2017 IIHF World Championship Report (Semi-Finals)
The good thing for the four teams left playing at the World Championship was that there was the potential for a medal regardless of win or loss.
The semi-finals are that exactly as every team enters know that they will be playing for a medal and that they could at least leave with one of the three medals available.
For a lot of teams reaching this point is exactly what they wanted but the teams that often make it here are not satisfied with competing for a medal.
That was the case this year as for another year the top teams in the world were competing in the semi-finals.
None of these teams were hoping just to make it here and all of them were looking for gold, not just a bronze medal.
They headed into the semi-finals knowing that they were going to compete for a medal but to lose these games would be a step backwards.
The two semi-finals meant even a little more this year as the two match-ups pitted rivals against each other.
Both games were for bragging rights as well as the right to play for gold making every team highly motivated when the games began.
First up was a rivalry that many expected to be seen in the gold medal game but instead would be for the right to play in the gold medal game.
The Russians had taken a big loss in their final game of the round robin and so when they beat the Czechs they earned a date with the Canadians who took the Group B title.
Now they faced off to add another chapter to the long stack of chapters in this massive hockey rivalry.
It was a special chapter that was written this time around too as they once again put on a great game.
The Russians came out to an early 2-0 lead and began shutting down the Canadians in what looked like a poor showing for the Canadians.
After such a great tournament they were about to throw it away as they headed to the third period still down 2-0.
Then came the offensive outburst as the Canadians launched a comeback and began scoring at a pace that they were expected to score at the start of the game.
It seemed to shock the Russians and all of a sudden the Canadians were up 4-2 with the Russians fighting an uphill battle to get back to the lead.
The game ended and the Canadians had completed an amazing comeback to take the win and continue their pursuit of a third straight gold medal.
Next up was the Scandinavian rivalry between Sweden and Finland with neither team looking particularly good enough to play for gold.
The Swedes had struggled with inconsistency throughout the tournament but had a lot of talent while the Finns were one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament.
When it came down to it not many thought that these teams were going to be at this point but they were both here waiting to take their chance.
One was going to step up and play their best game while the other would fall back and have to fight for the bronze medal.
The Swedes were the team that stepped up as the Finns had little for their long-time rivals in the semi-finals.
Finland kept it close at the start of the game but Sweden began putting up more goals as the game went on.
The Swedes easily got past the Finns as they put up four goals in the game while Finland was left with the one that they had in the first period.
Now the Swedes and the Canadians will meet for the gold medal while Finland and the Russians look to go home with at least a medal.
The bronze is not necessarily the goal for these teams but it becomes one of the biggest games of the tournament.
Win and they head home with a medal but lose and they head home empty handed despite a good tournament.
Nobody wants to go home with nothing to show as Russia and Finland both look for that medal before they head back.
In the gold medal game, the Canadians are going for three in a row and although they haven’t been as dominant as they were in the past two years.
The Reinforcements for the Swedes have helped them get to this point and if the Canadians overlook them it could be a silver medal rather than gold.
It will be an interesting gold medal game where one team is looking like the dominant gold medal champion but the other could surprise everyone as the tournament closes out.
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