Sunday’s nightcap at the World Junior Championship was a doozy.
Carter Mazur, Red Savage and Team USA, who were 3-and-0 coming into their final “round robin” game, faced Simon Edvinsson, Theodor Niederbach, William Wallinder and Team Sweden, who sat just behind Team USA at 2-and-0 in Group B.
Prior to the game, Simon Edvinsson had this to say to NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale:
“It’s going to be a hard game,” Sweden defenseman Simon Edvinsson (Red Wings) said. “I know they are going to be fired up to play us, so it’s going to be fun. They’re a team that’s good in the offensive zone and have good players all over the place. I’m looking forward to the game.”
This was an unusual one. Team USA won 3-2, but the Americans raced out to a 3-0 lead, and didn’t surrender a goal until the final 8:22 of regulation time, absolutely dominating the Swedes for 51 minutes and 38 seconds…
But the Swedes were absolutely dominant for 8:22, and while the Americans have advanced to face the Czechs on Wednesday, Sweden heads back onto the ice tomorrow night vs. Germany, and the Swedes need to win that one to not finish 3rd in the group.
Statistically speaking, here’s how your Red Wings prospects did:
Carter Mazur actually finished at -1 with 1 shot in 16:14 played, but he wasn’t really relied upon offensively, and was good overall, playing a gritty, nasty game;
Red Savage finished even with 1 shot in 14:04, playing mostly invisibly efficient hockey, skating superbly well;
Simon Edvinsson finished even with 2 shots in 22:44, despite being on the ice for the Americans’ first power play goal against. Edvinsson was first evident for not getting his stick on Brett Berard, who spun and scored the 1-0 goal off a Wallstedt rebound, but after that, Edvinsson was a silky-smooth skater, and yes, he made the occasional turnover under the Americans’ relentless pressure, but the alternate captain got angry and started pushing, shoving and hacking and whacking during a night where Sweden wasn’t on the same page with each other until the end of the game;
William Wallinder finished with an assist, an even plus-minus rating and 2 shots in 15:16. His assist came on the 3-1 goal, and it was a lateral pass, but, mostly speaking, he skated well and played shut-down defense in his own zone and was an efficient but unspectacular puck-mover. He also got lit up on a hard hit by Matthew Knies, but bounced back up;
And Theodor Niederbach was named Team Sweden’s player of the game after finishing -1 with 1 shot in 21:25, mostly because he was excellent in winning faceoffs, forechecking hard, and playing disciplined, hard-nosed hockey. He really keyed the 3-2 goal, but did not get credit for an assist on the play.
In terms of the game’s narrative…
In the 1st period, Jesper Wallstedt and Kaiden Mbereko faced off in goal, and the line of Mazur, Bordeleau and Slaggert started for the Americans, while Edvinsson and company did not start for the Swedes.
So the Swedes were trying to get their 2nd line (the Swedes tend to play in 5-man units) against the Americans’ first line.
The Americans won the faceoff and chipped and chased, with Sweden icing the puck only 16 seconds into the game.
In the first scoring chance of the game, Helge Grans got walked around, and big Edvinsson had to block off the Americans’ Bordeleau and Mazur from getting toward the rebound before Wallstedt could cover up.
In all honesty, as Dave Starman said in the NHL Network, the first 1:30 of the period was quite clunky, with lots of stoppages and faceoffs.
The Swedes were allowing the Americans to generate rushes and succeeding at charging into the Swedish zone, but the Swedes were covering up through the middle of the ice;
Grans was having some trouble on his pairing with Edvinsson, however, so Simon had to get into the slot to block a rebound opportunity from occurring 2:20 into the 1st.
Wallinder made a couple of good plays as Wallstedt, active outside his crease, moved the puck up the wall;
As Starman explained that Edvinsson is compared to Brent Burns by some people, and E.J. Hradek said that Edvinsson does some MMA training (he’s also pals with a professional soccer player in Sweden), the Americans sort of reverted to dump and chase…
While the Swedes got their first real scoring chance on a pass from Theodor Niederbach to Olausson, who was stopped by Mbereko.
