PETTERSSON LEADS SWEDISH ARTILLERY
When he left Sweden earlier this month, Elias Pettersson was leading the top-level Swedish Hockey League with 35 points in 26 games. He’s scoring at a rate unseen since the days of Peter Forsberg and Markus Naslund.
And yet, Team Sweden head coach Tomas Monten still wasn’t sure the Vancouver Canucks prospect would be able to replicate that offensive production at the world juniors.
“It’s going to be tougher,” Monten said. “He’s not going to put up points like that because it’s a different ice surface and different game, for sure. You have less time with the puck. But for sure he has a lot of confidence — he’ll put in a puck or two.”
On Tuesday, Pettersson scored a goal and picked up an assist in a 6-1 win against Belarus. It was an impressive game for the fifthoverall pick, but for anyone who has watched him play this year, it was also fairly ordinary.
“He’s sick,” said defenceman Rasmus Dahlin, who had two assists. “He can score, he can make plays. Give him the puck and he can do great things.”
Sweden has a lot of players like that. While Belarus is not a great litmus test, it’s difficult to imagine many teams will keep the Swedes off the scoresheet. From Alex Nylander, who last year tied for first in tournament scoring, to Lias Andersson (seventh overall) and Erik Brannstrom (15th overall), Sweden is overflowing with highly skilled players who have no trouble finding the back of the net.
“Dangerous,” said Dahlin, the projected No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NHL entry draft. “We have so many talented forwards. Give them the puck and I will protect the goalie.”
Perhaps therein lies the challenge. While Sweden has the offensive firepower, playing a balanced game will determine whether the country, which lost 5-2 to Canada in last year’s semifinal and finished fourth, can win its first gold medal since 2012.
DUBE ‘DEFINES’ CANADA
Dillon Dube has not worn the C during his four years with the Kelowna Rockets. But he was still an easy choice to be named Team Canada’s captain.
For one, the 19-year-old from Cochrane, Alta., has the experience of playing in last year’s tournament. More importantly, the speedy and versatile Dube, a second-round pick of the Calgary Flames, embodies the type of game head coach Dominique Ducharme wants the team to play.
“Being the captain, one part of it is the way he plays and his personality,” Ducharme said. “His speed, he can be bringing a lot of energy and he can be playing in many different situations — yeah, he defines our team.”
Dube, playing with Sam Steel and Jordan Kyrou, said the team’s main strength is unselfishness.
“Every guy is worried about winning,” Dube said. “If you put your egos aside, you can accomplish great things. That’s the biggest thing for us. You know every single guy’s a leader. So you know they can accept that and move on.”