Sweden Dominates Canada with Third Straight Shutout

This game has been earmarked on the schedule as one that was likely going to decide which team would sit atop group “A” at the end of regular tournament action. It did not disappoint as both teams entered undefeated, but only Sweden skated away with their perfect record intact. They joined Slovakia as the only two teams with three regulation wins and now have a great chance to get an easier matchup in the first round of the elimination games.

The game was much more physical and competitive than any either team had faced previously, with some massive hits being thrown around in the first period but no goals as both teams sized each other up. Sweden finally broke through the impressive goaltending of Mathis Rousseau in the second period and went into the second intermission up by two. The third brought some pushes in both directions, but in the end, neither team could get anything done.

One of the best lines in the entire tournament thus far has been the first-line trio of Noah Ostlund, Anton Wahlberg, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki. The trio was put together way back in the pre-tournament games, and they have looked dominant ever since. Not even the deeply talented team Canada was able to find a combination of players (they tried a lot of them) that could slow down their offensive onslaughts.

Sweden’s second goal was a creation of that first line that showed just how skilled all three forwards are. They created intense pressure in the offensive zone that Canada’s defenders have not had to deal with yet in the tournament, and once they had the defense moving, Lekkerimaki pulled them back to the blue line and slipped a shot on net through.

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Ostlund was smart enough to understand what was happening and was net-front, ready to clean up the play. They have put every other team in the tournament on notice that they are going to be an absolute handful moving forward.

Goaltending & Defense Remain Superb

Both Hugo Havelid and Melker Thelin posted shutouts in their first games of the tournament with the understanding that they were not playing against the most dangerous opponents in Germany and Latvia. Havelid walked into this one ready to go and made a couple of fantastic stops early in the first period, including a breakaway save that really helped to set the tone for most of the game. He would stay perfect for the rest of the contest and…