Sweden take hockey cup
May 19, 2013![39648720] Hockey World Championship. Final match 1472674 Sweden, Stockholm. 05/19/2013 Sweden's Staffan Kronvall, left, and Switzerland's Simon Bodenmann in the final match of the World Hockey Championship between the national teams of Switzerland and Sweden. Alexey Kudenko/RIA Novosti](/dw.static/image/16824366_1004.webp "39648720] Hockey World Championship. Final match 1472674 Sweden, Stockholm. 05/19/2013 Sweden's Staffan Kronvall, left, and Switzerland's Simon Bodenmann in the final match of the World Hockey Championship between the national teams of Switzerland and Sweden. Alexey Kudenko/RIA Novosti")
Switzerland took a heavy pounding from the "tre kronor" on the Stockholm ice, finally going down 5-1 after a valiant effort in the first two periods. Switzerland took an early lead when Roman Josi put the first points on the board less than five minutes in, but by the siren were down 2-1.
Both teams went scoreless in the second period, unable to capitalize on a penalty shot each, but finally the Swedes ran away with the match in the third, finding the goal mouth three times.
Sweden's win makes them the first home team to take the cup in 27 years.
The last team to achieve that was Soviet Union, in 1986.
Switzerland's silver is its first world championship medal in 60 years, and this year was their first final since 1935.
Favored Finland falls
In the match for bronze earlier on Sunday, the United States beat Finland 3-2 in a shootout victory.
For the Americans it was young talent time, as 19-year-olds Alex Galchenyuk and John Gibson strutted their stuff. Galchenyuk, a forward for the Montreal Canadiens, made successful back-to-back attempts in the shootout, while Gibson in the net stopped 36 of Finland's 38 shots.
It was the first medal in nine years for the United States.
ch/slk AP, AFP