

AP NEWS | Sep 25, 2016

Europe beats Sweden in OT, advances to World Cup final against Canada /

TORONTO (AP) — Tomas Tatar stuffed in a shot, triggering quite a celebration.

Tatar scored his second goal 3:43 into overtime to give Team Europe a 3–2 victory over Sweden on Sunday in the World Cup of Hockey semifinals.

As Swedish goaltender Henrik Lundqvist lay on the ice with his head down, the Europeans huddled up in the right corner and bounced on their skates in jubilation.

Europe coach Ralph Krueger was thrilled for his players, but he wanted them to pump the breaks on the party.

“It’s important we don’t get giddy,” Krueger said. “We want to give Canada and the world a really good final.”

The eight-nation European team will begin a best-of-three series against Canada on Tuesday night for the World Cup of Hockey title.

• Canada beats Russia on Saturday night to secure spot in World Cup final

Europe will be heavy underdogs against the host Canadians, who have won two straight Olympic gold medals and 14 consecutive games in best-on-best tournaments since losing to the U.S. in the preliminary round of the 2010 Olympics.

The Europeans are OK with being counted out because they know they wouldn’t even have an opportunity to compete against Canada for their individual countries.

“This is our chance to go far in a tournament like this,” Norway’s Mats Zuccarello said. “I think we just cherish that moment and this chance.”

Few, if anyone, expected the roster of players from the continent’s non-traditional hockey powers to be among the final two in the event created by the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association.

Everybody, though, with at least a passing interest in the sport would recognize at least some of the players who started Sunday’s game: Anze Kopitar, Marian Hossa and Zdeno Chara.

“You put all those countries together, there's lots of good players there,” Canadian coach Mike Babcock said.

And with goaltender Jaroslav Halak, the Europeans seem to have a shot to stun Canada.

Halak made 37 saves against Sweden.

“We wouldn’t be here without fabulous goaltending,” Krueger said.

Lundqvist, who helped the Swedes win gold at the 2006 Olympics, made 28 saves. He had a shot to prevent both of Tatar’s goals.

On the winner, Lundqvist got caught out of position after playing the puck behind his net.

Zuccarello sent the puck from the left boards toward the net and Tatar stuffed it in from the right side. The score stood after a video review.

“I knew I didn’t do a kicking motion, so I was hoping they were going to see it on the replay,” Tatar said.

The loss may end up being the last time a pair of aging standouts, Lundqvist and Daniel Sedin, play for Sweden.

“I hope I have a chance to work with them again,” Swedish coach Rikard Gronborg said.

On Tatar’s go-ahead goal 12 seconds into the third period, Lundqvist failed to handle the puck cleanly with his glove and it was costly.

Tatar scored off his own rebound after beating defenseman Anton Stralman to the loose puck to make it 2–1.

“It handcuffed me a little bit,” Lundqvist acknowledged.

World Cup of Hockey goalie masks

Jacob Markstrom — Team Sweden

Corey Crawford — Team Canada

Connor Hellebuyck — Team North America

Thomas Greiss — Team Czech Republic

Semyon Varlamov — Team Russia

Ondrej Pavelec — Team Czech Republic

Mikko Koskinen — Team Finland

Work by David Gunnarsson/daveart.com

Jaroslav Halak — Team Europe

Sergei Bobrovsky — Team Russia

Cory Schneider — Team USA

Jhonas Enroth — Team Sweden

Braden Holtby — Team Canada

Henrik Lundvist — Team Sweden

Jonathan Quick — Team USA

Petr Mrazek — Team Czech Rebublic

Carey Price — Team Canada

Pekka Rinne — Team Finland

John Gibson — Team North America

Ben Bishop — Team USA

Tuukka Rask — Team Finland

Matt Murray — Team North America

Michal Neuvirth — Team Czech Republic

Stralman redeemed himself midway through the third period by preventing the puck from going crossing the goal line after Thomas Vanek’s shot on a breakaway trickled past Lundqvist.

Sweden’s Erik Karlsson made it 2-all with 4:32 left in regulation. Karlsson shot the puck from just inside the blue line on the right side of the rink and Swiss defenseman Roman Josi swiped at the puck with his stick and redirected it into his own net.

Both teams had the lead once before overtime and scored once to pull into a tie.

Sweden’s Nicklas Backstrom broke a scoreless tie early in the second with a goal that stood after coach Ralph Krueger challenged that Backstrom interfered with Halak.

Marian Gaborik tied the game at 1 late in the period.

Europe outshot the Swedes 15–9 in the second and they may eventually lament not being more aggressive offensively when they had the lead for about 14 minutes of the period, missing out on an opportunity for a rematch of the 2014 Olympic finals against Canada.

“I don't think we were passive,” Gronborg insisted.

Published Sep 25, 2016

AP NEWS