At this rate, Flames goalkeeper Markström is a no-brainer for Sweden
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The Swedish Olympic team for the upcoming Winter Games will be selected by the committee to make a collective decision to choose their playlist.
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Head coach Johan Garpenlov and assistants Marcus Ragnarsson and Markus Akerblom will give their views, while surely advisers Detroit Red Wings legend Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall will be consulted for their views.
But there is a good chance that all of these gentlemen have similar gut feelings who will be their netizens in February.
Right now, based on how Jacob Markström has started the season for the Calgary Flames and dominated the National Hockey League, it is a matter of course.
“I’m not really focused on that at all,” insisted the 31-year-old Gävle native who was quick to turn off this particular issue. “When it happens – in February (the team) is set – so we’ll see what happens. It’s obviously a dream when you are a child to represent your country, but I have no focus or thoughts on that right now.”
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Markström was quick to point out that he had not heard anything from his country’s team representatives, which is not surprising – it’s only November and there is a lot of hockey to be played before the NHL break for the Beijing 2022 Olympics on February 3.
At this point, it is easy to limit it through the elimination process. Robin Lehner is the only other Swedish-born net champion with more games of NHL experience than Markstrom (OK, only six games) but Markström’s figures are definitely more flattering – in the long run.
Flames starters have a record of 8-3-4, a save percentage of 0.940, 1.73 goals against the average along with five league-leading shutouts. Lehner has been good, without a doubt, with a record of 9-7-0 and 0.913 save percentage with 2.95 goals against the average of 16 starts. There is Linus Ullmark in Boston (4-3-0 with a save percentage of 0.908 and 2.87 goals against the average).
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But there is no discussion about who the most consistent in the gang has been game by game.
Already in 2014, Markström fought for a chance with the Florida Panthers behind Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo when Sweden was defeated by Canada in the gold medal final. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonas Gustavsson were Sweden’s net guards while Jhonas Enroth was third.
Markström is well aware, having grown up watching more Olympic hockey and world championships than the NHL.
“It was tough to follow the NHL,” he said. “Now it’s Instagram and social media and all that, but when I was growing up we did not have it. If you wanted to see the match, it must be 01.00 or 02.00 and there were no replays or anything like that.
Earlier this season, he quietly told about his childhood dream of wearing Tre Kronor.
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“To play for the national team, it was Dream No. 1, Goal No. 1, when you played street hockey and played as a child,” so it will surely happen this year and I would love to represent my country and play there. But this season is so important. So when it happens, it happens.
“All my focus right now is to just get a good start here.”
Fast forward to Thursday’s practice at Saddledome.
The Flames play extremely stingy hockey this season under Darryl Sutter with a record of 12-3-5. They play a style that flatters a goalkeeper, of course, they do not allow many goal chances and let their goalkeepers do their job.
But they still have to make the saves.
“When we come in this year, we have had a full training camp with Darryl, and he has really put his playing style on how we play and the structure of everything,” said Markström. “It shows in our results and in many games that are low-scoring with one or two empty net players. It’s a very detailed game, the Darryl plan has come up. It’s good – guys block shots and clear returns and make sure the shots come from.”
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He has also been the story of the season, not just in this city but across the NHL. And without a doubt, the word has traveled back to Sweden.
Still, Markström insists that his focus is on Calgary and what the Flames can achieve in 2022-23.
At every chance he gets, he brushes away the praise for his hot start.
“It really means nothing until (in the spring),” he dismissed. “It’s good, it’s clear I like to win and it’s fun that we win. And you want to keep the puck away from the net as much as possible and help the guys win. I think that as a team it is a good start. But that’s all there is. We must continue to press. It can turn around quickly and we will have to keep doing this for months to come. It will be a tough stretch with a tough schedule and there will be more such stretches with back-to-back and games every other day.
“We need to keep going and be humble and keep getting stronger and better.”
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