Jonathan Lekkerimaki doesn鈥檛 say much in front of the cameras or behind the scenes.
The Vancouver Canucks prospect does his talking on the ice.
It鈥檚 a big reason why Sweden sits one win from the country鈥檚 third gold medal at the world junior hockey championship.
Lekkerimaki scored twice in the third period as the hosts beat Czechia 5-2 on Thursday to set up a mouth-watering final against the United States.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a lot of fun,鈥� Lekkerimaki said of Friday鈥檚 gold-medal game. 鈥淰ery excited.鈥�
The 19-year-old and his teammates will meet a motivated opponent after the Americans battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to beat Finland 3-2 in the other semifinal. The Finns and Czechs will play for bronze.
The U.S. lost to Sweden at the under-18 worlds in 2022 before the 2005 age group got a measure of revenge in the 2023 rematch.
鈥淪tripped the gold medal from our necks,鈥� said Cutter Gauthier, who scored Thursday鈥檚 winner. 鈥淲e remember it like yesterday.鈥�
American captain Rutger McGroarty, another player born in 2004 on the wrong end of things in 2022, is ready for the jeers from the partisan crowd 鈥� including plenty of Canadians cheering on the Swedes 鈥� at Scandinavium arena.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know who doesn鈥檛 love that, being the bad guy,鈥� said the Winnipeg Jets prospect. 鈥淲e鈥檙e up for being the bad guy and getting a gold medal on their home turf.鈥�
Sweden will be their toughest test to date.
Lekkerimaki bagged his fifth and sixth goals of the under-20 event inside a raucous rink to snap a 2-2 tie through 40 minutes.
鈥淗e鈥檚 pretty laid back, but can give some fun comments,鈥� said linemate Noah Ostlhund, who scored Sweden鈥檚 fourth goal and added an assist. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a good guy.鈥�
A teenager of few words, Lekkerimaki blasted a one-timer past Michael Hrabal on Sweden鈥檚 first man advantage at 5:14 of the third to make it 3-2.
鈥淨uiet guy, definitely,鈥� Swedish head coach Marcus Havelid said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 OK. We are all different.鈥�
Ostlund then added his third goal on a breakaway with eight minutes left to make it 4-2 before Lekkerimaki, who had a game-high nine shots, sealed things with his sixth just 1:02 later.
Axel Sandin Pellikka and Theo Lindstein also had a goal and an assist each for Sweden. Hugo Havelid made 23 saves.
鈥淣ot afraid to do things on the ice,鈥� Sandin Pellikka said of Lekkerimaki, selected 15th overall at the 2022 NHL draft. 鈥淕oes out there and plays his game.
鈥淔别补谤濒别蝉蝉.鈥�
Despite a long list of talent-loaded rosters, the Swedes have only won the world juniors twice, with the country鈥檚 last triumph coming in 2012 after previously topping the field in 1981.
鈥淭ry to think of the opportunity,鈥� defenceman Tom Willander, picked 11th overall in June by Vancouver, said of playing for gold. 鈥淒on鈥檛 see the negative, try to push those thoughts away of anything going wrong and just seeing more of what a possibility it is.鈥�
Sweden made the final in front of its fans in 1993 and 2014, but twice settled for silver.
鈥淭errific opportunity,鈥� Sandin Pellikka said.
Matyas Melovsky and Tomas Cibulka scored for Czechia, which upset Canada 3-2 in the quarterfinals. Hrabal stopped 26 shots.
Finland, meanwhile, jumped out to that early lead before the Americans, who are looking for a sixth gold after last winning in 2021, responded with two in the second.
Gauthier then scored a late power-play goal as the U.S. remained the tournament鈥檚 only undefeated team. Jimmy Snuggerud and Will Smith had the other goals for the Americans, who got 19 saves from Tre Augustine, including one late with his skate blade on a scramble.
Oiva Keskinen and Rasmus Kumpulainen replied for the Finns. Niklas Kokko stopped 27 shots.
The Swedes, who have finished second 11 times, lost to the U.S. in last year鈥檚 bronze-medal game.
Melovsky opened Thursday鈥檚 scoring at 6:55 of the first for the Czechs, who lost the 2023 final to Canada in Halifax, before Lindstein fired home his second when Hrabal whiffed on a fluttering point shot at 11:52.
The Swedes pushed ahead 2-1 just 2:35 into the middle period when Sandin Pellikka鈥檚 point shot once again fooled the hulking Hrabal high on the glove side for the defenceman鈥檚 second.
The Czechs responded again on a power play 5:01 later when Cibulka hammered his second on a one-timer before Lekkerimaki dragged Sweden into its first final since falling to Canada in 2018.
鈥淔rom anywhere, he can just score,鈥� Willander said. 鈥淒angerous player.鈥�
Lekkerimaki said he hadn鈥檛 spoken to Swedish-born Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin at the tournament as his country looks to step atop the world junior podium for just the third time.
Does he feel pressure?
鈥淣ope,鈥� Lekkerimaki replied. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just hockey.鈥�
For these countries 鈥� especially in this age group 鈥� Friday means a lot more.
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