Host Swedes shut out Canada at world junior championship

Canada drew a blank Friday at the 2024 world junior hockey championship.

In a showdown for first place in Group A, Hugo Havelid made 21 saves for the shutout as the host Swedes beat Canada 2-0 in Gothenburg.

The Swedes improved to 3-0-0 and guaranteed themselves first place in the pool, while the Canadians fell to 2-1-0.

Canada — the tournament’s two-time defending champion — is to complete pool play Sunday against Germany.

The Canadian team includes Saskatoon-born Brayden Yager of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk and Saskatoon Blades forward Fraser Minten.

The first period Friday was scoreless, in large part because of the right skate of Canadian goalie Mathis Rousseau.

After Minten took a double minor for high-sticking at 13:43, the Swedes had a great chance to open the scoring with Liam Ohgren alone at the side of the Canadian net.

But Rousseau stretched across and got his right skate on Ohgren’s shot and Canada was able to kill off the rest of the power play.

Sweden broke the ice at 1:53 of the second period, with Tom Willander firing a long wrist shot past a screened Rousseau.

The Swedes stretched their lead at 10:33 of the second, when Noah Ostlund chipped a rebound into the Canadian net.

Canada had a chance to get on the board less than two minutes later, as Matt Savoie broke in alone. But Savoie lost control of the puck without getting off a shot and Sweden maintained its 2-0 lead.

The Canadians had chances in the third period — a shot by Macklin Celebrini beat Havelid but hit a goal post, just before Minten was stopped point blank by Havelid — but the Swedes were able to weather the storm.

Sweden has yet to allow a goal in its first three games of the tournament.

It was the first time Canada had been shut out at the world junior tournament since the gold-medal game in 2021, when the United States posted a 2-0 victory.