Filip Forsberg secures 2 points for Sweden

For Switzerland the situation before the game was clear. Get as many points as possible out of the three remaining games against the "big ones" Sweden, Canada and the Czech Republic. Sweden was the first opponent tonight. The last time both teams met was at the 2013 World Championship Final where Switzerland lost to the host.

The beginning of today's game wasn't any different to the other for the Swiss. A rather cautious start against a very strong Swedish team where 16 NHL players were noted on the game sheet. And after just 8 minutes the Scandinavians it was Elias Lindholm assisted by Victor Rask and Jimmie Ericsson who got their team on the scoreboard a first time. But what happened after the goal was a bit unusual. The Swiss started to forecheck, put the Swedes under pressure and had some great chances to score the equalizer but the first period ended 1-0.

Swedish players celebrating 1-0. Photo: Stanislav Souček

Switzerland continued to push and feed goalie Enroth with shots but the puck just didn't cross the line yet. The period ended goalless but at the beginning of period 3, Eric Blum's slapshot from the nearby blue line seemed to have touched Enroth and dropped behind the line. The referees went to video review as the Swedes protested due to a high stick by Simon Bodenmann. After review, the head referee Maxim Sidorenko called it a good goal. The game now was intense, going back and forth but no further goals were scored and so the game went to overtime where Morris Trachsler took a penalty for a broken stick, a penalty which is given since the beginning of this season and is controversially discussed on the international level. Just seconds were played when the Swedish NHL-trio Forsberg, Loui Eriksson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the game winning goal after goalie Genoni deflected the puck in front of him and Forsberg just had to net the puck.

While Sweden is close to get the quarterfinal spot, the Swiss will have to wait at least until Tuesday when the last game of the group stage is played against the Czechs as the Germans are just 3 points behind their southern neighbour.

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