After a pair of heart-stopping semifinals, just two teams remain in the hunt for the gold medal at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup – Canada and Sweden will face off Saturday night at Rogers Place for the top prize.
It will be the second time in four days the teams meet – Canada pulled out a thrilling 4-3 win to close out the preliminary round on Wednesday, getting a late winner from Bowen Byram to clinch top spot in Group A.
The Canadians and Swedes have clashed twice before for summer under-18 gold – Brendan Gaunce had a goal and an assist to lead Canada to a 4-1 victory in 2011, and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored the first two of four first-period goals in a 7-3 triumph in 2015.
Ahead of the 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT puck drop on TSN, how do the Canadians and Swedes stack up?
AVERAGE HEIGHT Canada – 6’0¾” Sweden – 6’0½”
AVERAGE WEIGHT Canada – 187 lbs. Sweden – 180 lbs.
AVERAGE AGE Canada – 17 years, 3 months, 17 days Sweden – 17 days, 2 months, 14 days
GOAL LEADER Canada – Josh Williams (4 goals) Sweden – Lucas Raymond (4 goals)
ASSIST LEADER Canada – Ryan Suzuki (6 assists) Sweden – Alexander Holtz (4 assists)
POINT LEADER Canada – Alexis Lafrenière (8 points) Sweden – Lucas Raymond (6 points)
GOALS FOR-GOALS AGAINST Canada – 24-10 Sweden – 14-8
POWER PLAY Canada – 6 for 16 (37.5%) Sweden – 5 for 13 (38.5%)
PENALTY KILL Canada – 14 of 18 (77.8%) Sweden – 16 of 18 (88.9%)
ALL-TIME MEETINGS Canada leads 15-0-1-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L)
2018 – Canada wins 4-3 (preliminary round) 2017 – Canada wins 4-1 (semifinal) 2016 – Canada wins 4-1 (preliminary round) 2015 – Canada wins 7-3 (gold medal game) 2015 – Canada wins 2-0 (preliminary round) 2014 – Canada wins 5-1 (preliminary round) 2013 – Sweden wins 4-3 (preliminary round) 2012 – Canada wins 7-5 (preliminary round) 2011 – Canada wins 4-1 (gold medal game) 2011 – Sweden wins 5-1 (preliminary round) 2010 – Canada wins 6-3 (preliminary round) 2009 – Canada wins 3-2 (preliminary round) 2008 – Canada wins 4-3 (preliminary round) 2007 – Sweden wins 3-2 SO (preliminary round) 2006 – Canada wins 4-1 (preliminary round) 2005 – Canada wins 4-0 (preliminary round) 2004 – Canada wins 8-2 (preliminary round) 2001 – Canada wins 5-1 (round robin)
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