It was hardly euphoria in the ceiling after the 6-2 victory over Denmark in the bronze match.
The semifinal loss to the USA, the 2-6 debacle, was still prominent after the win in the bronze match.
It's clear it's tough, I don't think anyone wants to play a bronze match really, but it's there. When you look back on your career, it's still a medal. It's a World Championship. We could just as well have screwed this up and played catastrophically and said we didn't win a bronze, says Zibanejad, the Stockholm native and New York Rangers star.
"Two thoughts in my head"
About the audience's reaction, from the boos on Saturday to the standing ovation at the end against Denmark, he says:
We talked about owing it to ourselves, with the support we've had the whole championship. I think everyone can handle having two thoughts in their head at the same time.
Disappointment that it's not gold, but being happy for the bronze and that I get to play in front of my family and my friends for two weeks, in front of the Swedish people, Swedish fans, all who have supported us. Many children who have been here, I myself have been here when I grew up. They get some kind of memory, says he.
The Depressed Two-Goal Scorer
It's hard to feel joy right now, but it's nice that we won and get to leave the championship as winners even though we feel like losers.
William Nylander was also happy about the final point.
It was nice that we won the match today, you want to have the gold, but you have to take the win.
