HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — It may have taken a whopping eight-goal effort, but the Americans come out of the 2023 World Junior Championship with a bronze medal after topping Sweden 8-7 in overtime.
The gold medal game was a extra-period thriller as well as Dylan Guenther (Arizona Coyotes) scored in overtime to lift Canada over Czechia 3-2. Guenther scored twice and assisted on Shane Wright's goal in the second period.
The third-place match looked quite calm after the first 20 minutes. USA held a 1-0 lead heading into the second frame after Logan Cooley (Minnesota / Pittsburgh) sniped in a goal off a pass from teammate Jimmy Snuggerud (Minnesota / Chaska, Minn.).
Logan Cooley off a no-look pass from @JSnuggerud 🥶 pic.twitter.com/6GTeRyIeBA
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) January 5, 2023
The second period is where things started to get out of hand when the teams combined for nine goals. Things were all tied up at 5-5 heading into the third period.
American goaltender Trey Augustine (NTDP / South Lion, Mich.) was pulled after the second period and teammate Kaidan Mbereko (Colorado College / Aspen, Colo.) started the third.
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THE GOLDEN GOAL BY DYLAN GUENTHER! 🥇#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/VbbZQfTOV4
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) January 6, 2023
Both teams scored in the early minutes of the third period to increase the score to 6-6. With less than two minutes left in regulation, Cutter Gauthier (Boston College / Scottsdale, Ariz.) stuffed the puck past Swedish netminder Carl Lindbom on the power play. Many assumed that would be the game-winning goal, but not quite.
With only 21 seconds left on the clock, the Swedes tied things up with an extra-attacker goal from Filip Bystedt , his second of the game.
Tie game! Tie game! Filip Bystedt (#SJSharks) hops on the loose puck and snaps it home to knot this at 7-7 for 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇸🇪 with 22 seconds left, and we're headed to overtime.
— EP Rinkside (@EPRinkside) January 5, 2023
Isak Rosén (#LetsGoBuffalo) and Ludvig Jansson (#TimeToHunt) the assists on the play.
🎥: @TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/YRbFqUXpcl
In overtime, Chaz Lucius (Manitoba AHL / Grant, Minn.) got the puck all alone in front of the net and popped one past the goaltender to win the bronze medal for the Americans and to complete his hat trick.
🇺🇸@usahockey wins the bronze medal at 2023 #WorldJuniors. In overtime, Chaz Lucius is the hero and nets a hat trick against 🇸🇪 @Trekronorse pic.twitter.com/fuCLtq7PHc
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 5, 2023
The Americans officially come home with a bronze medal, while Sweden finishes fourth. Czechia took the silver.
Lucius, alongside teammate Rutger McGroarty (Michigan / Lincoln, Neb.), lead the Americans with three points each during the match. Defender Luke Hughes (Michigan / Manchester, NH) lead the U.S. in ice time, logging 26:05 in the third-place game.
Augustine stopped 15 of 20 shots on goal while Mbereko stopped 14 of 16.
This medal is the seventh bronze won by the Americans in tournament history, and the 14th medal won overall.
