Sweden holds on to defeat USA, earn spot in gold-medal game

Sweden eliminated the United States from gold-medal contention at the World Junior Hockey Championship with a 4-2 win in the semifinal Thursday.

After a scoreless first period, the Swedes jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a power-play snipe from Canucks first-rounder Elias Pettersson midway through the second frame.

USA had a glorious chance to tie the game in the waning minutes of the second, but Sabres prospect Casey Mittelstadt opted to deke on a three-on-none break rather than passing, and it didn't work. To make matters worse for the Americans, Kieffer Bellows wound up taking a goaltender interference penalty on the play, which would prove to be the turning point.

Lias Andersson notched one for the Swedes early in the thrid period, followed by back-to-back shorthanded goals from Oskar Steen and Axel Jonsson Fjällby to give them a 4-0 lead.

USA added two late tallies from Bellows and Brady Tkachuk, but it proved to be too little, too late.

The Swedes will face the winner of Canada and the Czech Republic in the gold-medal game, while the host Americans will face the loser in the bronze-medal game.