PJ Axelsson's 56th-minute goal capped Sweden's 6-5 win from 1-5 down against Finland Wednesday in one of the greatest comebacks in the world ice hockey championship's 93-year history.
"We had nothing to lose when trailing 5-1 and we started playing better and better after we got back to 5-4," Swedish coach Hardy Nilsson said. "We're sure happy to still be in the hockey tournament."
Finland's worst collapse before a stunned sellout crowd of 13,441 at Hartwall Arena upheld the Finns' record of never beating archrivals Sweden at home in the worlds, and their inability to win a championship medal at home in six attempts.
Sweden advanced to Friday's semifinals against defending champion Slovakia, which ousted Switzerland 3-1.
At Turku, top NHL sharpshooter Milan Hejduk had a goal and an assist while goalie Tomas Vokoun made 31 saves as the Czech Republic blanked Russia 3-0 and moved on to face Olympic champion Canada, which edged Germany 3-2 in overtime.
Finland led Sweden 5-1 after Teemu Selanne completed his hat-trick with a power-play goal at 6:44 in the second period.
Many fans were celebrating what they thought would be one of their most lopsided wins over their archrivals.
Then 80 second later, Jorgen Jonsson scored for Sweden, followed by NHL MVP candidate Peter Forsberg and Jonas Hoglund to make it 5-4 by the end of the session.
Finland introduced Pasi Nurminen in goal at the start of the third, but it didn't help.
Forsberg equalized with one of the most stunning goals in the tournament, going coast to coast and capping the great rush with a wraparound goal from a sharp angle.
"It was a nightmare finish for the Finnish team," said Finnish head coach Hannu Aravirta, who'd announced earlier he was retiring after these championships.
The Czechs earned sweet revenge after their bid last year for a fourth successive world title was ended in the quarters by Russia.
Hejduk, who led the NHL this season with 50 goals, assisted on the first by teammate Jan Hlavac. The Czechs then capitalized on Russia's indiscipline with a pair of power-play goals to Hejduk and Jaroslav Hlinka.
Canada blew a 2-0 third-period lead against Germany before it was saved in the four-on-four overtime -- a new rule at this year's event -- when Eric Brewer scored 37 seconds in. It was his first goal of the tournament.
Switzerland stunned the unbeaten Slovaks while the latter had two in the penalty box, by scoring first at 14:28 in the first period on Martin Pluss' backhander.
Jonas Vingegaard on Tuesday claimed the overall Vuelta a Espana lead while Jay Vine earned the stage 10 victory for his second triumph of the race. Two-time Tour de France winner Vingegaard overhauled Torstein Traen’s lead to head the general classification by 26 seconds from the Norwegian, with Joao Almeida third and trailing the Dane by 38 seconds. Vine put in an unmatchable performance on the final climb to finish ahead of Spanish Movistar riders Pablo Castrillo and Javier Romo. “Back in red, I’m happy with it, it’s a beautiful jersey,” Vingegaard said. “I’m happy with how the day went,
Australian Alex de Minaur reached the second week of the US Open for the third year in a row with little fanfare on Saturday and said he intended to keep winning until the tournament organizers were forced to give him better billing. Despite being the eighth seed and a quarter-finalist last year at Flushing Meadows, De Minaur’s third-round match against German Daniel Altmaier was scheduled for Court 17 — the smallest of the four stadium venues in the precinct. “It is a little bit of a headscratcher for me. I’m not gonna lie,” he told reporters after progressing 6-7 (9/7), 6-3, 6-4,
RIVALRY: Carlos Alcaraz lost his previous two matches against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, in the Australian Open quarter-finals this year and Paris Olympics final last year Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday dazzled at the US Open to make the semi-finals before Novak Djokovic of Serbia danced his way through to book a New York showdown with the Spaniard that would mark the latest chapter in their generational rivalry. Former champion Alcaraz produced yet another entertaining display at Flushing Meadows to dismantle 20th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 at a sunbathed Arthur Ashe Stadium, securing his place in the last four without dropping a set this year. “Sometimes I play a shot that I should not play in that moment, but it’s the way I love
Spain are in danger of not getting out of EuroBasket Group C after losing 67-63 to Italy on Tuesday, but the defending champions still control their destiny. Marco Spissu put Italy in front for good at 64-63 with two free throws with 31 seconds left and made two more with 14 seconds remaining. Giampaolo Ricci converted one of two free throws with eight seconds on the clock. Spain, which in 2022 won their fourth title, are tied with Georgia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 2-2 each. Greece and Italy have clinched two of the group’s four spots in the round-of-16,
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