Canada

Top Leafs prospect Sandin catches a break after injury in Sweden’s world junior win

TRINEC, CZECH REPUBLIC—Sweden clinched first in Group A at the world junior hockey championship with its 52nd consecutive win in preliminary-round play, 6-2 over Slovakia on Tuesday.

Swedish defenceman Rasmus Sandin, the Maple Leafs’ first-round draft pick in 2018, left in the third period after a slash to the arm and was taken for X-rays. Team doctor Ryan Allenby later told reporters that tests found no fracture.

Alexander Holtz, with two, Albin Eriksson, Philip Broberg, Oskar Back and Samuel Fagemo scored for Sweden, which will meet the host Czech Republic in the quarterfinals.

Kristian Kovacik and Robert Dzugan replied for Slovakia, which will face Canada in the quarterfinals after finishing fourth in Group A.

RUSSIA 6, GERMANY 1

Russia avoided elimination and a trip to the relegation round by beating Germany.

Russia, with two wins and two losses, advances to the quarterfinals against Switzerland after finishing third in Group B.

Kirill Marchenko and Pavel Dorofeyev led Russia with two goals apiece against Germany. Grigori Denisenko and Dmitri Voronkov also scored for Russia. Nino Kinder broke Russia goalie Yaroslav Askarov’s shutout bid with 2:17 left in regulation.

The Germans, with one win and three losses, will face Kazakhstan in the best-of-three relegation round with the loser knocked out of next year’s world juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.

Austria will be the 10th team in the 2021 tournament after winning promotion in early December.

SWITZERLAND 5 FINLAND 2

Finland’s loss sets up a rematch of last year’s final in the quarterfinals, with the reigning champion Finns facing the Americans. Switzerland overtook Finland for second in Group A with Tuesday’s win.

Fabian Berri scored two goals for Switzerland, while Simon Knak, Valentin Nussbaumer and Gaetan Jobin added singles. Joonas Oden and Anttoni Honka scored for Finland.

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