Team Canada vs. Host Sweden at IIHF World Championship

One way or another, you figured Team Canada’s path to gold would go through Sweden, which is playing host to this year’s IIHF World Championship. Canada and Sweden are scheduled to square of Thursday in the tournament quarterfinals. Sports Interaction has Canada listed as the early -167 favourite.

Switzerland secured the No. 1 seed in Canada’s pool with a 4-1 win over Belarus Tuesday. Canada, sitting second (5-1-1-0) in the pool, gets Sweden (4-2), which can’t finish any worse than third place.

This has been anything but an easy ride for Canada. On Monday, Canada needed an overtime goal from Steven Stamkos to down Slovenia Monday, so it was hardly surprising that coach Lindy Ruff gave his squad a day off Tuesday to regroup. The good news is help is on the way. Montreal Canadiens defenceman and Norris Trophy nominee PK Subban will join the team and play against Sweden Thursday.

“How physically strong he is, the fact that he’s a right-handed shot and should be able to help our power play shooting from the off-side, he’s a tremendous weapon skating on the big ice and being a veteran player is going to help our team,” Ruff said of Subban.

The bad news is Sweden is reloading too. Three Vancouver Canucks are on their way to Stockholm including Henrik and Daniel Sedin and defenceman Alex Edler. Last week Canada blanked Sweden 3-0 on the back of a 33-save performance from Mike Smith, but it should be a much more competitive affair this time around.

Sweden coach Par Martz wasn’t pleased with his team’s start against Canada last week. They will be much better in front of their hometown fans – that much is for sure. What isn’t so certain is how Canada will respond after a near-upset and a day off.  The squad will look work Subban into its system early this week and expect Mike Smith to be back in goal Thursday for the big game. Canada has bowed out of the tournament in this quarterfinal round in each of the last three years.