ST. PAUL, Minn. — Tomas Poletin scored on a deflection with 1:14 left, and Czechia beat Canada, 6-4, on Sunday night to advance to face Sweden in the first all-European final in the world junior hockey tournament since 2016.
Earlier, Anton Frondell scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give Sweden a 4-3 victory over Finland. The final is Monday night.
In the most recent all-European final, Finland beat Russia, 4-3, in overtime in Helsinki in 2016. Czechia and Sweden are each trying to win their third title. Czechia won in 2000 and 2001 and Sweden in 1981 and 2012.
Poletin scored 1:27 after Porter Martone tied it for 20-time champion Canada.
Vojtech Cihar scored twice for Czechia, and Maxmilian Curran, Adam Titlbach and Adam Benak also scored. Michal Orsulak backstopped the victory.
Tij Iginla, Zayne Parekh and Cole Reschny added goals for Canada.
Canada’s Michael Hage failed on a penalty shot with 1:56 left in second period after getting a second chance when Orsulak tripped him on the first try. The University of Michigan player — who earlier fired three shots off posts — tried the same move and lost control as he tried to move the puck to the right.
Sweden avenged a 4-3 overtime loss to Finland in the semifinals last year in Ottawa, Ontario.
Frondell — drafted third overall by Chicago last summer — put a wrist shot through Petteri Rimpinen’s pads after failing on his first two attempts in the tiebreaker. His first attempt hit both posts.
“I blacked out,” Frondell said. “It was an amazing feeling … happy the last one went in.”
Sweden survived a power play in the 10-minute, 3-on-3 overtime after Viggo Bjork — who missed on three OT breakaways — was called for slashing with 2:03 left.
“This game, it was crazy, long game, tight, overtime, everything. Just one goal and then it’s over,” Frondell said. “You love to play those games.”
Linus Eriksson, Ivar Stenberg and Eddie Genborg scored for Sweden in regulation, and Love Harenstam stopped 33 shots. Atte Joki, Japser Kuhta and and Joona Saarelainen countered for Finland. Rimpinen made 29 saves.
Saarelainen tied it at 3 from close range with 5:59 left in the third.
On Friday night in the quarterfinals, Finland beat the two-time defending champion United States 4-3 in overtime.
