STOCKHOLM :Canada sensationally crashed out of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship in the quarter-finals on Thursday, losing 2-1 to co-hosts Denmark in one of the biggest shocks in tournament history.
Sweden swept to a 5-2 win over Czech Republic and will now face Team USA, who beat Finland 5-2 in Stockholm earlier on Thursday, with the Danes facing a Swiss team that thumped Austria 6-0.
The Danish defence performed brilliantly through the first two periods but they were finally breached when Sidney Crosby set up Travis Sanheim to score at the 45:127 mark and few in the crowd would have expected Denmark, who had never finished better than eighth at the world championship, to come back.
However, Nikolaj Ehlers equalised for Denmark in the 58th minute and the game looked set to go to overtime.
Nick Olesen had other ideas, stabbing the puck home from close range to snatch a seismic winner with 49 seconds remaining on the clock to stun the tournament favourites.
In Stockholm, a three-goal salvo in the first period set up Sweden for a comfortable 5-2 win over the Czechs, with Lukas Raymond and Leo Carlsson both netting twice for the co-hosts.
Asked what Canada’s sensational defeat meant for their prospects, Sweden’s Mika Zibanejad, who had a superb backhand assist for one of Carlsson’s goals, gave a blunt assessment.
“Nothing,” he told Reuters. “Clearly, it’s a good team that’s gone out but we have full focus on what we have to do. We spoke about it being a nightmare quarter-final against Czech Republic, it’s a good opponent, but regardless of who we play, it’s going to be tough.
“Full focus on what have to do and what we can do, we take one game at a time and take it from there,” he added.
The semi-finals will be held on Saturday at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm.
