At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Sweden cruised through preliminary play with an impressive record of 3-0. The highly talented squad was hoping to replicate their performance in 2006, a gold medal. It seemed as if they were going to go deep in the tournament once again, but they were upset by a Slovakian team that managed to claw their way into the quarterfinals by a score of 4-3.
Sochi Preview: Sweden
In Sochi, however, Sweden will be back with a vengeance. Although there are only five players remain on the current roster that brought home gold in ’06, the lineup remains stacked as usual at all positions. Led by New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist, the Swedes maintain the lethal combination of speed and skill required to defeat favored powerhouses such as Russia and Canada.
Forwards
While forwards Henrik Sedin (ribs) and Johan Franzen (concussion-like symptoms) have already been ruled out of the Olympics, Team Sweden will have one of the most high-powered offenses coming into the tournament. Their first line is likely going to be the combination of Gabriel Landeskog, captain Henrik Zetterberg, and Alexander Steen. This tandem is a pure balance of quickness and vision on the ice. Steen is having a career season in St. Louis, while Landeskog continues to mature as a very impressive player for the Colorado Avalanche, despite only being 21 years old. The always reliable Zetterberg can guide this line using his terrific two-way play.
The Swedes’ strength in their lineup is on the wings, while Canucks left winger Daniel Sedin and Bruins right winger Loui Eriksson have been placed on the second line centered by Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom. It will be interesting to see how Daniel fares without his brother’s chemistry. Nonetheless, playmakers and snipers mix very well in this lineup, and they will make life very difficult for opposing defenses due to their proficiency to make plays in tough situations.
I believe the Swedish offense will excel due to their terrific blend of both young and veteran forwards. With the energy of players like Gustav Nyquist and Carl Hagelin who should able to take advantage of the larger ice surface using their quick skating, rugged players like 40-year-old Daniel Alfredsson will produce due to his plethora of intelligence. Marcus Kruger can also be an impact player for the Swedes. He is in a fourth-line role, but his ability to kill penalties will be needed in order for Sweden to contend for gold.
Defense
Two of the finest up and coming defensemen are paired together on the top line for Sweden, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and 2012 Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. This duo will be very dangerous due to their offensive talent. They can both run the powerplay and also contribute on the rush. Being a left and right shot, Ekman-Larsson and Karlsson will always accept passes on the forehand, allowing easy transitions throughout all three zones.
A couple of Detroit Red Wings will be together once again when they represent Sweden manning the second line. Nicklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson have instant chemistry, and play two different ways on the ice. Kronwall is a shut-down d-man with a powerful slapshot, while Ericsson is more likely to use his stick to take away passing lanes and pinch to create a play along the boards in the offensive zone. Keep your heads up, forwards, because you do not want to be caught with your head down with Kronwall on the ice. Just ask Martin Havlat.
Chicago’s Johnny Oduya and Nicklas Hjalmarsson will round out Sweden’s defensive core. A familiar setting for another defensive pair can make the difference in the Olympics. This, in my opinion, gives Sweden the edge on the back-end. Too much talent and not enough symmetry could end in disaster for any lineup. These two can block shots as well as provide offense from the point, which continues Sweden’s trend of offensive defensemen.
Goaltending
The 2012 Vezina Trophy winning Henrik Lundqvist will be in between the pipes when Sweden takes on the Czech Republic in their first game on Wednesday barring injury. After a gold medal in ’06, the 31-year-old is certainly looking to overcome his atrocious outing against Slovakia in the quarterfinals in 2010 (4 GA on 14 shots). His goals-against average has never been higher in his nine year NHL career with the New York Rangers, but he is still one of the most talented goaltenders in this tournament. As long as the defense holds up their end, there is no doubt that Lundqvist can capture his second gold medal in 2014. After all, there is a reason why he is known around the National Hockey League as “King Henrik.”
Backing up Lundqvist will be 22-year-old Robin Lehner. The Senators backstop performed very well earlier this season when starter Craig Anderson was sidelined with a neck injury. His play since then has faltered slightly. He is still developing as an NHL goalie so his inexperience will surely come into play if he is forced into a starting role. Buffalo Sabres back up Jhonas Enroth is in the number three slot, but he will likely not see any time in this year’s Olympics for Team Sweden.
Outlook
While Russia and Canada are looked at as the projected winners of the tournament, Sweden will be able to contend for a gold medal. Their offense is able to put pucks to the back of the net while the defense can shut down rival offenses with ease. If they play up to their potential, they will once again breeze through Group C and secure a bye into the quarterfinals. Whether we witness a repeat of 2006 or 2010 for the Swedes remains to be seen. Those questions will start to be answered when they hit the ice on Wednesday.
Check in later for previews on the rest of the elite eight of the tournament.
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