Sweden Player Ratings: Nyquist, Arvidsson put pride in crest on display

It was just too little, too late for the Swedes.

The Tre Kronor will depart the 4 Nations Face-Off with one win to their identify. The ultimate standings will present them ending third among the many 4 squads, their 5 factors tied with the Canadian crew set to play in the championship recreation Thursday. However the particulars inform a distinct story.

Whereas the People, Canadians, and Finns every had their moments of glory, the Swedes end with solely a comfort win in opposition to the U.S. on Monday, a 2-1 victory that also took all that they had, in opposition to an American aspect largely hoping to easily keep away from harm earlier than their actual finale a pair days from now.

Nonetheless, whereas it may need been a meaningless recreation in the context of how this event will end, there’s one thing to be stated for what was confirmed by Sweden on Monday — a hard-fought efficiency, with solely pride and love of nation on the road.

With their event coming to an finish, right here’s a have a look at how every member of the Swedish squad fared in opposition to the People:

Jesper Bratt: 9 / 10
Maybe Sweden’s finest participant at this event, the smooth-skating New Jersey Devils winger confirmed his high quality once more in this one. His creativity and poise with the puck on his stick have been noticeable in every of Sweden’s video games, and the identical was true right here. He earned some attractiveness, got here up with some key defensive performs late in the sport, too, and most significantly, sniped residence the game-winner to provide his nation some last-minute pleasure earlier than the event’s finish.

Leo Carlsson: 7 / 10
The youngest participant to take part in the tourney, Sweden’s 20-year-old phenom didn’t have a look at all misplaced alongside the vets in his first style of 4 Nations motion. The Anaheim Geese pivot didn’t get on the board, however he confirmed glimpses of his elite skillset over the course of the evening, dancing previous USA defenders quite a lot of occasions.

William Nylander: 8 / 10
Nylander’s last recreation of this event went a lot the identical method his 4 Nations expertise did as an entire — largely quiet, however with just a few temporary moments that confirmed his true stage. The Toronto Maple Leafs winger began Monday’s tilt slowly, however he got here up with a superb play late in the primary interval, leaping as much as intercept an American cross at his personal blue line, weaving into the offensive zone, stopping up, and discovering Bratt for the game-winner. Nonetheless, it was one in every of solely a handful of moments all event the place No. 88 seemed just like the participant Maple Leafs followers see on a weekly foundation.

Adrian Kempe: 7 / 10
It was one other quiet evening for Kempe after his sterling begin to the event in Sweden’s opener in opposition to Canada. However the Los Angeles Kings expertise nonetheless made his presence recognized with a few marquee probabilities on web, and a few hard-nosed forechecking.

Joel Eriksson Ek: 7 / 10
With Mika Zibanejad sidelined — and after two sturdy performances from Eriksson Ek main into this finale — the Minnesota Wild pivot was given an opportunity to take the reins in this one. Main all Swedish forwards in ice time on Monday, he was quietly key as soon as once more, making sensible reads all around the sheet.

Lucas Raymond: 6 / 10
The younger Detroit Purple Wings talisman left a lot to be desired on the People’ lone purpose, with a half-hearted backcheck that left Chris Kreider open to bury the sport’s first tally 35 seconds into the sport. However except for that early stumble, he got here up with some high quality moments, as soon as once more trying calm and picked up with the puck on his stick. He finishes the event as Sweden’s highest-scoring ahead, with three factors via three video games.

Filip Forsberg: 6 / 10
It was a wobbly begin for the Nashville Predators veteran. However Forsberg discovered his recreation because the evening wore on, working via a tough first interval and developing with just a few promising sequences. That stated, he finishes the event pointless via three video games — a disappointing run for one of many squad’s most proficient playmakers.

Elias Lindholm: 5 / 10
Lindholm was the opposite ahead, alongside Raymond, who obtained beat on the netfront on the People’ early purpose. He almost allowed the U.S. to double their lead quickly after as nicely, needlessly firing the puck over the boards later in the primary interval to earn a visit to the field.

Elias Pettersson: 5 / 10
Vancouver Canucks followers might have hoped the 4 Nations expertise can be a confidence booster for Pettersson, however the pivot leaves the event empty-handed. One other quiet evening Monday did little to alter that — except for a few promising sequences, No. 40 had little influence on the sport, ending because the least-used ahead in the lineup (seeing fewer than 10 minutes of ice in this one, down from 16 and 14 minutes via the primary two video games). He finishes as one in every of solely three Swedish forwards to play all three video games and depart and not using a level.

