Canada suffers SO loss to Swiss at hockey worlds, will play Sweden for bronze | CBC Sports

Switzerland prevailed in a penalty shootout to stun Canada 3-2 and set up the final against the Czech Republic at the ice hockey world championship on Saturday.

Sven Andrighetto scored the decisive shootout goal after the game finished 2-2 in regulation with no team scoring in the 10-minute overtime.

The 28-time champion Canada had to settle for the bronze medal game against Sweden.

Kevin Fiala scored, added an assist and scored one of the two Swiss goals in the shootout. Nino Niederreiter also scored for Switzerland. Goaltender Leonardo Genoni stopped 42 shots.

“It couldn’t feel better,” Fiala said. “To be honest, it’s special for us to be in the final and it doesn’t matter who we play. I’m very proud of the team. Our goalie, Leo, was unbelievable.”

Earlier, Brandon Tanev scored with a backhand with 5:53 remining in the middle period to reduce Switzerland’s lead to 2-1. Captain John Tavares tied the game for Canada with 2:07 left in the final period on a power play when Connor Bedard fed him in the right circle to force overtime.

“That’s as close as it gets,” Tavares said. “It’s still hard to believe really. A lot of credit to the guys for sticking with it, battling back.”

Tavares said it was still not over for Canada: “We don’t wanna go home empty handed.”

Canada’s first shot on the Swiss goal only came after more than 11 minutes.

Fiala put the Swiss ahead with a slap shot from the point with 4:54 to go in the opening period on a power play for his seventh in Prague.

Niederreiter doubled the lead 2:10 later with another power play goal when defenceman Owen Power deflected his shot from the blue line into his own goal.

Switzerland outshot Canada 17-8 in the first.

Canada beat Switzerland 3-2 in the preliminary round last Sunday in Prague with all goals scored on power plays.

Switzerland also defeated Canada in the semifinals of the 2018 worlds, where the Swiss finished runner-up for their last medal.

WATCH | Switzerland denies Canada in SO:

Czechs to play for gold on home ice

Czech Republic produced a three-goal second period as it downed Sweden 7-3 on Saturday to advance to the final of the ice hockey world championship for the first time since 2010.

Ottawa Senators forward Dominik Kubalik and Lukas Sedlak scored two goals apiece and added an assist each, while Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas had a four-point game with a goal and three assists.

David Kampf and Ondrej Kase had a goal and an assist each for the Czechs.

Marcus Johansson, Marcus Pettersson and Joel Eriksson scored for the Swedes, whose eight-game winning run in the tournament came to an end.