Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Maple Leafs and Team Sweden defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson commented after being benched for game one, and was thankful he saw the ice a bit vs. Finland.
When Team Sweden took the ice against Team Italy for their first game of the Olympics, there was a distinct lack of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who was on the bench but never played a single shift through the entire game, but came away with a victory nonetheless.
OEL finds himself on the ice vs. Finland though suffers a tough loss
Which is why it was great news that he took the ice against Finland on Friday though wasn’t able to help the team secure a victory against their Scandinavian rivals as they fell to Finland 4-1.
Though OEL suffered a defeat, he was grateful that he was able to take the ice and told reporters post-game that it was just great to get himself involved and he is willing to do anything to help be in playing or sitting:
I’m here to support my team & do whatever they need me to do. It was nice to get in & get a few shifts … It’s not a big deal.
It’s not too surprising to see OEL speak nonchalantly about his benching, as he seems to really take things as they come and doesn’t concern himself with the small things.
OEL deserves his chance given that it might be his last
He’s part of Team Sweden regardless and his veteran leadership on and off the ice is going to be crucial for the rest of the team. If he can’t play then at least he can offer advice or use his vast knowledge of the game to see exploits in the opponents and pass that onto his teammates.
That type of performance is fantastic, and compared to other defenders like Gustav Forsling and Philip Broberg, he would add much more offense on the backend and utilize the open ice some more; and he’s not a bad defender so it’s not like the team is losing out dramatically.
But at 34 now, he will be 38 years old by the time the next Olympics rolls around and if he’s on the downswing of his career and not coming close to the production he’s put forth this season, it’ll be hard to put him in the lineup beyond sentimental reasons.
Which is why Team Sweden needs to utilize Ekman-Larsson as much as they can because it might be the final time they can bring him aboard on their quest for a gold medal.
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Oliver Ekman-Larsson made his feelings clear after Sweden’s opener benching
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