Sweden, the heavy favorite in Group B, takes on upstart China in a battle of unbeatens on Friday at the IIHF Women’s World Championships
Sweden (1-0-0, 3 points) opened Group B play as expected with a victory on Wednesday over Denmark. On Friday, the Swedes take on upstart China (1-0-0, 2 points) at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York, as the group stage continues. China, playing in its first IIHF Women’s World Championships after earning promotion to the top division in August, won its inaugural game in the tournament on Thursday in a shootout. Sweden, in Group B after a sixth-place finish at last year’s worlds in Brampton, Ontario, is the only program in the group to have won a medal at the worlds, getting bronzes in both 2005 and 2007.
How to Watch Sweden vs. China in 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championships Today:
Game Date: April 5, 2024
Game Time: 11 a.m. ET
TV: NHL Network
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Yingying Guan scored the only goal of the shootout in the fourth round before Jiahui Zhan stopped Japan’s attempt in the fifth to lift China to a 3-2 victory on Thursday. Guan netted the equalizer for China, which never led, at 7:37 of the third period, exactly four minutes after the Japanese took a 2-1 lead. Jinglei Yang had the other goal for the Chinese and Zhan stopped 50 shots as Japan had a 52-17 edge.
Sweden took the lead 12:19 into the second period on a goal from Felizia Wikner Zienkiewicz and never trailed in a 3-1 win over Denmark, which also earned promotion back to the top division this year. Lina Ljungblom and Josefin Bouveng had the other Swedish goals. Emma Söderberg, who plays for Boston in the PWHL, faced just five shots in net.
The top three teams in Group B advance to the knockout stage of the tournament while the bottom two finishers will be relegated to Division 1A.
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