Many question the O/T format that is used to get a winner for the World Hockey Championships, given that we have a format set in the NHL, but clearly not in minor hockey – probably due to availability of ice.

This heart breaker saw Canada drop the 2-1 shootout to either stronger or much luckier Swedish team with Nicklas Backstrom and Oliver Ekman-Larsson both scoring in a shootout allowing Sweden to grab the Gold medal and preventing Canada’s try to win a third straight title.

Team Canada’s bench boss Jon Cooper told the media “We don’t feel like we lost a hockey game tonight, we feel like we lost a shootout and I told our guys ‘hang your head high.’ We knew the rules going in, it was part of the format, and they bested us.

“I thought both goaltenders were exceptional but in the end it came down to a skill competition. They were better than us and in the end, they deserved to be world champs.”

Backstrom was Sweden’s second shooter that saw him beat Canadian goaltender Calvin Pickard low “stick side” while Oliver Ekman-Larsson caught Pickard moving on Sweden’s next try allowing them to go up 2-0.

Lundqvist stopped Nathan MacKinnon, Brayden Point, Ryan O’Reilly and Mitch Marner that saw them secure the win and the Gold medal.

Victor Hedman scored a shorthanded goal late in the second period to give the Swedes a 1-0 lead. Lundqvist picked up the win with 42 saves.

Lundqvist was fortunate to play with his twin brother (Joel) who was also the team captain Sweden midway through the tournament following the Rangers elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It was Henrik’s first appearance at the world championship since 2008 and his first time playing with his brother since the pair competed together in the Swedish Elite League during the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

They hadn’t played together internationally since the 2002 world junior championship.

O’Reilly tied the game at 1-1 with a power-play goal for Canada early in the third. Pickard stopped 40 shots.

The win is Sweden’s first in four attempts against Canada since the IIHF instituted the playoff system  dating back to 1992 and its first Gold medal since 2013.

Hedman got Sweden on the scoreboard while Backstrom was serving his second penalty of the game. and his (Hedman) shot bounced from the point and managed to elude Pickard with 20.8 seconds left in the period.

The Canadians once again used their lethal power play to get back into the game in the third with Elias Lindholm was whistled for high sticking at 1:48. It took just 10 seconds for O’Reilly to tie the game at 1-1, flipping a Mitch Marner rebound over Lundqvist’s right shoulder.

It was the first special-teams goal that Lundqvist had surrendered in five tournament games.

Both teams had chances in the extra period. Sean Couturier was whistled for tripping with 10:51 left in overtime but the Canadian penalty killers were up to the task.

Alex Killorn sent a cross pass to Duchene with a spin-o-rama pass late in overtime, only to have his shot turned away by Lundqvist.

The Bronze game saw Russia defeat Finland by a 5-3 margin capturing its second consecutive Bronze medal.