The foundation has been laid. Because the suspense arc wants to be built for the crucial stage. With Sweden, their sporting demands in the Ice Hockey World Championships are of course much higher. But also from the Austrians, who also reached the championship with a solid performance.
Tre Kronors got off to a good start. 128 seconds later, Joel Kellman used the holeshot to make the score 1-0. Team boss Roger Bader looked a bit nervous during this stage and froze in front of the ice hockey superpower. However, two parts (hooks) so common in Austria were a wake-up call. With some luck, the team survived. A defensive error and a lightning-fast substitution ultimately led to the Swedes not winning 2-0.
diff for Austria? The Scandinavians have an amazing acceleration within the first few metres. This alone makes it possible to exert significant pressure. Not to mention technical skills and physical strength.
However, Thomas Raffl and Co got better and better access to the game at 5:5, and they made it to the game, so to speak. Sweden goalkeeper Hogberg managed to stop Haddom’s shot, which deflected through Janal. A few moments later, he was helpless when Peter Schneider sent the ball into the net.
This connection hit the force unleashed. Austria had a great stage in the second division. In the first power play, the equalizer was literally in the air. However, Lukas Haudum only hit the crossbar, and Högberg was very lucky with a Lebler shot (the ball crossed the goal), as well as with Huber’s shot from the shaft. Sweden took another power game as an opportunity to increase pressure. After completion, the preferred number increased to 3:1.
But the Swedes not only showed off the thin blade, but also brought out the hoe. For example, Kasper received a few heavy cross checks from the great Ekman-Larsson in the NHL. Liebler retaliated immediately. But one thing was clear: Sweden under no circumstances wanted to embarrass itself and concede to another goal.
The two neutral states seemed controlled and defended in the final section, as if a non-aggression pact had been agreed upon. Austria held out hard and in the end only had to admit defeat x: x. For comparison: two years ago, Badr’s team dropped 1:9.
Conclusion: Sweden may not have played with the utmost consistency. But at the same time, Austria held out solidly and showed impeccable performance, especially from a defensive point of view. “It was a bit deficient in the end,” said Paul Huber. “Sweden definitely struggled against us. More than they probably expected. If our metallic hits had gone in it would have looked better.” Badr’s team looks ready for the other challenging tasks that lie ahead. “We’ve seen that we can keep up with any opponent,” said Benjamin Nessner. The US is already waiting for Sunday (from 3.20 pm).