It quieted a sold out Avicii Arena, packed with fans decked out in the home team\u2019s yellow Three Crown sweaters.<\/p>\n
\u201cPretty surreal, to have an opportunity to win a gold medal,\u201d the Alaskan-born Swayman said per audio provided to the Globe, \u201cand wearing the USA jersey. It\u2019s a dream come true.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s completely rebirthed me in a way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Team USA will face Switzerland, which routed Denmark, 7-0, in the other semifinal, for gold on Sunday. (2:20 p.m, NHL Network). <\/p>\n
Along with winning the 1933 tournament, the US also was credited with gold in 1960 by virtue of its Olympic title at Squaw Valley. (Quadrennially through 1968, the IIHF simply designated the Olympic medalists as that year\u2019s world podium.)<\/p>\n
Though it is credited with nine silver medals, the last via the 1956 Olympics, Sunday will be the Americans\u2019 first gold-medal game at a non-Olympic worlds since 1934.<\/p>\n
Swayman and North Andover\u2019s Joey Daccord began the tournament in a job share, but after the Kraken goalie opened 2-1-0, US coach Ryan Warsofsky<\/a> opted to go fulltime with Swayman.<\/p>\n His win over the Swedes left him with a 1.98 goals against mark and a .905 save percentage. Such numbers were what the Bruins expected this past season, only to see Swayman struggle to return to the form that led them to sign him to an eight-year, $66 million contract<\/a> on the eve of the season. <\/p>\n Like virtually the entire Black & Gold roster, he failed to find a sustained groove, often fighting the puck and his game decidedly lacking confidence and off register. The Bruins finished without a playoff berth for the first time since 2016, Swayman going from 25-10-8 in his last season splitting the role with Linus Ullmark<\/a> to a pedestrian 22-29-7. His save percentage dipped to .892 and his goals-against mark ballooned to 3.11.<\/p>\n The Bruins will be counting on a \u201crebirthed\u201d Swayman being a key piece of a needed renaissance when the club opens training camp in mid-September.<\/p>\n \u201cThis group has been unbelievable to be a part of,\u201d Swayman said. \u201cI\u2019ve had so much fun playing for the crest and the guys in that locker room.\u201d<\/p>\n Bruins teammate Andrew Peeke again was on his backline. He has played in all nine US games, delivering a goal and two assists. Fellow Bruins backliner Mason Lohrei (5 games, 1-2\u20133) was held out Saturday by Warsofsky. <\/p>\n Bruins center Elias Lindholm beat Swayman for one of Sweden\u2019s two third-period goals. He will enter Sunday\u2019s bronze-medal game as the club\u2019s top scorer (8-4\u201412 in 9 games). <\/p>\n The Bruins will be hoping Lindholm\u2019s overseas confidence boost is also something that will translate when he crosses the Atlantic in the fall.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of those pinnacle-of-sports moments,\u201d said Swayman, reflecting on what it was like to beat the Swedes on their own frozen turf. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to be up against the world. Kudos to the crowd. Kudos to the city. It\u2019s been so unbelievable, the passion that they have . . . it was just one of those moments that you dream of and, again, to see the reality, it\u2019s a pinch-yourself moment. I couldn\u2019t be more pleased to be a part of it.<\/p>\n After the Swedes cut the US lead in half early in the third on goals by the Leafs\u2019 William Nylander and Lindholm, the Yanks salted it away with strikes by Anaheim\u2019s Jackson Lacombe and Ottawa\u2019s Shane Pinto.<\/p>\n