Niederbach also won a faceoff and backhanded a shot in on Mbereko himself as the faceoffs accumulated.
5 minutes in, the shots were 5-4 Sweden.
Team Sweden headed to the PK as Ohgren took a dumb tripping minor 200 feet from his goal at 5:14…
While William Wallinder’s shot was nearly tipped in by a Swedish forward whose bad luck yielded kicking the puck wide of Mbereko.
On the PK, Edvinsson played right point, and he failed to clear the puck, Niederbach missed his check, the Americans went point to point, down low to Berard, and Berard chipped a weird shot through Wallstedt on the rebound to make it 1-0 Team USA on the power play.
🇺🇸 Brett Berard converts on the power-play to open the scoring for the Americans.
🇺🇸 USA 1 – 0 🇸🇪 Sweden#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/dBB3zrr4o8— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 15, 2022
🚨 POWERPLAY GOAL! @usahockey takes the early lead thanks to @bberard9! #WorldJuniors#USASWE pic.twitter.com/7iSni7w28o— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 15, 2022
Brett Berard buries the puck on the powerplay to give USA a 1-0 lead! #WorldJuniors
🔗: https://t.co/dqbqbKy8Dnpic.twitter.com/r8N2ENQOQE— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 15, 2022
Edvinsson was there in front of the crease, but he and his partner, Emil Andrae, didn’t front Berard. His goal was assisted by Thomas Bordeleau and Luke Hughes at 6:35.
Sweden played Wallinder’s defensive pairing on the post-goal bump-up shift, and Wallinder did a whole lot of making good touches to facilitate play with Andrae, who was struggling.
Edvinsson and Grans were doing OK as they exchanged positions from left to right and right to left pretty regularly, but they looked a little tight.
Niederbach, up front, was strong on the forecheck, but he wasn’t taking offensive zone penalties. Perhaps the undisciplined play from the first round robin game had been put behind him.
At 10:01, we got our first TV timeout.
Niederbach was skating quite well and was evident as the first man high on the forecheck; Wallinder battled Bordeleau, and Andrae was smeared by Mazur, who lurked like a shark searching for chum;
Savage then forced a turnover and the Americans got another shot off at 9:03, but Wallstedt gobbled it up.
Savage followed up with a shot off the faceoff–against Edvinsson–that Wallstedt had to stop.
Edvinsson and his fellow Swedes were able to settle in as play progressed, and they were generating secondary scoring chances, but they just weren’t crashing the net in a way that the Americans were.
Edvinsson had the presence to pinch in deep and generate possession, come back to the blueline, and help Niederbach before changing and being succeeded by Wallinder.
14:58 into the 1st period, the second TV timeout hit, and afterward, we saw Kris Draper on camera.
Emil Andrae hit the post shortly thereafter;
Savage won a good faceoff that afforded Riley Duran an offensive rush, but Edvinsson and Anton Olsson took care of the Americans down low.
That being said, the Swedes had a hard time clearing;
Wallstedt got a shot off on Mbereko from the high slot;
The Americans got a real cycle going with 2:10 left in the 1st and generated a couple of chances as Knies and Coronato fired a shot off the post, with Hughes charging in himself and getting a scoring chance…
Sweden had to chip it out with 1:43 left and change.
With under a minute left, Edvinsson, playing right defense, bailed out Grans with a head fake and flip-out to Niederbach’s line…
And the Swedes cycled back into their own zone and killed the final seconds of period one.
Dominic James took a penalty for flipping the stick out of a Swedish defender’s stick at 20:00, however, so the Swedes would start period 2 on the power play.
Flipping a stick out of a player’s hand? In the IIHF, that’s “interference.” Unsportsmanlike conduct in the NHL.
The shots were also 15-13 USA, and the Swedish National Team and Team USA offered different kinds of takes on the 1st period:
🇸🇪🆚🇺🇸
Högt tempo i första perioden mellan Juniorkronorna och USA. Sverige vaskar fram ett par riktigt heta målchanser, bland annat ett ribbskott från Emil Andrae, men USA leder efter mål av Brett Berard. Skotten 13-15.