Gustav Nyquist: 10 / 10
In a recreation that had no bearing on Thursday’s championship matchup, a tilt that was performed for pride alone, Nyquist was Sweden’s emotional compass. The Nashville Predators veteran was as relentless as he’s been in every of his nation’s three video games, forechecking exhausting, throwing his physique round, and hounding opponents to return out on the precise aspect of seemingly each puck battle. Nyquist was rewarded for that method this time, deflecting residence a purpose in the primary interval to erase the People’ early lead — and he completed his evening blocking a third-period shot to protect Sweden’s lead.

Viktor Arvidsson: 10 / 10
Alongside Nyquist, Arvidsson had one other high quality efficiency himself, equally main his countrymen with a heart-and-soul effort for the crest on his sweater. It was his strong work in the offensive zone that helped arrange the shot Nyquist deflected residence for Sweden’s first purpose, and Arvidsson’s blue-collar method continued till the ultimate whistle — a key cause his nation leaves with at the least one win in this event.

Victor Hedman: 8 / 10
The Tre Kronor captain was key for his countrymen as soon as once more, developing with loads of high quality defensive sequences to disrupt American scoring probabilities, and sacrificing on the netfront late in the sport to protect his squad’s lead and safe the win. As was the case with Nyquist and Arvidsson, if there was any query about whether or not the Swedes cared about beating the People on their residence soil to complete the event, No. 77 supplied the reply.

Jonas Brodin: 6 / 10
The Minnesota Wild veteran didn’t have a major influence in one path or one other. He had just a few seems, got here up with just a few key performs to interrupt up probabilities from the opposition, and in addition discovered himself on the unsuitable aspect of a few almost pricey giveaways.

Gustav Forsling: 5 / 10
It was a tricky evening for Forsling, and it began early, because the minute-munching rearguard was the lone defender again on Kreider’s quick-trigger purpose half a minute into the lean. Whereas he obtained little assist from his teammates on that one, Forsling let Zach Werenski stroll proper by him to arrange the tally — and the identical occurred with Kyle Connor and Jack Eichel at completely different factors later in the sport, with Forsling bailed out solely by Samuel Ersson and his put up. 

Erik Karlsson: 7 / 10
As has been the case for all three of Sweden’s video games, No. 65 giveth and No. 65 taketh away. Karlsson’s ill-timed pinch factored into the U.S. scoring earlier than followers had even settled into their seats — and his shot from the wall in the offensive zone was the one deflected previous Jake Oettinger to tie it again up 13 minutes later. General, the Pittsburgh Penguins vet was a key weapon for the Swedes in this recreation, and in this event. He finishes his portion of the tourney tied for the factors lead amongst his countrymen, and because the second-highest-scoring defender in all, with three factors via three video games.

Rasmus Dahlin: 7 / 10
Over the course of Sweden’s three tilts, Dahlin confirmed as soon as once more why he’s the longer term blue-line anchor for the Tre Kronor. He was strong as soon as once more Monday, incomes just a few high quality seems and exhibiting some chunk in opposition to an American aspect that’s no stranger to extracurriculars. After some strong play via Sweden’s first two tilts, he completed Monday’s recreation as one of many squad’s most-used defenders.

Rasmus Andersson: 8 / 10
It wasn’t precisely a dream project right here for Andersson, drawing into his first recreation of the event when an opportunity on the trophy was already misplaced. Nonetheless, with about as restricted of a possibility as could possibly be provided, the Calgary Flames rearguard made his presence recognized, wiring just a few point-shot blasts on web, and developing with a team-leading 5 blocks to assist maintain the People at bay — he was significantly key late in the sport, with the U.S. urgent and his countrymen preventing to carry onto their lead.

Mattias Ekholm: 7 / 10
It was a wild Monday for the veteran Edmonton Oiler. Initially slated to sit down Sweden’s last recreation out, Ekholm wound up taking morning skate as his squad’s fourth-line centre, drawing again into the lineup for puck-drop, and chipping in with nine-and-a-half minutes as an additional defender to assist his nation depart with at the least one win. All that thought of, he did all that was requested of him, placing in some good work on the penalty kill and developing with a well-timed stick with stymie American assaults quite a lot of occasions.

Samuel Ersson: 9 / 10
Like the opposite pair of countrymen who drew into the lineup for the primary time in Sweden’s finale, Ersson had a tricky project despatched his method Monday. However his was undoubtedly the hardest of the bunch — beginning in web not just for the primary time in this event, and behind a crew already eradicated from trophy rivalry, however in opposition to an American squad that’s steamrolled its method via the tourney to date. And on their residence soil, no much less. However the younger Philadelphia Flyers netminder stepped as much as the duty. He obtained burned early, and he absolutely wasn’t dealing with the very best the U.S. needed to provide, however Ersson did nicely in dealing with the hand he was dealt, turning apart each shot after the People’ first, to complete the evening with 32 saves and a W.