Swedish U17s perfect

13 Feb 2012 | Derek O’Brien

The Swedish U17 team was perfect this past weekend in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, winning all three of its games in the Four Nations Tournament.

Sweden was led offensively by the dynamic duo of André Burakovsky and Leon Bristedt, who recorded four points each in three games. Though they play with separate clubs, Burakowsky with Malmö and Bristedt with Linköpings, the two seem to have a lot of chemistry when they play together.

“I think we play well together,” said Burakowsky, who played two games as a 16-year-old in Sweden’s second-tier men’s HockeyAllsvenskan league this year. “I think the coach sometimes changes us up to see how we play with other players as well. I don’t know, but I think the coach thinks we’re good together and we will play together in the future.”

“André is very good all-around and I’m more battling in front of the net and putting in rebounds,” said Bristedt. “I guess André is more the playmaker.”

The pair’s best game was the opener against Russia, when they helped erase a 2-1 second period deficit with three straight power-play goals and win 4-3. In the next two games, the Swedes were outshot, but they got stellar netminding from William Silwerefeldt-Öhman against the Czech Republic and Ebbe Siönäs against Finland to win both games.

In a tight three-way race between the other three teams, the host Czech team finished second with four points, followed by Russia with three and Finland with two. Finnish coach Mika Marttila raved about the quality of hockey in the tournament afterward: “I have to say, here were four top-quality teams and really high-level games and high-level ice hockey. We are satisfied.”

Finland’s two points came from an overtime win over the Czechs on the first day. In the tournament’s very last game, the Czechs leap-frogged over Russia into second place with a thrilling 5-3 victory that electrified the home crowd. Needing the full three points to secure second, Martin Kohout scored the broke a 3-3 tie on a breakaway with 8:28 on the clock.

"Adam Zbořil sent me a great pass, which sent me away.” Kohout said afterward. “I was being pressured a bit by the defenceman, but I was able to get the shot away and score, for which I am extremely happy."

Russia’s Alexander Sharov got three points in the game, which tied him with Burakovsky and Bristedt for the tournament scoring lead.