Matt Halischuk scored the overtime winner to give Canada a 3-2 win over Sweden, its fourth straight gold medal at the world juniors. "I just wanted to go to the net and whack it home," Halischuk said. "Thank God it went in. That's all I can ... I'm speechless," he told the Canadian Press after the game.
With the victory, Canada captured its 14th gold medal while the Swedes - who were in their first final since 1996 - finished the tournament with their seventh silver. The country's only other gold medal win was in 1981.
Tavares, a future franchise player who is expected to go first overall in 2009, has more immediate goals - namely making it home in time for the Oshawa Generals' Sunday night game against the rival Peterborough Petes. He has already informed his junior team that he wants to be in uniform for the game. "I'm going to be a bit tired, but I look forward to it," Tavares said.
Jonathan Carlsson got Sweden on the board early in the third period and Tomas Larsson tied it in the final minute of regulation.
Earlier, Russia defeated the United States 4-2 in the bronze-medal game.