Ni är väl vakna och hejar? 🙌🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/Amcc5UYFeS— Tre Kronor (@Trekronorse) August 15, 2022
Up after 20. #WorldJuniors 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/pbVtKLFQEv— USA Hockey (@usahockey) August 15, 2022
In the 2nd period, in which Sweden began with a 2:00 power play:
Theodor Niederbach started as the center on the first PP unit, but the Swedes had a very hard time getting into the offensive zone, and Team USA chipped the puck out and there were 45 seconds gone in the PP already.
Niederbach battled the puck back deep, but the Americans cleared again;
Mazur chased Lekkerimaki, who blew in, but Ian Moore blocked his stick;
With about 35 seconds left, the Swedes brought their 2nd PP unit out, and it did about as well as the first PP unit, which is to say that it was not very good, “button hooking” at the half boards far too regularly.
Red Savage also lost his helmet on a play in which a Swedish forward knocked it right off Savage’s head, but the Americans killed the penalty.
After the PP expired, about 3:30 into the 2nd, Edvinsson made a really nice play to skate in from the offensive zone blueline and chip the puck toward the goal. The shot went wide, but there was swagger, savvy, and patience all in one flowing motion.
Savage did a good job of fronting a Lysell shot;
Then Bordeleau and Mazur did a great job of filling in some holes as Edvinsson got overpowered and Grans went skating off into the sunset, generating back-to-back scoring chances.
Put bluntly, the Swedes were chasing the puck and the puck carrier, and the Americans were fine with that.
Matt Coronato then took a spin shot and jammed it through Wallstedt off a pass from Logan Cooley, making it 2-0 Team USA at 5:37.
Matt Coronato squeaks one through to double USA’s lead 🚨
🇺🇸 USA 2 – 0 🇸🇪 Sweden#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/ZoZF4VK8v8— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 15, 2022
🇺🇸 @MattCoronato continues his goal streak as he puts @usahockey up 2-0 over @Trekronorse #WorldJuniors #USASWE pic.twitter.com/Zg43DEwJKT— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 15, 2022
The only defender anywhere near Coronato was Niederbach. The defensemen were further away from their goaltender. That’s bad.
Then Simon Edvinsson had to come back to defuse a 2-on-1 via stick check…
Oskar Olausson took a slashing minor at 9:24, and neither Edvinsson nor Mazur were on the ice for their team’s first PK or PP units, respectively;
The Americans had better structure, though, and Hunter McKown nearly scored on a back-door play where Wallinder wasn’t looking for the back-door play.
Mazur did appear on the ice on the PP and did a good job of getting into the “bumper” spot, a couple of times, as the Americans had to chip and chase after a Swedish clear…
But the penalty expired and that was that.
More than anything, Mazur survived a hit by Stakkestad.
At 11:08 of the 2nd period, Duran took a high-sticking minor, and the Swedes went to the power play.
The Americans were doing a great job of stifling the Swedes’ transition game, and the Swedes couldn’t settle the puck down on the PP.
Savage was quietly effective on the PK, invisible but there fronting the puck and taking smart short shifts.
Edvinsson just doesn’t play on the PP, but Niederbach made a LOVELY interception and Olausson fired a one-timer wide off Niederbach’s pass.
Mazur also steered a Swede right into his own bench with a “sneaky dirty” play after the Swedish PP expired, sans call against.
What Edvinsson does have is his skating.
Shake and bake in his own zone to facilitate the breakout, then he chugs the puck up the gut himself, goes to the net after dropping the pass off, and manages to get back before the Americans go offside.
Skating. Good. Fluid.— George Malik (@georgemalik) August 15, 2022
Wallinder got SMOKED along the end boards but the American, Knies, lost his helmet.
John Buccigross on Twitter (of ESPN fame) posted this retweet of the hit:
DOUBLE NOSE PLUG BUCKET POP FROM MATTHEW KNIES pic.twitter.com/oQEr73UXBq— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) August 15, 2022
Edvinsson made a nice gap-up play at his own blueline, skated back to stop a dump-in, and managed to skate up ice to fire a chip shot toward the net that was tipped out of play by the Americans.
