A loss to Canada in the opening match after an early 0–2 deficit.
Against the Czech Republic, the score was 0–3 after 13 minutes.
You have to learn. We have to set the tone at the beginning of the game. We may have to chip the puck out, put it down deep, we don't have to play it into ourselves. It doesn't have to be so pretty, says the seasoned Toronto defenseman.
He scored one of Tre Kronor's three power-play goals, reducing the deficit to 3–4, but Sweden didn't get any closer.
"They punish us early and then they are quite smart when they get back and stand. We are a lot on the outside," he says.
“Find something”
The team now has only three points after three games played.
"It's clear that we would have liked to have more wins, but it's not always that easy. It's the team that learns the most during the tournament that has the best chance," says Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
The captain started the fight that led to Jan Scotka's match penalty after the 0–3 goal.
"I'm trying to make something happen, good or bad. We got back into the game. Sometimes you have to come up with something; they also tried to get us off balance," he says of the sequence that later gave Tre Kronor two reductions.
“Don't get frustrated”
Sweden has taken the most two-minute penalties in the tournament after three matches: 18.
We have to keep our cool, focus on our game and not get frustrated. We expend a bit more energy when we're forced to play box play, so we need to be smarter there, says the team captain.
The Czech Republic scored one of its four goals on the power play.
Sweden has a day off on Tuesday before facing Slovenia on Wednesday.
