Lucas Raymond Shines as Sweden Tops Slovakia 5-3 in Group B Finale
With a quarterfinal berth on the line and the group standings still in flux, Sweden leaned on one of its rising stars-and Lucas Raymond delivered. The Detroit Red Wings forward put together a standout performance, tallying a goal and two assists to help lift Sweden past Slovakia 5-3 in their final Group B matchup.
Sweden finishes group play with a 2-1 record, but their final placement in the standings hinges on the result of Finland vs. Italy.
A regulation win for Finland would create a three-way tie atop Group B, potentially pushing Sweden down to third on goal differential. But if Italy pulls off the upset or even forces overtime, Sweden claims the top spot and a direct ticket to the quarterfinals.
Raymond’s All-Around Impact
Raymond was everywhere in this one. Logging 18:52 of ice time-fourth-most among Swedish forwards-he skated 26 shifts and fired six shots on goal. He finished the game with a plus-two rating, and more importantly, he was directly involved in three of Sweden’s five goals.
The 21-year-old set up the eventual game-winner, feeding Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson for his second goal of the night. Raymond followed that up with a goal of his own, providing some insurance late in the third period. Earlier, he also earned a power-play assist on a second-period tally by Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings.
Through three games in the tournament, Raymond now has four points-two goals and two assists-and is proving to be a key piece in Sweden’s offensive engine.
Pettersson Pots Two, Markstrom Steps In
Speaking of Pettersson, the Canucks forward looked sharp in this one, scoring twice and continuing to show why he's one of the most dynamic players in the tournament. His chemistry with Raymond and Kempe gave Slovakia fits all night.
Between the pipes, Jakob Markstrom made his first start of the tournament for Sweden and looked solid. The New Jersey Devils goaltender turned aside 29 shots to earn the win, showing poise and control in a game that got a little chaotic down the stretch.
A Costly Penalty?
While Raymond had a strong night offensively, he did spend some time in the penalty box-twice, in fact. He took a hooking call earlier in the game and then a slashing penalty late in the third period after catching former Red Wings forward and current Slovak captain Tomas Tatar.
That second infraction proved costly. While Raymond was serving the penalty, St.
Louis Blues prospect Dalibor Dvorsky capitalized on the power play, cutting Sweden’s lead to 5-3. It didn’t change the outcome, but it did add some unnecessary tension to the final minutes-a reminder that even top performers need to manage their discipline in tight games.
What’s Next?
Now, Sweden waits.
If Finland wins in regulation, we’re looking at a three-way tie in Group B, and Sweden could slip to third based on goal differential. That would mean playing in Tuesday’s qualifying round. But if Finland loses or even wins in overtime or a shootout, Sweden takes the group and earns a direct path to Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
Either way, Sweden has momentum-and Lucas Raymond is playing like a man determined to carry it.