Mazur is just mean in those corner battles. Even when he loses them, there are punches, stick checks, knees in hips, all sorts of dirty little shit.— George Malik (@georgemalik) August 15, 2022
Edvinsson is doing his best to join the rush as a “fourth forward” on every shift out there now.
It’s a good thing that he has the confidence to do so.
It’s a good thing that he has the skating necessary to do so.
It’s bad that it’s necessary to generate ANY offense for SWE.— George Malik (@georgemalik) August 15, 2022
With 2:42 in the 2nd, the shots were 15-3 Team USA, and Sweden was just out of sorts.
At 17:18, however, Sweden chipped the puck out of play…
But two refs and two linesmen missed it completely. Sweden dodged a bullet.
Instead, at 18:58, Loof took out an American in a check from behind along the boards, and Brock Faber got boarded hard, so the refs debated whether it would be 2 or 5.
The refs called it a minor at 18:58 for boarding.
Team USA headed to the PP and Brock Faber was A-OK, which is probably why it wasn’t a major.
Edvinsson was out there for this PK, and his positioning was quite good.
The U.S. couldn’t set up, so the period ended with the Americans up 2-0.
Let’s finish the job. #WorldJuniors 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/RT3ft5oItr— USA Hockey (@usahockey) August 15, 2022
🇸🇪🆚🇺🇸
Fortsatt högt tempo i andra perioden, som USA vinner med 1-0. Vi har fortfarande kontakt och ska ge allt i tredje!
📺 SVT / SVT Play
🎙️ Radiosporten pic.twitter.com/zb3Y6EiztW— Tre Kronor (@Trekronorse) August 15, 2022
In the 3rd period, which began with a 58-second PP for Team USA:
Mazur and Bordeleau started together and cycled with Samoskevich and Hughes, and the Americans established possession and control, cycled and chipped a shot on goal in short order.
Edvinsson came out for the second shift, and he and Grans kept Bordeleau away from the goal.
The power play expired, and Edvinsson was evident chipping the puck in so his Swedish teammates could change…
Savage was visible in gaps in Swedish coverage, speedily gapping up on the Swedish forwards and taking away their defensemen’s outlet passes.
Savage isn’t the kind of player you notice because he’s bombastic or incredibly dominant: you see his work ethic and his hustle and skating abilities.
As for Niederbach, he and Edvinsson started an offensive zone draw against the Americans, and Edvinsson had to charge back to battle Knies at center ice, winning the battle while getting tripped.
After the play, which ended up in Sweden’s zone, with a USA shot on goal, Edvinsson asked the ref to call the penalty.
Samoskevich, Bordeleau and Mazur got a lot of ice time over the first 10 minutes of the 3rd period. Good, solid line.
And on the next shift, Matt Coronato scored the 3-0 goal off a turnover and pass from Cooley and Slaggert, yielding a goal at 5:26 of the 3rd.
Matt Coronato lasers one home for his second of the game to extend USA’s lead in the 3rd 🚨
🇺🇸 USA 3 – 0 🇸🇪 Sweden#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/LUhdqdQbSZ— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 15, 2022
Matt Coronato hatty watch and USA leads 3-0!
🔗: https://t.co/tCqXizbcfzpic.twitter.com/S6tuFBHjJK— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 15, 2022
Edvinsson continued to get a lot of ice time himself, and he was getting more and more ornery as the game progressed. He was starting to exhibit an edge.
I don’t want to say that the Swedes are playing like they know this game is over, and that they have a game tomorrow night, but…
That’s how they’re playing. No “empty the tank” philosophy tonight.
It’s more like, “Let’s have enough energy to try tomorrow.”— George Malik (@georgemalik) August 15, 2022
Edvinsson got away with a cross check as Slaggert, Coronato and Cooley cycled in the Swedish zone, and then Mazur took to the ice with Bordeleau, and Mazur was tied up…
The U.S. was even getting scoring chances when Edvinsson was on the ice, because Simon was playing man-on-man hockey in a zone defense, and he was hacking and whacking at his opponents after the play. Frustration abounded…
In one Swede, at least.
