WORLD JUNIOR NOTES: Sweden bounces back from loss to USA
The Swedes were dealt a blow in the preliminary round when they were defeated by the USA on Sunday
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Sweden arrived at the 2022 Junior WC in Edmonton with a talented squad and high hopes.
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The Swedes took a blow in the preliminary round when they were defeated by the United States on Sunday, but bounced back with a 4-2 win against Germany on Monday and a draw with Latvia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday (1:30 p.m., TSN) at Rogers Plats.
– This was a really good win for us, says Sweden’s coach Tomas Monten. – I like how we looked in the first period. You’re always a little scared to play back-to-back, especially because it was such a tough game against the USA. It was so tough and we were so close and we got nothing out of it.
“I liked the way we started the game against Germany, even though we conceded a goal and I felt we didn’t lose focus and we kept going. Then in the second we were a bit sloppy and took things too lightly and then we bounced back good in the third and it was pretty tight in the third; it was good.”
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Sweden has seven NHL first-round picks, including goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, who took responsibility for the 3-2 loss to the United States, even though it wasn’t his fault.
Wallstedt, selected 20th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 NHL Draft, will get the start against Latvia after making way for Calle Clang against Germany in the second game of a back-to-back.
Despite the loss to the USA, Monten is pleased with his team’s progress throughout the tournament and will likely face Canada in the semifinals, barring a major upset.
“I think we’ve gotten better and better,” Monten said. “We’ve played six games since we got here (two exhibitions) and those six are incredibly important. I hope we still have another gear we can get to.
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“We’ve had some dips in our game that we have to make sure we don’t have on Wednesday or it’s going to be tough.”
What Latvia lacks in talent, they make up for in work ethic and enthusiasm. It wasn’t a fluke. Latvia reached the quarterfinals for the first time in team history, after frustrating Canada and hanging tough with Slovakia before upsetting the Czech Republic.
“They’re tall and they’re fearless,” Monten said. “We’ve got to expect a team that’s going to drive for 60 minutes. For us, we’ve got to make sure we play smart and make sure we try to take their speed down and take their energy down and just try to focus on us and not get whipped into in an emotional game.”
OILERS PICK LEADS GERMANS
Defenseman Luca Munzenberger is just one of four German players selected in the NHL draft, so his expectations coming into the tournament were realistic.
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The Edmonton Oilers’ 2021 third-round pick is pleased Germany made it to the quarterfinals, but knows they’ll have a tough time against Finland.
“I think we improved throughout the tournament,” Munzenberger said. “The exhibition games didn’t go so well for us, but it was good to play them and give us a heads up to be ready for the tournament. I think we didn’t play very well in the first period against the USA (5-1 loss) , but played better in the second and third and has only improved every game.”
Munzenberger, 19, is entering his second year at the University of Vermont and was named captain of the German team at the world juniors. He attended the Oilers’ pre-tournament development camp, but as an NCAA player, he will not be allowed to participate in rookie camp in September.
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“Finland will be a tough match, they play the same way as the Swedes,” Munzenberger said. “They are a difficult team to play against and we will do our best to try and win this game.”
DEFENDING GOLD
The USA is the only other undefeated team so far in the tournament, along with Canada, and is feeling good about its play heading into the quarterfinals.
The U.S. faces the Czech Republic in the final game of the day on Wednesday (8:30 p.m.) at Rogers Place. The USA topped Group B, defeating Sweden in their final preliminary game on Sunday. The win gave the USA a good gauge of where it stands with the other top teams in the tournament.
“I think that’s why we were tight at the start (against Sweden),” USA head coach Nate Leaman said. “But I think the Czech Republic is one of those top teams as well. They had a tough loss against Latvia, but I think in our quarter-final we have to pick up our game quickly.”
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The USA won the tournament when it was held in the Rogers Place bubble in January 2021. They were contenders to repeat this past January before the tournament was wiped out due to a covid-19 outbreak.
They returned this summer with another talented squad, with four first-round picks and six second-round picks.
“It’s a tight tournament, every game is extremely important and to be able to top our group is great for us,” said USA forward Matthew Knies. “Everyone here is a competitive team and so we will approach our quarter-final game as well and as well prepared as we can. I know they are a good team and we are really excited to play them.
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On Twitter: @DerekVanDiest