Sweden off the mark in World Championship with cruise past Denmark

[p]Following a 5-3 loss to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/dSsR389c/"]Canada[/a] on the opening day, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/vBLjQRXp/"]Sweden[/a] are off the mark in this year's tournament, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denmark/2mX8FleU/"]Denmark[/a] are still awaiting their first points having also suffered a 4-1 defeat to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/OdY4GUuO/"]Czech Republic[/a] 48 hours earlier.[/p][p]Danish resistance was broken in the 10th minute when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bjorck-viggo/pQJ0LsfE/"]Viggo Bjorck[/a] played the puck into the path of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekholm-mattias/nTVEOZT1/"]Mattias Ekholm[/a], who created space in front to fire home[/b] the opening goal. [/p][p]An interference call against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/karlsson-linus/4OQu43rO/"]Linus Karlsson[/a] gave Denmark a route back into the match, but the [i]Tre Kronor [/i]defence not only held out but doubled their lead soon after getting back to full strength, winning the puck behind the Danish net before [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raymond-lucas/rHtqARGj/"]Lucas Raymond[/a] set it back for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekman-larsson-oliver/vw1y8wmE/"]Oliver Ekman-Larsson[/a] to strike.[/b][/p][p]The Danish Lions showed some grit either side of the first break after a cross-checking call against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andersen-daniel/rHSBlaKc/"]Daniel Baastrup[/a] in the final minute of the first period gave Sweden a powerplay, but they weren't able to survive another when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olesen-nick/Q3nvhOtn/"]Nick Olesen[/a] was guilty of the same offence five minutes into period two.[/p][p]Sweden worked the puck around the Danish zone before [b]Raymond thundered in a quick shot from a tight angle[/b] following [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/persson-joel/2XcDv9nd/"]Joel Persson[/a]'s pass, and less than three minutes later it was 4-0 - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hagg-robert/vmtxmJD2/"]Robert Hagg[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grundstrom-carl/0pi4Vbfm/"]Carl Grundstrom[/a] combined in the build-up before setting up [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silfverberg-jakob/UPzboejG/"]Jacob Silfverberg[/a], who fought hard to maintain control before scoring.[/b][/p][p]Interference by Grundstrom then allowed Denmark to pull a goal back 12 minutes into the middle period, [b]as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blichfeld-joachim/zD6cncwU/"]Joachim Blichfeld[/a] scored just four seconds into the powerplay[/b]. However, hooking by Blichfeld then allowed for a moment of Swedish hockey history.[/p][embed guid="9445602c-c519-43d8-ad05-96a860b981e7" url="https://x.com/ViaplayHockeySE/status/2056059059086721398" social-type="twitter" /][p]On the resulting powerplay, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stenberg-ivar/UwurqeCM/"]Ivar Stenberg[/a] slid the puck across for [b]Bjorck to hit first time to restore the four-goal cushion and become Sweden's youngest scorer at the World Championship at 18 years and 66 days old.[/b][/p][p]Three players served two minutes in the box for fighting early in a third period that saw both sides concede a spate of penalties, and Denmark finally made the most of one when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aagaard-mikkel/v57qjaw9/"]Mikkel Aagaard[/a] finished in style on a powerplay[/b] with just over eight minutes to play.[/p][p]But any hopes of a late Danish fightback were snuffed out five minutes from time when [b]Karlsson finished at close range[/b] following a neat centre from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holmstrom-simon/t4zlJVg4/"]Simon Holmstrom[/a] to round off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/denmark-2mX8FleU/sweden-vBLjQRXp/?mid=Us7opA84"]the 6-2 victory[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hlavaj-samuel/IuSyu3HJ/"]Sam Hallam[/a]'s side are up to fourth in the Group B table, three points shy of Canada and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovakia/ruzLVmAN/"]Slovakia[/a] and one behind Czech Republic. Only a better goal difference than [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/IqPZXVAb/"]Italy[/a] is keeping Denmark off the foot of the eight-team table.[/p][p]Both side are back on the ice on Monday 18th - Denmark face Canada while Sweden meet the Czechs.[/p][embed guid="0ddc45c7-d005-415f-81cd-836a129b1f29" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBmatXKUBQ0" social-type="youtube" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/austria/xWM7kVPi/"]Austria[/a] beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hungary/fBiWomPG/"]Hungary[/a] to stay perfect[/h2][p]In Group A in Zurich, neighbouring Austria have joined [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/buO3jBAo/"]Switzerland[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/finland/rRWMzYQu/"]Finland[/a] in securing back-to-back wins to open their tournament thanks to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/austria-xWM7kVPi/hungary-fBiWomPG/?mid=2emkw2eK"]4-2 success[/a] over Hungary. The Hungarians stay above [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/great-britain/C2UJnT9A/"]Great Britain[/a] on goal difference after two defeats thus far.[/p][p]The teams were tied at 1-1 with 40 minutes played as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sofron-istvan/Ovtj2Vf1/"]Istvan Sofron[/a]'s goal cancelled out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rohrer-vinzenz/0pNbMmbC/"]Vinzenz Rohrer[/a]'s opener, but [i]Die Adler[/i] turned up the heat in the final period, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nickl-thimo/6wnz3H4g/"]Thimo Nickl[/a] scored twice to secure the win after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zwerger-dominic/vBz7eFMQ/"]Dominic Zwerger[/a]'s powerplay goal had restored the advantage. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vincze-peter/QNKrgTnU/"]Peter Vincze[/a] registered what was no more than a consolation in the end for Hungary.[/p][embed guid="d060adb8-58ff-4db3-9325-19edaf3098d3" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VubpYFBVfUQ" social-type="youtube" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/world/world-championship-2026/"]Follow the 2026 World Ice Hockey Championship on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]