The Theo Linstein fairy tale continues.
The defenseman, who wasn't even on Sweden's final cut when rosters were announced but was added due to injury, helped thrust the hosts into the gold medal game on Thursday, and after falling behind early, Jimmy Snuggerud made his mark for the United States, which rallied past Finland to set up Friday's medal game against Sweden.
* Sweden 5, Czechia 2 -- Lindstein (No. 29 overall, first round, 2023 NHL Draft) had a goal and an assist to give him eight points (two goals, six assists) in six games, which is most among defensemen in the tournament. His plus-11 is also leading all players.
After Czechia took a 1-0 lead, Lindstein seeing-eyed shot from inside the blue line tied the game 1-1 at 11:52 of the first period.
Lindstein's steal and stretch pass to Noah Ostlund at 12:00 made it 4-2.
Otto Stenberg (25th overall, first round, 2023) had an assist on Sweden's fifth goal at 13:02 to seal the host's win, part of a three-goal third period.
Lindstein had one shot and was a plus-3 in 21:44 for the game; Stenberg, who has four goals and four assists in six games, had three shots and was a plus-3 in 15:17.
Forward Jakub Stancl (fourth round, 2023), who scored twice, including the game-winner with 11 seconds remaining to upset Canada in a quarterfinal game on Tuesday, did not factor in scoring for Czechia; he had two shots and was a minus-2 in 17:44.
* USA 3, Finland 2 -- It appeared that Aleksanteri Kaskimaki (third round, 2022) and the Finns were going to pull another upset,
But Snuggerud (No. 23 overall, first round, 2022) had other ideas.
USA punched its ticket to the gold medal game scoring three unanswered goals, including one by Philadelphia Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier late in the third period.
USA spotted Finland a 2-0 first period lead, but Snuggerud got the US on the board with a beauty of a one-timer on the power play at 12:10 of the second period to make it a 2-1 game.
Snuggerud, who has seven points (five goals, two assists) in five games, finished with four shots in 17:57.
Kaskimaki, who has two goals in six games, including a go-ahead goal against Switzerland in the quarterfinals, did not have any shots and was even on the day in 15:49.
So it sets up a Czechia vs. Finland at 8 a.m. (CT) Friday for the bronze medal game pitting Stancl against Kaskimaki, and Lindstein and Stenberg against Snuggerud for the goldat 12:30 p.m. Each game will be televised in the US on NHL Network and on TSN in Canada.
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