Sweden Ready to Surprise At 4 Nations Face-Off

Team Sweden is hoping to surprise the field at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Feb 18, 2022; Beijing, China; Team Sweden forward Joakim Nordstrom (42) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Team ROC in a shootout during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at National Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV-Imagn Images / George Walker IV-Imagn Images

Sweden is set to kick-off the 4 Nations Face-Off, as they take on Canada in the opening game of the tournament. The four team event is a dream competition, with the best players in the world going head-to-head.

Canada and the United States enter the tournament as the heavy favorites, but Sweden has a chance to surprise the field and capture a gold medal. With a stacked roster and an underdog mentality, the Swedes have an excellent shot of shocking the world.

Sweden is led by a powerful offensive group, one that rivals both Team Canada and USA. The wingers especially are elite, with 30-goal scorers on each side of the first three lines. Leading the way is Toronto Maple Leafs superstar William Nylander, joined by Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators, and Jesper Bratt of the New Jersey Devils. Sweden has smartly spread their scoring out through their top-nine, and that offensive parity will hopefully overwhelm opposing defenses.

What will also help is how strong of a group their blue line is. Each is excellent at maintaining possession of the puck up ice, break-out passes, and feeding the transition game. And with the exception of Erik Karlsson, each defenseman is also quite adept in their own end.

The defensive pairing to watch for Sweden is Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman and Minnesota Wild blue liner Jonas Brodin. Hedman is a perennial Norris Trophy candidate and alongside Brodin, they have the components of a shutdown pair. Brodin is arguably the top one-on-one defender in the NHL, and Hedman has a extended reach and awareness that makes him incredibly difficult to play against.

Doubters will point to their goaltending as the reason they won't take home the gold. Fair enough, as it is the weakest group out of the three major position groups. Their forwards are elite and their top-six defense is just as stellar, making it difficult for the goaltending to live up to that standard.

But the Swedes do have a Vezina Trophy winner set to start, with Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark named the starter. He's battled multiple injuries this season, but when healthy he's been an All-Star version of himself.

It's also funny to see this criticism levied against Sweden, but not against their opponent in their opening contest. Canada's combined goals against average is 2.81, while Sweden's is 2.64. Neither country is bringing the depth that the United States possesses in goal, but Sweden has a great argument for the second best goaltending group in the entire tournament.

When you spell it all out, it's a mystery why Sweden isn't a favorite in the same sense that the United States and Canada are. Finland is the consensus fourth-best team at the event, but decided where the other three fall is a complete guessing game. Sweden has the team, starting from the net and working out, to surprise the entire tournament and win the 4 Nations Face-Off.

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