Lundqvist Grabs Shutout to Keep Sweden Perfect

One goal at the halfway point in the game was all it took for Sweden to win their second game of the tournament and eliminate Finland from semi-final contention.

The first period saw a lot of great action between the two teams, but neither could the back of the net. Finland had a strong opening period, finishing with an 11-8 shot advantage, with some of the strongest scoring opportunities. The best, however, went to Gabriel Landeskog, who fought off a defensive effort by Jyrki Jokipakka and Ville Pokka to go one-on-one with Tuukka Rask. Landeskog looked to have beaten the Boston Bruins netminder, but Rask was able to get his left pad out just in time to keep it out.

Sweden, with a win already in the tournament against Russia, took the 1-0 lead at the halfway point of the game. Daniel Sedin did a good job of circling the net before finding his brother, Henrik. Henrik then caught wind of a streaking Anton Stralman up the middle and sent out a pass. Stralman wasted no time finding the back of the net, one-timing the pass in close to make it 1-0, a lead that would stand for most of the game.

It was very clear the teams didn't like each other, and with Finland in a situation where they had to win to keep their hopes alive, they were going to do whatever it took to win the game. One such instance came midway through the third when Mikael Backlund was skating through centre ice, only to get crushed by Sami Lepisto. The hit drew a large crowd in the neutral zone, highlighting a game that saw some rather physical moments.

Playing in his first game of the tournament, Henrik Lundqvist was the star of the contest. After missing the opening game against Russia due to an illness, and with Jakob Markstrom looking very solid in the game, some people questioned if going back to the New York Rangers netminder made sense. He had a very strong outing, making 38 stops to keep Finland off the scoreboard. Loui Eriksson would help out his old buddy by adding an empty netter, capping off the 2-0 victory and to keep Sweden in good company heading into the final days of round robin action.

Just like in the first game, there was a lot of attention surrounding Sweden's goaltending, but this time it was Luindqvist instead of Markstrom.

"He's one of the top goalies in the world and I think he proved that tonight," Sweden coach Rickard Gronborg said following the game.

Lundqvist himself said he feels good physically and hopes to play in Sweden's final round robin game against North America.

"I think that with almost every period, you can feel like you're getting more comfortable," Lundqvist said. "Physically, I feel great."

Erik Karlsson shared in the long line of praise for his Swedish netminder.

"He's been a top goalie in this league for over 10 years now," Karlsson said. "It's not a coincidence. Hank had a flawless game." 

At the other end of the ice, Tuukka Rask had positive thoughts about his team's performance despite the loss.

"It's just one of those things. They happen," said Rask. "It's hockey, but it's difficult to take."

With the loss, Finland chances of making the semi-finals are very slim after coming in second the last time the tournament took place back in 2004. Sweden has yet to clinch a spot in the semi-finals, with both North America and Russia able to potentially create a three-way tie before the tournament comes to a close.

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