Sweden hold on to beat Slovakia and reach Quarter-finals by barest of margins

[p]Defeat to an impressive [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/nDtCX9uB/"]Norway[/a] three days earlier left [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/vBLjQRXp/"]Sweden[/a] on the brink of elimination with three wins and three defeats to their name, but as the Norwegians went on to secure their Quarter-final place by beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/OdY4GUuO/"]Czech Republic[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovakia/ruzLVmAN/"]Slovakia[/a] lost to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/dSsR389c/"]Canada[/a], meaning this meeting was a direct battle for a place in the last eight.[/p][p]With five minutes played, it was Slovakia who were on course to take that place, after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koch-patrik/QinyUcGB/"]Patrik Koch[/a] raced down the left wing before playing the puck across to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sykora-adam/p4dSlidl/"]Adam Sykora[/a], who helped it on its way to [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chromiak-martin/O6hNanpQ/"]Martin Chromiak[/a], and his shot was too quick for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hellberg-magnus/6X27NxtJ/"]Magnus Hellberg[/a].[/b][/p][p]Sweden were then guilty of a delay of game, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brannstrom-erik/zHKuCDIn/"]Erik Brannstrom[/a] was called for holding, but it was Slovakia who were punished for not making use of their powerplays, as [i]Tre Kronor[/i] equalised with four minutes of the first period to go.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekholm-mattias/nTVEOZT1/"]Mattias Ekholm[/a] squared along the blue line to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/persson-joel/2XcDv9nd/"]Joel Persson[/a], and his quick forward pass found [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/frondell-anton/O42JSyWP/"]Anton Frondell[/a] on the right side, allowing the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-blackhawks/A1kbmKeg/"]Chicago Blackhawks[/a] man to unleash a quick shot that beat goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hlavaj-samuel/IuSyu3HJ/"]Samuel Hlavaj[/a][/b] despite the tight angle to send the teams in level after 20 minutes.[/p][embed guid="d1a11bac-84d4-4d51-b767-43799e7f6273" url="https://x.com/ViaplayHockeySE/status/2059286321655406859" social-type="twitter" /][p]In the first 11 minutes of the second period, Sam Hallam's side not only turned the match on its head, but gave themselves some breathing space. They were 2-1 up less than three minutes in, winning possession in their own zone before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grundstrom-carl/0pi4Vbfm/"]Carl Grundstrom[/a] found [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silfverberg-jakob/UPzboejG/"]Jakob Silfverberg[/a] at centre ice, and he cruised into Slovak territory before picking his spot[/b] past Hlavaj.[/p][p]Then, a brilliant piece of individual play but them two goals clear - [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stenberg-ivar/UwurqeCM/"]Ivar Stenberg[/a] [/b]carried the puck at speed into the attacking zone[b], before sending his marker crashing to the ground with an expert deke before slamming the puck into the net.[/b][/p][embed guid="10e77beb-0f52-40f0-babc-5c9ddcad7a47" url="https://x.com/IIHFHockey/status/2059297093760479329" social-type="twitter" /][p]But late in the second, Sweden gave Slovakia a lifeline as Brannstrom was again penalised, this time for interference, and[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hrivik-marek/n5ogCEOT/"]Marek Hrivik[/a] finished off the powerplay move[/b] to reduce the deficit back to one ahead of the final period.[/p][p]In the third period, however, Sweden kept their discipline, not giving away any powerplays and limiting Slovakia to just six shots on goal in a professional defensive display before a huge collective sigh of relief was taken after [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekman-larsson-oliver/vw1y8wmE/"]Oliver Ekman-Larsson[/a] made it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/slovakia-ruzLVmAN/sweden-vBLjQRXp/?mid=jcefrlwH"]4-2[/a] with an empty-net goal[/b] with a minute to go.[/p][p]Sweden finish fourth in Group B on 12 points, one clear of the eliminated Slovakia. The Swedes will play the winner of the Switzerland vs [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/finland/rRWMzYQu/"]Finland[/a] match later today in the Quarter-finals on 28th May.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/world/world-championship-2026/"]Follow the knockout stage of the World Ice Hockey Championship on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]