Batherson caps comeback in OT

The Swedes came with early pressure and it took just 87 seconds to open the scoring. After Oscar Lang and Jacob Peterson won a battle for the puck in the corner, Lang made a pass to set up a Carl Klingberg one-timer that beat Chris Driedger over the glove.

Just past the seven-minute mark, Sweden went up 2-0. Joakim Nordstrom blocked a shot by Damon Severson and it landed right on the stick of William Nylander just inside his own blueline. Nylander quickly turned on the jets and skated in alone on Driedger, beating him over the glove and just under the crossbar.

“We’re a pretty young team and I think we were nervous in the first period,” said Canadian head coach Claude Julien. “We made some mistakes that gave them some opportunities and they took advantage. We came in after the first and made a couple of little adjustments, and then our guys seemed to settle down.”

Canada’s attempts to climb back into it were stalled in the first period by a pair of minor penalties. Canadians came out hard to start the second period, had some sustained pressure in the Swedish zone and got the period’s first six shots on Ullmark.

However, against the run of play, the Swedes got their first scoring chance of the period and Max Friberg hit the goalpost. Later on the same shift, Friberg scored to make it 3-0. Stationed in front of the net, he got his stick on an Erik Gustafsson shot from the point and deflected it past Driedger.

It was the only official shot on goal that was credited to Sweden in the middle frame. At the other end of the ice, Ullmark stopped all 19 directed his way. Canada’s best chance to score in the first two periods came late in its only power play, when Ullmark scrambled to stop a barrage of shots, finally holding and freezing a Batherson one-timer. Ullmark also made a big save on a Dylan Cozens shorthanded attempt after a turnover.

“Between the second and the third in the intermission we talked in the room and we knew we could do it,” said Chabot. “We put so many pucks to the net, we knew that at some point, some were going to go in.”

In the second minute of the third period, Canada finally broke through when Ryan Graves’ floater from the point went through a crowd and beat Ullmark on the short side.

“That first goal really gave us some life. Then we just kept plugging away,” said Julien.

Canada continued pushing, trying to get closer, but Ullmark was in the zone. Midway through the third, Adam Lowry had a great chance from the slot but the Swedish goalie made an unbelievable blocker save, from which he needed a moment to recover after the whistle.

With 3:52, the Canadians went to the power play when Rasmus Dahlin shot the puck over the glass. Driedger went to the bench for a sixth attacker with 2:20 to go for a 6-on-4 advantage, and with just one second left in the power play, Pierre-Luc Dubois scored on a one-timer to make it a one-goal game with 1:53 to go.

With Driedger going back to the bench after the faceoff at centre ice, Canada went back to the attack and exactly 30 seconds later the game was tied. Barzal’s backhander somehow made it through a forest in front of the net untouched until it got to Ullmark. The Boston Bruins goalie got most of it, but the puck trickled through and barely across the goal line before Ullmark could rescue it with the glove.

“Trying to believe you can score a goal, then you get that one to make it 3-2 then tie it up and get to overtime,” said defenceman Damon Severson. “It was just one of those days when we knew we were going to get it done. We had a good feeling. We’re a confident group. We know there’s there periods to play for a reason and extra time if necessary.”

Nylander was called for tripping 25 seconds into overtime, and with the momentum all on their side, that was the opening the Canadians needed. DuBois down low to Barzal at the top of the circle, to Batherson at the backdoor. Ullmark had been brilliant, but he had no chance on the winner. Batherson quickly fired into the open side and that was it.

Canada is moving on.