Sweden beat Swiss to win world championship title in shoot-out drama

COPENHAGEN: Sweden retained their world championship title with a dramatic penalty shoot- out victory over plucky Switzerland in Copenhagen on Sunday.

Filip Forsberg of the NHL’s Nashville Predators scored the winning penalty as Sweden came back from 1- 0 down in the shootout to win 2-1 following a 2-2 draw after overtime.

Surprise finalists Switzerland had been aiming for their first ever world title, while Sweden claimed an 11th crown.

Sweden had been the only unbeaten team through the group stage while Switzerland scraped into the quarter- finals with the weakest record. But they stunned Group B winners Finland and then Canada to take their place in a third world championship final.

Five years ago they had lost to Sweden, who beat them 5-3 in the group stages too.

Switzerland twice took the lead, in each of the first two periods, but were pegged back by the favourites before the end of each stanza.

Minne sot a Wi ld’s Nino Niederreiter had given them a 16th minute lead but Gustav Nyquist of the Detroit Red Wings equalised a minute later.

On 23 minutes Timo Meier of the San Jose Sharks put the underdogs in front again, but that was wiped out by New York Ranger Mika Zibanejad on 34 minutes. With no scores in either the third period or overtime, the final was decided by a shoot- out where Switzerland once again took the lead. But Oliver Ekman-Larsson cancelled out Sven Andrighetto’s successful strike, allowing Forsberg to become the hero.