Sweden brush Italy aside to move into top four in Group B at World Championship

[p]Losses to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/dSsR389c/"]Canada[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/OdY4GUuO/"]Czech Republic[/a] had been followed by clear wins over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denmark/2mX8FleU/"]Denmark[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovenia/x2ZOU7PT/"]Slovenia[/a], respectively, so far for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/vBLjQRXp/"]Sweden[/a], but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/IqPZXVAb/"]Italy[/a], without a point from their four matches so far, presented Sam Hallam's side with the best chance to build some form.[/p][p]The Italians held out through the opening exchanges, but Sweden found a way through with just over nine minutes played when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brannstrom-erik/zHKuCDIn/"]Erik Brannstrom[/a]'s centre was picked up by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grundstrom-carl/0pi4Vbfm/"]Carl Grundstrom[/a], who turned and fired [/b]past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clara-damian/EV6Ncl64/"]Damian Clara[/a] in real style.[/p][p]And Sweden put daylight between themselves and their opponents in the final minute of the first period - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/buono-carmine/WOQCA7SJ/"]Carmine Buono[/a] was guilty of tripping, and on the resulting powerplay [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raymond-lucas/rHtqARGj/"]Lucas Raymond[/a] found [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bjorck-viggo/pQJ0LsfE/"]Viggo Bjorck[/a], who switched the play over to the right, where [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stenberg-ivar/UwurqeCM/"]Ivar Stenberg[/a] was waiting to unleash a strike[/b] that gave Clara no chance.[/p][embed guid="50301735-9974-4231-96c2-f4ff0a3398d2" url="https://x.com/ViaplayHockeySE/status/2057904425599893950" social-type="twitter" /][p]Both sides survived a two-minute penalty early in the second period, but [i]Tre Kronor[/i] stayed on top once both sides were back to full strength, adding a third eight minutes in thanks to the same trio who combined for the previous goal -[b] Raymond and Bjorck put together a swift counter-attack before providing Stenberg with a simple finish[/b] for his second.[/p][p]That's how things stayed until the end of two, while a disrupted third period saw both sides handed four minutes' worth of penalties each, but there would be no more additions to the scoresheet as Sweden closed out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/italy-IqPZXVAb/sweden-vBLjQRXp/?mid=A1SKb9Nc"]the 3-0 win[/a]. [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hellberg-magnus/6X27NxtJ/"]Magnus Hellberg[/a] recorded his first shutout of the tournament, needing to make just 12 saves to earn it.[/b][/p][p]The victory takes Sweden to fourth in the Group B standings on nine points with two matches to play, the first of which comes against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/nDtCX9uB/"]Norway[/a] on Saturday 23rd. Italy face Denmark on Sunday 24th in what looks to be a direct battle to avoid relegation.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/world/world-championship-2026/"]Follow the 2026 World Ice Hockey Championship on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]