After two weeks of competition as part of the 87th edition of the World Hockey Championships, only four teams remained in the running. In the first semi-final, the Czechs will fight for their first final since 2010, and the rival of the championship hosts will be the very strong Swedish national team. In the clash between the sixth (Sweden) and eighth (Czech Republic) teams in the world rankings, it is difficult to name a favorite. The advantage for the Czech team will undoubtedly be the passionate support of the fans who have filled the O2 Arena during their team’s matches since the start of the tournament.

Coach Radim Rulik’s players won five times in the group stage and suffered two defeats – 1:2 against Switzerland after penalties and 3:4 against Canada after extra time. In the quarter-finals, after a very difficult match, they beat the United States 1-0. The goal that allowed the Czechs to reach the medal zone was scored by Boston Bruins hockey player Pavel Zacha.

The top scorers for the World Cup host country, whose record after eight matches is 27-14, are Roman Cervenka and Lukas Sedlak. The first in the Canadian ranking occupies third place thanks to no less than eight assists.

The Swedes are the winners of Group B, which they finished with a perfect record: they won seven victories without playing a single overtime. However, in the quarterfinals, only after extra time, they beat Finland 2:1. The winning goal of “Trzech Korona” was scored by Joel Eriksson.

The Swedish team’s top scorer in the tournament is currently the experienced Erik Karlsson of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The strengths of coach Sam Hallam’s team at the 2024 World Cup are not only an excellent attack (37 goals), but also an excellent defense (only 10 goals conceded).

Swedish goalkeeper Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota Wild) currently has the highest saved shot percentage in the tournament – 93.40. Second place in this ranking is occupied by Czech goalkeeper Lukas Dostal, who stopped 92.96 percent of shots on goal.

The Sweden – Czech Republic match starts at 2:20 p.m. Broadcast on Polsat Sport 1 and Polsat Box Go from 2:10 p.m.

The Canadians appear to be the favorites for gold. The leaders of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) rankings and the winners of last year’s championship title will face Switzerland in the second semi-final.

So far, the Maple Leafs team has won all of its games in the Czech Republic (two in overtime). She scored 39 goals and conceded 21. In the quarterfinals, the players of coach André Tourigny confidently defeated Slovakia 6:3.

The Canadians have already faced the Swiss, seventh team in the world rankings, in the group stage. On May 19, after a close match, the reigning world champions won 3-2. This is the only defeat for the Helvetii in Group A, in which they finished second, behind their rivals in the semi-final.

In the quarter-finals, the Swiss team won 3-1 against Germany and thus took revenge for their defeat last year at the same stage of the World Championships. Coach Patrick Fischer’s team scored fewer goals in eight matches of the Czech tournament than Canada – 32, but they performed better in defense – they conceded only 13 goals.

The most efficient players of the Swiss national team at this year’s World Cup are two NHL players, Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles Kings) and Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils), who both beat opposing goalkeepers six times. Dylan Cozens, a Buffalo Sabres player, has already scored eight goals for the Canadiens.

The Canada-Switzerland match begins at 6:20 p.m. Broadcast on Polsat Sport 1 and Polsat Box Go.

Grzegorz Wojnarowski, Polsat Sport

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