Clumsy Sweden wins over Norway

Group A

Norway 1 Sweden 2

Both Sweden and Norway, started this game in a comfortable position with two victories in the two first games of the World Championships. How could Norway compete with Sweden in this game? If we compare two rosters... it would by Sweden being extremely clumsy on offense and Norway being extremely lucky in defense. And that's exactly what's happen in the first period. The World Champion dominated the game but that wasn't enough to pass Norway's defense and goalie Steffen Søberg. And even when Søberg gave up some dangerous rebounds, Sweden wasn't sharp enough to put the puck inside. Sweden leading 8-1 in shots reflected well the first period. 

If the first period was a little nightmare for team Sweden, the second one became a real one. After a blank power-play in the beginning of the second period, Sweden team one more time clumsy on offense makes a turnover, but this time Norwegian player Sondre Olden was sharper then the last defense man, steals the puck on the big circle and scores the first goal of the game. The nightmare continues until minute 36:33 when Sweden in a power-play finally brakes the Norwegian defense. Joakim Lindström scored after a pass by "quarterback" Magnus Nygren. After two periods Sweden lead 23-7 in shots. 

In the third period Norway took some offensive risks but that didn't pay off. Linus Klasen finally scores the second goal off a rebound after Gustav Nyquist carried the puck. In the end of the game Gustav Nyquist almost pulled a Patrik Stefan (if you don't know or remember what it is, see hockey urban legend on youtube), only this time Swedish goalie Nilsson didn't allow that to happen. Norwegian goalie Steffen Søberg made 33 saves tonight.

"I think it went better throughout the game. In the third, I think we got hold of things and showed work ethic", says Gustav Nyquist.

Sweden who got defenseman Daniel Rahimi injured in the first game lost Jonas Ahnelöv to a shoulder injury in the middle of the game. It is still not known if he can play more in Minsk.

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