The Canucks prospect scored once in regulation and again in the shootout during the loss.
Team Sweden finished their preliminary round schedule with a 5-4 overtime loss to Finland. Despite the loss, Sweden will win Group A and will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Here is a breakdown of how the three Vancouver Canucks prospect did today for Sweden.
The best of the three prospects from this game was Jonathan Lekkerimäki. He had a goal in regulation and the shootout while recording 21:16 of ice time. Finishing the preliminary round with at least one point in each game, he continues to create chances whenever the puck is on his stick.
As for Tom Willander, Sweden's coaching staff continued to show just how much faith they have in the 2023 first-rounder. Playing 21:28, he recorded an assist and was one of two Swedish defencemen to surpass the 20-minute mark. He had a strong game at both ends of the ice and, in the end, was rewarded with his first assist at the tournament.
Lastly, this was not a great game for Elias Pettersson. He played under 20 minutes for the first time all tournament and ended the night as a minus-three. Whether it is fatigue setting in or just having an off-game, the hope is he can return to his previous form in the quarterfinals.
As mentioned, up next for Team Sweden will be a quarterfinal match with Switzerland. The last time these two nations faced off was in 2022, when Sweden defeated the Swiss 3-2 in the preliminary stage. The expected time for this game is 10:30 AM PT, and can be viewed on TSN.