The ice hockey national team continues its winning streak in the World Championship at home in Globen.
They are now up to five straight wins, and for the fifth time, it was sold out in Globen (12,530 spectators), although not quite fully packed.
Sweden secured a quarterfinal spot, but for a team aiming for gold in its own World Championship, the group stage goal is to win the group.
Tre Kronor are leading with 15 points, three ahead of Canada – they meet in the last group stage match – in the lead.
Tre Kronor quickly took control against group bottom Slovenia, who came from a 1-9 loss to Finland on Thursday and had four consecutive losses.
Closed in front of the goal
But the Slovenians did what many other Swedish opponent teams have done so far, making sure not to let Swedish players in front of the goal.
The Swedes won the shots with 16-4 in the first period, but the hot scoring chances were few.
They're packing it in, they're putting five players in their own zone, it's hard to get into the slot. But "Lindy" had a sick game and hung three, says Tre Kronor goalkeeper Jacob Markström to Viaplay.
About his own, largely idle, evening, he says:
It's both hard and easy. There's not much to do, but it's important to try to stay focused and stay in the game. So you don't stand and sleep.
In the second period, Tre Kronor stepped up the pace, got in towards the goal, and created a lot – the shot statistics in the middle period became 23-1.
Mika Zibanejad tried, Leo Carlsson attempted, Filip Forsberg, who was chasing both the first goal and the point, hit the post.
Hattrick by Lindholm
The only one who managed to outsmart the valiantly fighting Slovenian goalkeeper Lukas Horak was Boston forward Elias Lindholm, Swedish point king in the World Championship so far.
Twice, in fact.
In a quick turnaround, he set 1-0 with a distinct shot after 5.04, and with barely two minutes left of the second period, he also made it 2-0.
Assisted by, among others, Filip Forsberg, who thereby erased the point zero.
We spun around a bit too much on the outside, it got better, he says about the difference between the first and second periods.
It's always fun to score, especially when it's a bit tight on the scoreboard, he adds.
Elias Lindholm wasn't done yet.
He completed a hattrick when he shot 3-0.
Lindholm's fifth goal and ninth point in the World Championship.
Marcus Johansson finalized 4-0.
Already on Saturday afternoon, Tre Kronor will play their next match, against France.
May 9: Sweden-Slovakia 5-0.
May 10: Sweden-Austria 4-2.
May 12: Finland-Sweden 1-2.
May 14: Latvia-Sweden 0-6.
May 16: Sweden-Slovenia 4-0.
May 17: France-Sweden (16.20).
May 20: Sweden-Canada (20.20).
The quarterfinals will be played on May 22, semifinals on May 24, and medal matches on May 25.
