Despite being on the bench for Sweden's first game, a win against Italy, Ekman-Larsson didn't skate a single shift.
For the first time since the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson stepped into best-on-best Olympic action with Team Sweden.
The 34-year-old played 7:36 in Friday's 4-1 loss to Finland, the least among Swedish players who got a shift against their Finnish rivals. It's better than his first game, where Ekman-Larsson didn't even take a shift despite being on the bench for Sweden in their win against Italy.
Each country is allowed to carry an extra forward and defenseman in each game.
"It was good [to get into the game]," Ekman-Larsson told TSN's Mark Masters after Finland's defeat over Sweden. "Just try to have short shifts and, yeah, do something out there."
Entering the tournament, Ekman-Larsson understood that he could sit on the bench for an entire game and not get a single shift. He said it wasn't a big deal and that he's here to support his nation however possible.
"Yeah, it's a little bit different, obviously," Ekman-Larsson added to Masters.
"But I'm here to support my team and do whatever they need me to do. So it was nice to get in, and get a few shifts. Obviously, another big game tomorrow, and you just got to get back in the room and refuel and get ready for tomorrow."
Sweden's Rasmus Dahlin, a defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres, scored the country's lone goal on Friday against Finland. Maple Leafs forward William Nylander had the primary assist, now tallying points in back-to-back games at the Olympics.
A loss to Finland sets Sweden up for a hugely important game against Slovakia.
"I thought we started off pretty good (against Finland)," Ekman-Larsson said.
"But in the end, I felt like the Finns took over a little bit and I think we just got to go out and play a little bit looser, if you can call it that. I thought our battle level was great and stuff like that, but little bit better with the puck, getting a little bit more chances that way. I think we got away from that a little bit, and then in the third, it obviously wasn't enough time."
To advance to the quarterfinals, Sweden must outscore Slovakia by more than four goals. A win would tie Sweden with Slovakia, but the Slovaks would own the tiebreak due to their plus-four goal differential.
If they cannot outscore Slovakia by that large a margin, they'll likely play in the playoffs to earn a spot in the quarterfinals. The same is possible for the Finns if they defeat Italy on Saturday.
It's unknown if Sweden head coach Sam Hallam will alter his lineup against Slovakia. But the one clear thing is how he's deploying his defenders: with Ekman-Larsson getting ice time against Finland, Hampus Lindholm of the Boston Bruins didn't get a single shift.
We'll see if that changes on Saturday, in Sweden's must-win game against Slovakia.
"I'm here to support my team and do whatever they need me to do," Ekman-Larsson continued. "Like I said, that's the mindset that everybody has on this team, and we just keep building here."