SPORTS

Team Canada beats Sweden 3-2 in overtime

Stephen Whyno The Canadian Press
Published Sunday, May 18, 2014 12:15PM EDT

Team Canada Jonathan Huberdeau fails to score against Sweden's goalie Anders Nilsson on his penalty shot during first period action Sunday, May 18, 2014 at the IIHF World Hockey Championship in Minsk Belarus.(Jacques Boissinot / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Text:

MINSK, Belarus -- Team Canada took control of its playoff road at the world championship of hockey by beating Sweden 3-2 in overtime on Sunday.

Ryan Ellis scored the winner 2:22 into overtime as Canada moved ahead of Sweden atop Group A. Because of goal differential, Canada would all but seal first place with a regulation victory over Norway on Tuesday.

Brayden Schenn and Kevin Bieksa scored in regulation for Canada, while Ben Scrivens was stellar, especially early in overtime.

Joakim Lindstrom and Linus Klasen had Sweden's goals, the first two of the game.

Sweden's final preliminary-round game is Monday against Italy.

Canada's improved penalty-killing got an early test when Erik Gudbranson went to the box for holding. The Canadians went into the game having killed off 11 straight opposing power plays and made it 12 thanks to a snap pad save by Scrivens on Dick Axelsson.

Two quick power plays followed for Canada, but that didn't lead to many quality chances or any kind of momentum.

Instead, Canada fell behind 1-0 at the 3:49 mark when Kyle Turris lost a defensive-zone faceoff and Sweden pounced. Lindstrom, Sweden's leading scorer, beat Bieksa to a loose puck in front and back-handed it past Scrivens.

Jonathan Huberdeau had a couple of golden opportunities to tie it. He was taken down by Niclas Burstrom on a breakaway at 16:33, then was awarded a penalty shot.

Huberdeau attempted Swedish legend Peter Forsberg's famous "stamp" move from the 1994 Olympics that wound up on a stamp. His move got Nilsson going the wrong way, but the goaltender who has undoubtedly seen that play many times in his life got his glove over just in time to stop the puck.

Sweden made it 2-0 just 1:06 into the second period. Gustav Nyquist won a puck battle behind Scrivens' net and got it to Klasen, who was wide open in front and roofed it.

In a game that wasn't full of back-and-forth rushes but rather sustained time in each end, Canada predictably got on the board off an offensive-zone faceoff. Huberdeau went hard to the net to create a chance, and when Schenn followed and whacked away the puck went in off Nilsson's back at 3:52 of the second.

Canada took advantage of a power play to tie it at 7:46, when Cody Hodgson worked the puck to Morgan Rielly and then to Bieksa for a blast from the point that beat Nilsson clean.