Sweden moves to 3-0 after shutting out Canada 2-0.
For the third straight game, Team Sweden not only walked away with a victory at the 2024 World Juniors but shut out the opposition as they took care of Team Canada 2-0 on Friday. Once again, all three Canucks prospects played crucial roles in the win as Sweden improved their record to 3-0. Here is a recap of the impact each had on the game.
Starting with Tom Willander, he couldn't have picked a better time to score his first World Juniors goal as he recorded the game-winner versus Canada. The 2023 first-rounder was once again near the top of the ice time list, playing 17:59 and was a crucial part of the team's penalty kill. Tied for the team lead in shifts with 27, his play throughout the tournament indicates he may be closer to NHL-ready than some felt coming in.
Sticking with the defence, Elias Pettersson was once again the team leader in ice time. At 20:46, he was the only Swedish player to surpass 20 minutes and averaged a team-high 51 seconds per shift. From his work in the defensive end to his physical play all over the wall, it is not a stretch to say he has been one of Sweden's best players this year.
Finally, Jonathan Lekkerimäki continues to show how dangerous he can be with the puck on his stick. While he only finished with one shot in 16:52 of ice time, he created chances throughout the game and finished the night with the primary assist on Sweden's second goal. The 2022 first-rounder continues to shine in this tournament, as he has been one of Sweden's most dangerous forwards through their first three games.
Sweden will get the day off tomorrow before facing Finland on New Year's Eve. Last year, these two rivals met in the quarterfinals, where Sweden defeated Finland 3-2 thanks to a late shorthanded goal by Victor Stjernborg. The puck drop is set for 5:30 AM PT and can be viewed on TSN.
