RAYMOND SCORES TWICE, SWEDES BLANK SWISS AT HLINKA GRETZKY

JASON LA ROSE

EDMONTON, Alta. – Lucas Raymond potted a pair in a four-goal third period, helping Sweden to a 5-0 win over Switzerland as Group A play continued Tuesday afternoon at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Up just a goal heading to the final frame despite a one-sided 20-9 advantage in shots on goal, the Swedes counted four times in 14 minutes to keep their perfect record intact through two games.

Hugo Alnefelt earned the shutout, making 15 saves in the Swedish goal.

Both teams had their chances in the first period, but it was Sweden that would take a lead to the intermission; Philip Broberg walked the blue-line before letting go a wrist shot from the high slot that found it way past Swiss goaltender Thibault Fatton at 16:39.

Fatton was busy in the second period, facing 11 shots, but managed to keep it a one-goal game heading to the third.

Ludvig Hedström doubled the advantage just 2:13 into the final frame, beating Fatton from a sharp angle, and Raymond got his first five minutes later, netting an unassisted shorthanded marker for the 3-0 goal.

Victor Söderström and Raymond capped the scoring with less than five minutes remaining, scoring 26 seconds apart; Söderström made a quick move at the blue-line before snapping a shot past Fatton, and Raymond forced a turnover deep in the Swiss zone and tucked the final goal around the Swiss puck-stopper.

After a 10-0 loss to Canada on Monday, the Swiss power outage continued; they managed just 15 shots, and didn’t reach double-digits until the nine-minute mark of the third period.

Switzerland is the first team to suffer back-to-back shutouts at a summer under-18 tournament since the U.S. was blanked in the semifinals and bronze medal game at the 2004 Junior World Cup.

The Swedes return to the ice at Rogers Place on Wednesday night in a potential first-place showdown against Canada (7 p.m. MT), while the Swiss try to right the ship against Slovakia (3 p.m. MT).