Sweden are through to the Semi-finals of the 2025 World Hockey Championship on home ice after gaining revenge on the Czech Republic, who knocked them out at the last four stage a year ago, by beating them 4-2 at Stockholm’s Avicii Arena and thus ending the Czechs’ title defence.

The two teams arrived in the Playoffs having seen their respective six-match winning runs ended by North American sides on Tuesday – Sweden’s loss to Canada saw them slip to second in Group A, while the Czechs were beaten by the USA and finished third in Group B.

The question of which side would dust themselves off the quicker was answered by Marcus Johansson and Mika Zibanejad coming close for Sweden in the opening minutes, before the hosts made their pressure count after David Pastrnak was called for holding.

Rasmus Andersson controlled the puck in a central position just inside the blue line, then played a neat pass forward to Leo Carlsson, who deflected it into the net.

For the rest of the first period, it was the Lucas Raymond show, as he put the Tre Kronor in full control.

An interception at centre ice from Rasmus Sandin caught the Czechs cold, and Raymond raced away and planted the puck past Karel Vejmelka.

In the final 30 seconds of the period, the Detroit Red Wings forward added his fourth goal of the championship – again Sandin set him up, this time with a long pass down the ice, before he cut inside and sent the puck through Vejmelka, who will feel he should have done better.

RAYMOND x2!

Detroit-stjärnan gör både tvåan och trean för Tre Kronor innan den första perioden är slut #dromomvmguld pic.twitter.com/ilUggARhsW

— Viaplay Hockey (@ViaplayHockeySE) May 22, 2025

Any hopes of a comfortable evening the hosts had were put to bed early in the second period when penalties against Andersson and Mikael Backlund created a 5-on-3 for the Czech Republic, and they made it count one second before Andersson was due to return.

Jacob Markstrom made a decent save against Pastrnak, but there was nothing he could do as Martin Necas played the rebound across to Roman Cervenka, who fired into an empty net.

The Czechs had further chances to reduce the deficit, but the momentum swung back Sweden’s way past the midpoint in the match, and six minutes before the break, the Swedes added some much-needed breathing space.

Johansson burst down the right wing and fed the puck into Zibanejad, who drifted left before knocking the puck into the path of the arriving Carlsson, who swept it past Daniel Vladar.

LEO CARLSSON WITH HIS SECOND OF THE GAME TO EXTEND SWEDENS LEAD TO THREE. #MensIIHFWorlds pic.twitter.com/sPf41Z18rz

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 22, 2025

The home fans’ champagne was put back on ice approaching the midway point in the third period as the Czechs pulled a goal back courtesy of Daniel Vozenilek passing from behind the net to Michael Spacek, who needed two bites of the cherry but eventually forced the puck past Markstrom.

But the corks were being popped five minutes from the end, when the Czech Republic pulled their goaltender for a faceoff in the Swedish zone, only for Sweden to win possession and Filip Forsberg’s clearance to find itself nestling in the back of the Czech net.

The 5-2 final score means it’s the second time in as many years that Sam Hallam’s side have made it to the last four, having not made it to the semis between 2019 and 2023, following their last gold medal in 2018. The Czechs, meanwhile, maintain a record of reaching the Semi-finals every other year since 2018.

Sweden will play their Semi-final match at the Avicii Arena on Saturday, where they will be joined in the last four by the USA, Switzerland and Denmark.

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