The men’s ice hockey tournament officially opened Wednesday at the Winter Olympics, and Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond became the first Red Wings player to take the ice in Milan as Sweden faced host nation Italy.
The day had already delivered a stunning result, as Slovakia upset Finland in the tournament’s opening game, setting the tone for what quickly became a showcase of underdog determination. Italy carried that same energy into its matchup with Sweden, surprising the favored Swedes with an early goal that energized the home crowd.
The quick strike put immediate pressure on Sweden’s offense, including Raymond, to respond. The Swedes answered with a pair of goals to take control, though Raymond was not on the ice for either tally. Italy refused to back down, scoring again to even the game and maintain pressure on a Swedish squad that struggled to convert its opportunities.
Despite dominating possession and firing 60 shots on goal, Sweden had difficulty finishing chances throughout the night. Raymond, who entered the tournament with the most points of a Swedish player so far this season, logged 15:23 of ice time and recorded three shots on net but was held off the scoresheet in his Olympic debut.
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Sweden eventually pulled away in the third period, scoring three goals before Italy’s starting goaltender exited with an apparent injury. The Swedes capitalized against the replacement goalie and later added an empty-net goal to secure the win. Still, only three of Sweden’s goals came against Italy’s starter, highlighting the offensive issues that persisted despite the heavy shot advantage.
Sweden earned the victory, but there is room for improvement. With a matchup against Finland scheduled for Friday, Sweden will look for a more efficient performance as the tournament continues.
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