Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren spoke with Hockeysverige.se after scoring a goal in this morning’s 4-1 Team Sweden loss to the Czech Republic in the Channel One Cup. Berggren was one of the few highlights for Sweden, and he also spoke with HockeyNews.se’s Henrik Sjoberg this afternoon.
What follows is roughly translated from Swedish:
The 20-year-old about his hunt for the World Championship team: “I should have a good chance”
Jonatan Berggren became a goal-scorer for the first time with the Tre Kronor.
Skelleftea’s 20-year-old does not deny that he wants to fight for a spot on the World Championship team.
“I probably have the chance now that I’ve been involved and shown that what I do at home in Skelleftea also works here,” says Berggren after the end of the Channel One Cup.
The Tre Kronor fell to the Czech Republic 4-1 in the final game of the Channel One Cup on Sunday morning.
The Swedes did not reach their desired level.
“I think we had our worst game, we really didn’t have sharpness and didn’t do the job fully. The last little thing was missing, and then the pucks bounced away and we didn’t win all the close battles, and we weren’t sharp when we had to score goals or finish, and that was what we saw today,” said Tre Kronor national team coach Johan Garpenlov.
One of the bright spots on the Swedish team was 20-year-old Jonatan Berggren, who played on a Skelleftea line with Andreas Wingerli and Jesper Froden.
“I think our whole line has been ruggedly good offensively, and created a lot, and we played like we do at home with Skelleftea, and we’ve proven that it works well here, too, so that’s cool,” says Berggren after the loss to the Czech Republic.
“I think we had control of the game, but weren’t set in our positions, and they got some shots from the defensemen that bounced a bit and they got some easy goals, so it’s sour.”
Berggren was the lone goal-scorer in the game against the Czech Republic, and it was his first for the Tre Kronor.
“It’s of course a milestone. I usually don’t score many goals during the season, so it’s always fun to put one in, and extra specially show with my first for the Tre Kronor.”
Berggren has posted 24 points (5 goals + 19 assists) in 23 games in the SHL during the season, and was selected for the Tre Kronor for the second time.
His goal is to earn a spot on the World Championship team this spring, if the IIHF succeeds in arranging a championship, given the prevailing circumstances in Belarus.
“I probably have the chance now that I’ve been involved and shown that what I can do at home in Skelleftea also works here,” I should have good chances if I continue to play my game,” says Berggren.
