Getting a goal and two assists from Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond, Sweden downed Slovakia 5-3 in their final Group B match. Finishing the group with a 2-1 record, the Swedes must now wait to see the outcome of the Finland vs Italy game to find out where they finish in the group.
Time On Ice
Raymond played 18:52, the fourth-highest total among Swedish forwards. He skated 26 shifts, averaging 43 seconds per shift. Raymond had six shots on goal and finished the game with a plus-two rating.
Production
Raymond assisted on the game-winning goal by Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks and then netted the insurance marker for Sweden. He also drew an assist on a second-period power-play goal by Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings. He now has four points for the tournament with two goals and two assists.
Game Notes
Jakob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils made his first start of the tournament in goal for Sweden. He turned aside 29 shots for the victory . . . Pettersson scored two goals for the Swedes . . . Former Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar is serving as Slovakia’s captain.
Analysis
Raymond took two penalties – one for hooking and one for slashing – and his second infraction could prove costly for the Swedes. He slashed Tatar in the late stages of the game. Raymond was in the penalty box when Dalibor Dvorsky of the St. Louis Blues scored a power-play goal for the Slovaks to make it 5-3.
If Finland beats Italy in regulation, it ends up being a three-way tie atop Group B. There’s a chance that the Swedes could end up third in the group based on goal differential.
Next Game
If Finland loses to Italy or wins in regulation, Sweden wins Group B and advances directly to Wednesday’s quarter-finals. Otherwise, they must play in Tuesday’s qualifying games.