Team Canada is in the semifinals of the 2022 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s Hockey Championship. On Thursday in the quarterfinals, Canada won in dramatic fashion by a 4-3 result in overtime over Sweden in Tampere, Finland. After a first period where Sweden outscored Canada 2-0, and scored on their only shot in the second period (outshot by Canada 19-1), Team Canada made a marvelous third period comeback.
The Canadians got goals in the final stanza from New Jersey Devils defenseman Ryan Graves of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (at 1:21), Winnipeg Jets left winger Pierre-Luc Dubois of Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec (at 18:07), and New York Islanders center Mathieu Barzal of Coquitlam, British Columbia (at 18:37). The last two Canadian goals were without Seattle Kraken goaltender Chris Dreidger of Winnipeg, Manitoba in net, while Dubois’s goal was on the power-play.
Then in the extra period, Ottawa Senators right winger Drake Batherson of New Minas, Nova Scotia scored the overtime winner with William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the penalty box for tripping. Batherson scored from Dubois and Barzal. Batherson, Dubois and Barzal all had one goal and one assist for two points. A fourth Canadian player also had a multi-point game, as Anaheim Ducks left-winger Maxime Comtois of Longueuil, Quebec also had two assists.
In the semifinals, Canada will play the Czech Republic, and Finland will play the United States. The gold medal game will be on Sunday.
