He arrived late at the World Hockey Championships in Finland as one of the biggest stars. However, William Nylander failed to extend the quarterfinals. And Sweden is going home without a medal.
In recent years, Nylander has completed two adult world championships, collecting a fantastic 32 points (12 + 20) in 18 matches.
Therefore, when he arrived in Finland after another elimination of Toronto from the overseas NHL playoffs, the Swedes cheered and slowly saw each other with a medal around their necks.
In the first two matches after his arrival, the 26-year-old winger showed that he could do wonders in the offensive. He collected four points (2 + 2).
He also did well in the key quarterfinals against Canada. In the first period, he got into a separate escape and increased to 2: 0. They then praised him in the Swedish television studio SVT.
“If anyone doubted Nylander’s contribution, they should reconsider their position immediately. William made the national team a candidate for gold. He added something the team lacked. It’s world class,” said expert Jonas Andersson.
When Sweden led 3-0 after the second period, despite losing it to an unbelievable 1:19 shot, it seemed to be decided. But Canada cut the third act and shocked the Northerners by 3: 3 in the last two minutes.
In the subsequent overtime, Nylander went to the ice as expected, which coach Johan Garpenlöv used a lot. He gave him an ice time of 18:33.
However, after 25 seconds of extra time, the star striker tripped the passing Drake Batherson. And it was bad. The excited Canadians decided in a power play and sent Sweden home prematurely.
Nylander was surprised by a two-minute sentence. “He skated me. I don’t know. It’s hard to accept such a defeat,” he said in a television interview. But he no longer came to the writing journalists.
The elimination, despite the 3-0 lead, shook other Swedes as well. “I feel miserable,” said goalkeeper Linus Ullmark. “Losing hurts just like that. The match went exactly according to our expectations, but then they scored some goals and beat us. I don’t know if I would say deservedly, but that’s the way it is.”
“I don’t know what good I would say for the match,” added forward Carl Klingberg. “If you lead 3: 1 two minutes before the end, you just want to win that match. This will consume me for a long time.”
In Sweden, coach Garpenlöv, who did not win a single medal at two world championships and one Olympics and did not advance to the quarterfinals, is under fire. He is talked about as the worst Tre Kronor coach in history.
Sports Social – Mike Tyson Vs. The Game | Video: Marek Janoš, Eva Srpová, Jakub Zuzánek
