3 takeaways from Sweden’s 3-0 win over Slovakia
Team Sweden’s first match in the junior WC, against Russia on Sunday, was a dazzling display of offensive, and the team made it clear that its goal ability should not be overlooked.
Spoiler alert: The Swedes are terribly tough to score on as well.
Sweden closed back to back with their second victory in a row, a 3-0 triumph over Slovakia in the junior WC on Monday. Goalkeeper Jesper Wallstedt stole the show, not to mention the game, after stopping all 48 shots en route to the first shutout of the 2022 tournament.
The victory improved Sweden’s record to 2-0 in Group B, with a goal difference of +6 (nine goals scored, three goals allowed), and was driven by both Wallstedt and the team’s continued success for the special team. Despite that, there is a lot to work on before Wednesday’s settlement against the defending champions, Team USA.
Wallstedt lifts the game, Stonewalls Slovakia
Wallstedt wanted Team Sweden for its second straight win and made save after save when the team needed just that. Unlike Sunday’s win over Russia, where the Swedes gave their net champion plenty of goal support, the 19-year-old Minnesota Wild prospect has was a human highlight roll on Monday.
Through two matches, he has compiled a goal-versus-average (GAA) of 1.50 and a save percentage (SV%) of .962.
The Swedes were really knocked out throughout the match, but Wallstedt stood early and often high and suffocated Slovakia when it mattered most. The goalkeeper stopped 13 shots in the first period, 17 in the second and 18 in the third, and gave Sweden the surge it needed to remain undefeated in the tournament.
Unlike Sunday’s match, Sweden did not manage to keep any of a comfortable lead until Daniel Ljungman scored an empty goal with just over a minute left of the third period. Up to that point, Slovakia dictated the majority of the game, and although it seemed like it was a turn away from a quick rally, Wallstedt never let that happen.
Power Play and Penalty Kill Again are at the center
Sweden’s powerplay was hot on Sunday against the Russians, and Monday’s match against Slovakia began in a similar way after Detroit Red Wings Prospect Theodor Niederbach opened the scoring six minutes into the match with a power-play goal. The Swedes finished the night 1-on-3 with a male advantage, but their penalty kill is what really stood out.
No penalty kill in Monday’s match was more impressive than a sequence in the middle of the third period while they had a lead of two goals. The Swedes were already killing a large penalty – defender Leo Lööf was thrown out for control to the head and neck area – when forward Elias Stenman inadvertently cleared the puck over the glass from the defense zone, which gave Slovakia a two-man advantage by almost half. the period left.
Sweden overcame the storm and killed the penalties, it helped to get away with the victory, and has not yet allowed a powerplay goal in the tournament.
If there is anything mildly worrying to take from the game, it was the Swedes’ lack of discipline when the match continued. Slovakia effectively moved the puck throughout the match and made life very difficult on what should be one of the best defenses in the tournament. They took three penalties in the third period, and no respect for Monday’s opponents, but that kind of effort can not fly against the United States or Canada.
It is difficult to be disappointed after a shutout win, but Sweden needs to play significantly more disciplined on Wednesday.
Niederbach, Ljungman leads balanced attack
Sweden has shown a balanced offensive attack, a trend that continued in Monday’s win against Slovakia. Just like on Sunday, each goal was scored by another member of the team, and seven different players contributed one point to the team’s three goals. Niederbach and Ljungman both took their second place in the tournament and are close to the top of the team with two points and ratings of plus-3 and plus-2 respectively.
Niederbach’s result is not in itself a surprise, but two goals and four assists in 28 matches with the Swedish Hockey Leagues (SHL) Frölunda HC did not just jump off the side before the tournament. Still, it is important to remember that it is in one of the best men’s leagues in the world, and he has performed well at junior level before and scored 35 points in 19 matches with Frölunda’s J20 team.
Ljungman, who remains unsigned after it Dallas stars drafted him 154th overall in 2020, came with much less fanfare, but has gained attention through the first two matches of the tournament. However, he has five points in nine overall junior internationals this season, and the 19-year-old’s experience has already come in handy.
Quick break, but Team USA weaves big
Sweden still has ambitions to take its first gold medal since the junior WC 2012, but it is a long way forward. The 2-0 Swedes have a day off on Tuesday before they take on the Americans on Wednesday, and end their preliminary game schedule against Switzerland on Friday.
The Swedes could not have written a better start to their preliminary play, but the hardest work still awaits. But for now, the team can go into their free day with a little relief, knowing that their talent on both sides of the puck has taken it through their first two tournament games.
Draft qualified players to watch
One player to watch from each team
Breakout Candidates & Sleeper Prospects
Predictions for the junior WC 2022
Price challengers and predictions
Division of the list of the NHL team
Invitations to selection camps from the NHL team
