Some critics are referring to it as a love tap, but there was no love lost for the outcome of the slashing penalty taken by Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond that ended up costing Sweden a group stage title in men’s Olympic hockey.

In Saturday’s final Group B game against Slovakia, Sweden was leading 5-2. The Swedes had been put into that advantage thanks to a sensational goal scored by Raymond in the third period. Darting around Slovak defenseman Simon Nemec, Raymond then tucked the puck through the pads of goalie Samuel Hlavaj.

Lucas Raymond of the @DetroitRedWings joined a trio of Team Sweden Olympic medalists with his three-point performance on Saturday. #MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics#NHLStats: https://t.co/tsmKnBdYow pic.twitter.com/TLId4QZyKx

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) February 14, 2026

With 39 seconds left in regulation time, Raymond cracked Slovakian captain and former Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar across the shins with his stick. He was assessed a slashing minor. With Raymond sitting in the penalty box, Slovakia’s Dalibor Dvorsky tallied a power-play goal.

The final score of 5-3 was both a victory and a devastating outcome for the Swedes. In a three-way tie for top spot with the Slovaks and Finland at 5-2, Sweden was winning the tiebreaker for top spot in the group, which was head-to-head goal differential in the games involving the three countries.

Group B:

Finland beats Italy in regulation: three-way tie. That’s where late goal had massive implications. Tiebreak is goal differential in games between Finns, Swedes and Slovaks. Slovakia would be +1, Finland even, Sweden -1.

Any other result: Sweden 1st, beat Slovakia

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 14, 2026

However, that late power-play goal changed everything. It meant Slovakia (+1) won the group ahead of Finland (even) and Sweden (-1).

Red Wings Raymond Contrite After The Game

With the big goal and two assists in the game, Raymond was sitting in a heroic position for Sweden. And then it all turned when he took that seat in the sin bin.

“It’s unnecessary, of course,” Raymond told Swedish website Aftonbladet.

“It’s not fun. The guys played a great game the whole game. You don’t want to put the team in a situation like that.”

Raymond found it hard to describe his feelings knowing what his penalty had cost his team.

“Good question,” he said. “I don’t know. Of course, it’s not fun.”

Swedish Media Takes Raymond To Task

Raymond was taking plenty of heat for his infraction from the Swedish media.

“Lucas Raymond gets that expulsion,” former pro player Sanny Lindström said during the game broadcast on Sweden’s TV4. “As brilliant as he is in the third period. and is involved in taking the group victory in Sweden’s favor.

“So he becomes the scapegoat for an idiot thing.”

Håkan Södergren, a two-time world champion and 1984 Olympic bronze medal-winner with Sweden, was equally unimpressed during the HBO Max broadcast.

“You can’t pull that one, Lucas,” Sodergren said. “Very inexperienced for a player who plays in the NHL and the national team.

“That wasn’t smart.”

Swedish coach Sam Hallam also expressed his disappointment with undisciplined play from Raymond and several of his teammates.

“We can’t have it,” Hallam told Swedish website Expressen. “It’s unnecessary, Lucas can’t have it.

“The discipline today … we need to take fewer expulsions, period.”