Comfortable win when former champions from last year shutout Belarus

It was two teams that started very  nervously and carefully and it was Belarus that had the best scoring chances in the opening 8 minutes. But it was team Sweden that was going to score the first goal when Lias Andersson after 09:17 break in front of the goal and scored. Only 28 seconds later Gustav Nyqvist scored 2-0 for team Sweden. Team Sweden gained a lot of energy through those two goals and the following minutes after the second goal felt like Sweden played powerplay, but they didn't score any more goals in the first period.

Second period
Much more speed from start in the second period. Both team felt hungrier and not as reserved as they did in the beginning of the game. And it was totally fair that the next goal should be for team Sweden as the came out with full speed and high forechecking and when Zibanejad sends a cross-pass to Janmark after 23:49 we have 3-0 for team Sweden.

Belarus gets two chance to play power plays when Kempe after 28:26 gets 2 min for hooking and Rakell gets 2 min for crosschecking at 31:37. Belarus played a great powerplay and was very close to reduce when they hit the post. But Sweden managed to handle the box play and when Rakell right from the penalty booth gets a pass from Belarus defenseman and shoots when the other defenseman screens its own goalie, 4-0 is a fact. Belarus change goalie and Karnaukhov gives the chance between the posts in hope to wake the team and get some energy boost. But now more goals in the second period.

Third period
With a comfortable lead Sweden starts the third period with high intensity and Belarus gets pushed back early in the period. Belarus manage to get some counterattacks and Hellberg need to make some hard saves but mostly its team Sweden that in the driving seat of this game and plays mostly of the period in offensive zone. Janmark gets a breakaway and Materukhin slash a little bit on Janmarks gloves and its should maybe been a penalty shot but the referees don't make anything of that incident. Zibanejad instead after 46:11 scored and we have 5-0 on the score board. Hellberg gets a clean sheet in his first world cup game and Sweden wins the opening game with 5-0.

Sweden Lineup

Line 1
Rakell - Zibanejad - Janmark
Klingberg - Lindholm

Line 2
Pettersson - Backlud - Nyquist
Larsson - Ekman-Larrson

Line 3
Paajarvi - Larsson - De La Rose
Wikstrand - Gustafsson

Line 4
Andersson - Kempe - Everberg

Goalie
Hellberg (Nilsson)

Head coach
Gronborg

Belarus Lineup

Line 1
Pavlovich - Sharangovich - Linglet
Khenkel - Lisovets

Line 2
Gavrus - Kovyrshin - Platt
Falkovsky - Korobov

Line 3
Demkov - Kitarov - Drozd
Vorobey - Denisov

Line 4
Materukhin - Razvadovsky - Sushko
Ustinenko - Dyukov

Goalie
Kulbakov (Karnaukhov)

Head coach
Lewis

Referee Kaukokari (Fin) and Wehrli (Sui)
Royal Arena (Copenhagen)

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