Politics

Switzerland delivers an icy blow to world champions.

An exhilarating ice-game in Prague: Switzerland surprises at the Ice Hockey World Championships and eliminates the world champions, Canada, with a 3:2 victory during a penalty shoot-out. Sven Andrighetto scores the game-winning goal for his team, sending them into the championship game....

SymClub

May 26, 2024

2 min read

News, Ice hockey, Sport - Lighthouse Berlin, Ice Hockey World Championship

Der Schweizer Torwart Leonaro Genioni vom EV Zug war der Held im Halbfinale gegen Kanada

The World Ice Hockey Championship final has come to its conclusion. - Switzerland delivers an icy blow to world champions.

Davor, hosting the Czech Republic, surprised highly-favored Sweden by winning 7:3 in the afternoon. The championship showdown between the Czech Republic and Switzerland is scheduled for Sunday (8:20 pm) on ProSeven, MagentaSport, Sportdeutschland.TV. To claim the bronze, Sweden and Canada will go head-to-head in Prague at 3:20 pm.

Switzerland is enjoying a two-goal lead over Canada, similar to their 3:1 triumph against Germany during the quarterfinals. Kevin Fiala (16th) and Nino Niederreiter (18th) are the culprits, both scoring with the advantage of a powerplay. The Swiss powerplay is infamous, and the Canadians end up in the penalty box most of the time. They missed out on converting their three powerplay chances.

Switzerland then ups the ante in the middle period, with Brandon Tanev (35th) scoring to make it 1:2. The game reaches its third phase.

Leonardo Genoni, the Swiss goaltender, steals the show yet again. Genoni, who's 36 years old and from EV Zug, has a 95.2% save rate, making life miserable for the defending champion. He pulls off a string of exceptional saves.

With less than two minutes left in regulation time, John Tavares levels the score for the Maple Leafs during a powerplay. The defending champion takes 41 shots, showcasing their dominance. Still, the puck fails to enter the net. Genoni had an exceptional run at this World Championship, different from 2023 when they were eliminated by Germany.

In the overtime period that lasts 10 minutes, the Swiss grit it out, and Genoni is their hero between the pipes. Both Fiala and Sven Andrighetto nail their penalties for Switzerland. The only scorer from the Canadian side was their star player, Connor Bedard. The game ends tragically for the defending champion. The Swiss stun everyone by reaching the final.

All the Ice Hockey World Championship 2024 games are available live on Sportdeutschland.TV (advertisement).