It was in the second period that the 20-year-old super talent – who in 2023 became the youngest Swedish World Championship player in history – tried for a goal in the higher school.
When defenseman Simon Edvinsson's pass came in front of the goal, Leo Carlsson stopped the puck between his legs and tried to steer it in.
It was close to succeeding.
It's easier to do that than to carve it next to the body. I didn't try to be flashy or anything, says the Anaheim forward apologetically.
The audience would probably have liked such a goal?
Yes, exactly, if it had gone in on the left post, he says with a smile.
"Maybe half a second"
Then Leo Carlsson had already scored a goal. Not all among the 12,530 spectators in a sold-out Globen noticed.
The puck vanished into the goal.
I wondered maybe half a second. I saw that the goalie didn't clear and had it taken in the corner, I would have seen it. The puck went under the cushion or something, he says, meaning the white "cushion" that goes down to the ice in the goal.
He was pleased to score a goal directly.
It's nice that you don't have to think about it, he says.
Praised the audience
He appreciated the atmosphere in Globen, which was almost all in yellow Tre Kronor jerseys, except for a blue Slovakian clique behind one goal.
Very good, at least for being the first match. I think it can get much better against Canada, for example. But it was super pressure and super supporters, he says.
Leo Carlsson plays in a line with Detroit's Lucas Raymond, 23, and Minnesota's Marcus Johansson, 34.
It was okay, you always try to do a little more than you need to do. Especially in the middle zone. When we got the puck down, it became much better. Nice to build on for tomorrow's match, says Carlsson about the fact that the next match is played on Saturday, around 17 hours after the premiere was completed.
Austria awaits at 16.20 in Globen.
You're pretty used to playing back-to-back, so it's nothing you haven't done before. It's about eating good food and sleeping.
May 9: Sweden–Slovakia 5–0.
May 10: Sweden–Austria (16.20).
May 12: Finland–Sweden (20.20).
May 14: Latvia–Sweden (20.20).
May 16: Sweden–Slovenia (20.20).
May 17: France–Sweden (16.20).
May 20: Sweden–Canada (20.20).
