Sweden started the quarter-final against Latvia very pale, where the opponents made it clear early on that they were not going to be a punching bag.
The junior crowns slowly but surely grew into the match and when Latvia then got sent off with about five minutes left, it narrowed.
Fabian Lysell advanced into the Latvian zone at high speed and took the puck “the kitchen way”. What then appeared to be an attempt to push the puck in behind the goal was instead a perfect pass to Isak Rosén, who scored 1-0 in an open goal.
The cold shower
The second period was at least as tentative and lacking in chances. With five minutes left, Helge Grans was sent off for interference.
Latvia had two setbacks during the expulsion, of which Sweden has to thank Leo Lööf’s skates for what otherwise looked like a Latvian equaliser.
Then came the cold shower. Gustavs Ozolins tried a nice long-range shot in front of a very well-shadowed Jesper Wallstedt. The puck found its way all the way into the net via a leg guard.
In the following minute, the junior crowns were overtaken and the period break therefore came very timely.
Match penalty for head tackle
A minute and a half into the third period, Martins Lavins made an ugly head tackle on Liam Öhgren, which resulted in a five-minute expulsion and a match penalty for Latvia. But the Latvians held on without conceding a Swedish leading goal.
But the redemptive lead goal was to come. Emil Andrae smartly dodged the attacking back and slotted in 2–1, the team captain’s fourth goal of the tournament, assisted by William Wallinder and Linus Ljungman.
2–1 then stood the game out.
Finland is already through to the semi-finals after a 5-2 win against Germany. Only after the other quarter-finals, Canada-Switzerland at 01.00 and USA-Czech Republic at 04.00, will it become clear who Sweden and Finland will meet in their semi-finals.