Lucas Raymond was one of six Swedish goal scorers.
photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDRE RINGUETTE
What was expected to be one of the loudest games of the entire tournament was certainly wildly entertaining. While the Latvian fans can claim a win in the stands, on the ice, it was the home team that bagged the victory, as Sweden beat Latvia 6-0.
Sweden had six different goal scorers, Lucas Raymond and Elias Lindholm scored one each and added an assist, Alexander Wennberg and Jonas Brodin picked up two assists. Samuel Ersson made 20 saves en route to a shutout. Latvia’s goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis stopped the puck 21 times.
"First period was not our best, but we started to play more aggressively and in straighter lines. Latvia kept us on the outside, but once we started to play a simpler game, we managed to wear them down,” said Anton Bengtsson who scored Sweden's second goal.
“We knew they’re a great team and that it was going to be tough, but we battled,” said Latvia's Rudolfs Balcers.
Sweden, cheered on by the “yellow wall” of fans behind the Latvian net, and aided by three power play opportunities, carried the play completely in the first period. Tre Kronor created a half a dozen chances, but Gudlevskis and the Latvian defense managed to keep them off the scoreboard.
And that was no small feat, considering Sweden’s best chances came to their biggest offensive stars Filip Forsberg, Mika Zibanejad, Marcus Johansson, and Lucas Raymond. Sweden missed the net several times and outshot Latvia only 8-6, even though they spent most of the period in the Latvian zone.
A scoreless first period was precisely what Latvia wanted. They – and their fans – had been in that situation before. There was no cause for concern.
Until there was.
“I like the way we kept attacking. We had chances in the first, too, and then we just kept on rolling. We have four great lines, and great goalies, so I’m excited about the future," Sweden's Leo Carlsson said.
The second period was Sweden’s, even more than the first, if possible. The first time Latvia carried the puck into the Swedish zone was after 12 minutes of play.
By then, Sweden had taken a 1-0 lead thanks to a gorgeous solo effort by team captain Rasmus Andersson, who grabbed the puck after an offensive zone faceoff, skated around the Latvian defenders and the net and lifted the puck top shelf to give his team a 1-0 lead at 10.15. It was Andersson’s first national team goal.
Just 12 second later, it was 2-0. Straight off the faceoff, Sweden took the puck back into the Latvia’s zone, Jonas Brodin fired the puck toward the net, and Anton Bengtsson took care of the rebound, and fired it top shelf glove side.
Latvia’s hopes of a comeback were extinguished early in the third period. Lucas Raymond’s pass found Leo Carlsson on a partial breakaway, but instead of driving to the net, Carlsson dropped the puck back to Raymond who one-timed it in from the slot just 36 seconds into the period.
With 11.28 remaining, Adam Larsson fired a slap shot from the point, and it hit a Latvian player’s skate and was redirected into the net for 4-0.
Zibanejad and Wennberg played a nice give and go on the blueline, Zibanejad turned on the jets and skated around the defense. He tried to find Jonas Brodin at the back door, but a Latvian defenseman got to the puck first, and unfortunately, deflected it in just two minutes and 14 seconds after the 4-0 goal.
With 1.11 remaining, Sweden made it 6-0. Raymond and Jesper Froden tic-tac-toed the puck to Elias Lindholm who had an easy job to tap it in and make it 6-0 for the hosts.
“We started strong, but the penalties gave them the momentum. We can't take that many penalties against a team of their caliber,” Latvia's Haralds Egle said.
Sweden had six different goal scorers, Lucas Raymond and Elias Lindholm scored one each and added an assist, Alexander Wennberg and Jonas Brodin picked up two assists. Samuel Ersson made 20 saves en route to a shutout. Latvia’s goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis stopped the puck 21 times.
"First period was not our best, but we started to play more aggressively and in straighter lines. Latvia kept us on the outside, but once we started to play a simpler game, we managed to wear them down,” said Anton Bengtsson who scored Sweden's second goal.
“We knew they’re a great team and that it was going to be tough, but we battled,” said Latvia's Rudolfs Balcers.
Sweden, cheered on by the “yellow wall” of fans behind the Latvian net, and aided by three power play opportunities, carried the play completely in the first period. Tre Kronor created a half a dozen chances, but Gudlevskis and the Latvian defense managed to keep them off the scoreboard.
And that was no small feat, considering Sweden’s best chances came to their biggest offensive stars Filip Forsberg, Mika Zibanejad, Marcus Johansson, and Lucas Raymond. Sweden missed the net several times and outshot Latvia only 8-6, even though they spent most of the period in the Latvian zone.
A scoreless first period was precisely what Latvia wanted. They – and their fans – had been in that situation before. There was no cause for concern.
Until there was.
“I like the way we kept attacking. We had chances in the first, too, and then we just kept on rolling. We have four great lines, and great goalies, so I’m excited about the future," Sweden's Leo Carlsson said.
The second period was Sweden’s, even more than the first, if possible. The first time Latvia carried the puck into the Swedish zone was after 12 minutes of play.
By then, Sweden had taken a 1-0 lead thanks to a gorgeous solo effort by team captain Rasmus Andersson, who grabbed the puck after an offensive zone faceoff, skated around the Latvian defenders and the net and lifted the puck top shelf to give his team a 1-0 lead at 10.15. It was Andersson’s first national team goal.
Just 12 second later, it was 2-0. Straight off the faceoff, Sweden took the puck back into the Latvia’s zone, Jonas Brodin fired the puck toward the net, and Anton Bengtsson took care of the rebound, and fired it top shelf glove side.
Latvia’s hopes of a comeback were extinguished early in the third period. Lucas Raymond’s pass found Leo Carlsson on a partial breakaway, but instead of driving to the net, Carlsson dropped the puck back to Raymond who one-timed it in from the slot just 36 seconds into the period.
With 11.28 remaining, Adam Larsson fired a slap shot from the point, and it hit a Latvian player’s skate and was redirected into the net for 4-0.
Zibanejad and Wennberg played a nice give and go on the blueline, Zibanejad turned on the jets and skated around the defense. He tried to find Jonas Brodin at the back door, but a Latvian defenseman got to the puck first, and unfortunately, deflected it in just two minutes and 14 seconds after the 4-0 goal.
With 1.11 remaining, Sweden made it 6-0. Raymond and Jesper Froden tic-tac-toed the puck to Elias Lindholm who had an easy job to tap it in and make it 6-0 for the hosts.
“We started strong, but the penalties gave them the momentum. We can't take that many penalties against a team of their caliber,” Latvia's Haralds Egle said.
Latvia vs Sweden - 2025 IIHF WM
OF