Sweden survives Slovakia thanks to Big Performance From Hellberg
Sweden went to 2-0 at the 2022 Olympics with one 4-1 victory over Slovakia. Although Sweden did not play a perfect match, their big first period was enough to help them take the victory. With the win, Sweden has guaranteed a top two place in the group, which moves them one step closer to a guaranteed place in the quarterfinals.
Overall, Sweden played well, but there are still some areas that need to be improved. Here are three takeaways from the match.
Strong first period for Sweden
Sweden jumped out to a three-goal lead in the first period despite it being beyond 14-12 in the period. They scored goals during the period by Joakim Nordström, Lucas Wallmark and Max Friberg to help build a 3-0 lead that proved to be insurmountable for Slovakia. The three goals were enough to chase Slovakia’s starting goalkeeper, Matej Tomek, after allowing three goals on 12 shots.
Related: Olympics 2022: 3 takeaways from Team Sweden’s 3-2 win over Latvia
The first period was by far Sweden’s best period. They were disciplined, transformed into a powerplay, were strong in the faceoff point and limited Slovakia to high goal chances. If Sweden can play all three periods against Finland as they did the first period against Slovakia, they should have no problem beating their Nordic rivals and winning Group C.
Magnus Hellberg shines in Olympic debut
The game’s first star was Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hellberg. The former New York Ranger stepped up and stopped 40 of 41 shots against Slovakia, with 16 coming in the second period. It is a pity that he lost the shutout with less than three minutes left to play thanks to a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, but without him in the net, Sweden might not have escaped with the victory.
Hellberg, who stands 6-foot-6, was able to fight against the traffic in his fold throughout the match. He did not give up many return chances and was strong when he played the puck. Based on this achievement, do not be surprised if he gets the start against Finland in the playoffs in the group stage.
Sweden Strong in Faceoff Dot
To win the gold medal, the team must do all the little things well, including winning matches. Sweden got 34 for 55 against Slovakia, which corresponds to a profit percentage of 61.8%. Only two players in Sweden were below 50% in the draw, while their two main centers, Anton Lander and Marcus Krüger, together got 21 for 34 in the dot.
Through the first two matches, Lander and Krüger have been two of the best matches in the tournament. They have both won over 20 draws and are second and third in total match wins during the tournament. Sweden also has two center players who both have over 58% in the draw and have won at least 10 draws in Jacob de la Rose and Lucas Wallmark. The faceoff wins tonight and against Latvia have helped Sweden to mask some defensive mistakes and let them take the puck out of their zone faster without giving up chances against. Faceoffs are one of the biggest strengths for Sweden, and it was good to see them take full advantage of Slovakia.
Sweden needs a strong 60 minutes against Finland
Sweden must be better than they were against Slovakia if they want to beat Finland. The Swedes were undisciplined in the second and third, allowed far too many shots against, and seemed to sail out in the third period instead of putting pressure on the game and adding their total. On the other hand, Finland continued to press against Slovakia and were able to shoot over them in the third period and score two more goals to put the match away. There were improvements between Latvia and Slovakia for Sweden, but they have to put together a full 60 minutes to beat Finland and win the group.
Adam is excited to join The Hockey Writers as part of the Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks team. His work is also on https://www.area51sportsnetwork.com/ where he covers the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League.