After Mazur got smeared along the boards in the Swedish zone sans penalty to Stjernborg, Emil Andrae scored a point shot off a chipper from the point that went through a screen, off Kaden Mbereko’s glove, and into the back of the net at 11:38. Sweden trailed 3-1.
Emil Andrae puts 🇸🇪 Sweden on the board with under 10 minutes to play in the 3rd 🚨
🇺🇸 USA 3 – 1 🇸🇪 Sweden#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/RaGdsV7nz0— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 15, 2022
🚨 A lucky bounce and Emil Andrae gets @Trekronorse on the board!#WorldJuniors #USASWE pic.twitter.com/siicUqpfgb— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 15, 2022
Sweden is on the board! Emil Andrae’s shot handcuffs Kaidan Mbereko and drops into the net. USA still leads 3-1. #WorldJuniors
🔗: https://t.co/6Qd09mQB1Ypic.twitter.com/6igI0jjcxk— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 15, 2022
William Wallinder of all people, and Oskar Magnusson, got assists on the play.
Mazur got the -1.
Niederbach and Sweden at least cycling for a moment in the offensive zone with 4:27 left in the 3rd. Team USA ices it after the turnover yields two shots on Mbereko, who is still “in the groove.”
Niederbach has had a quietly solid game.— George Malik (@georgemalik) August 15, 2022
Wallinder had a good final period as well, looking smart and steady despite the Americans’ zone time.
Niederbach got held up BLATANTLY by Brock Faber and there was no call with about 2:20 left in the 3rd…after having his stick break on a faceoff, and having gone to the bench to get another one…
Sweden called a timeout at 17:58 and pulled Wallstedt down 3-1.
Niederbach took the offensive zone faceoff 6 on 5, vs. Bordeleau, and Bordeleau won the draw.
With 1:43 remaining, Kaiser chipped the puck out of play, and the Swedes headed to the PP up 6 on 5…
Niederbach won the draw, Sweden cycled, Niederbach played the behind-the-net role, and SWEDEN SCORED!
Stakkestad rebounded the Emil Andrae shot into the goal with 1:15 remaining and the Swedes were down 3-2.
1:15 to go and @Trekronorse is within 1!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/49lVJzPnAg— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 15, 2022
1:15 to go and @Trekronorse is within 1!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/49lVJzPnAg— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 15, 2022
Niederbach keyed the play but did not get an assist.
The Swedes got an offensive zone draw and pulled Wallstedt.
Niederbach and Bordeleau drew in and it was tied up, and the Americans cleared the puck but iced it with 49.2 left in the 3rd.
Edvinsson wide, rebound cycled, cycled, Andrae shot stopped, rebound cycled, Olausson stopped. 29.5 remaining.
Now Bordeleau faces off vs. Niederbach again, it’s tied up, and cleared by the Americans.
Sweden’s Andrae chips it up, Sweden charges in, but they are unable to get much other than some scrambling.
Team USA wins 3-2.— George Malik (@georgemalik) August 15, 2022
🇺🇸 @usahockey took #U18Worlds revenge today as they beat @Trekronorse 3-2. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/YhZYZDuTGW— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 15, 2022
Both teams will go away feeling good about this one.
Team USA dominated for 55 minutes and won 3-2.
Team Sweden had a fantastic final 5 minutes, and if they play like they did in the final 5, they will beat Germany on Monday.— George Malik (@georgemalik) August 15, 2022
Team Sweden named Theodor Niederbach their player of the game. Matt Coronato was named the U.S. player of the game.
Absolutely rolling! #WorldJuniors 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/SJp3uYEfVk— USA Hockey (@usahockey) August 15, 2022
🇸🇪🆚🇺🇸
Juniorkronorna gör en mäktig slutforcering i tredje perioden och reducerar två gånger om genom Emil Andrae och Åke Stakkestad, men USA håller undan och vinner. Jesper Wallstedt står för 38 räddningar.
Nästa match redan kommande natt, då mot Tyskland.#worldjuniors pic.twitter.com/kVOokJ7GH7— Tre Kronor (@Trekronorse) August 15, 2022
Update: Here are the game’s highlights:
