The 5-1 win against Latvia was exactly the programmatic stop that Tre Kronor had wanted in the round of 16 of the Olympic tournament. A much more difficult task awaits next: the USA, full of distinguished NHL stars and, along with Canada, the biggest favorite to leave Italy with Olympic gold.
– Fantastically inspiring, says national team captain Sam Hallam about the challenge ahead, adding:
– It is a team that consists of very good hockey players both offensively and overall. Just like our team.
There are offensives in the USA There are many options, but the question is whether the Americans are best suited to the position that is often considered the most important on a hockey team: goaltender.
– He’s incredible. He’s so big and it feels like the puck gets stuck when he hits him. I love his confidence and his composure.
The words came from Florida star Matthew Tkachuk, who showered praise on the team’s number one between the posts, Connor Hellebuyck, after the USA’s training session on Tuesday.
He continues:
– These are exactly the qualities you want in your first goalkeeper. It’s unreal to play in front of him. He gives us the chance to win every game and has played incredibly well for us. He was also very good in training, so I don’t expect anything different from him in the next game.
Both the American and the Swedish Olympic team consists only of NHL players. In other words: everyone will know each other well when the quarter-finals begin on Wednesday at 9.10 p.m. at the Santagiulia Arena.
From Tre Kronor’s perspective, Connor Hellebuyck is no exception.
– It is clear that he is good. But there are ideas, says Filip Forsberg, who scored the most goals (24) for Sweden in the NHL this season and also broke the goal drought at the Olympics against Latvia.
– We have a pretty good idea. They played him a few times more often than the other goalkeepers in the tournament. “It will be fun and it will be an incredibly fun challenge,” he continues.
Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck has won the NHL’s best goaltender, the Vezina Trophy, three times and was named the league’s most valuable player last season.
Tre Kronor’s team does not have an equally clear set of goalkeepers.
Filip Gustavsson was in goal both against Italy in the opener and in the subsequent game against Finland. He wasn’t even traded after that.
Instead, Jacob Markström has played the last two games with Jesper Wallstedt as a reserve in the dressing room after starting the Olympics in the stands.
– We decided to play “Markan” here. “He’s done well in two games now and then we’ll make a decision later tonight,” Hallam said briefly about the goalkeeping situation.
Markström was not entirely satisfied with the three goals he conceded against Slovakia, but he was even more satisfied with his performance against Latvia.
– Tre Kronor is fun to play and represent. It is the dream of many boys to be here and finally take part in the Olympic Games. “I enjoy every single second and don’t want it to end,” he says.
When Markström is asked the question He does not want to pre-empt the question of what will be important due to his position at the upcoming meeting with the United States.
– I don’t know if I’ll play. “I’m glad I got to play now, but now I’m going to go home and rest and then we’ll see what the coaches say,” he said.
Read more:
America’s Tyrants: The Brothers Who Like to Provoke
Malin Fransson: “In fifteen minutes Sweden may have to pay the price for the strange decisions”
Forsberg on the USA: “They know their strengths and weaknesses exactly”
