As one of the stronger teams in the 2025 World Junior Championship, Sweden looked to move to 3-0 in preliminary round play when they faced off against Switzerland. While Switzerland was overmatched skill-wise, they competed strong enough to keep themselves in the game until the final horn. Sweden pulled off a 7-5 victory to move to 3-0. A few things stood out for both teams in the game.
Speed and Resiliency Keeps Switzerland in the Game
While they do not have a true goal-scorer on their roster, one thing that can be said about Switzerland is that they are one of the hardest-working teams in the tournament. Much like Latvia, they play a strong defensive game that takes away lanes and space for their opponents. This came into play in the early part of the game, helping them control a bit of the first period. The speed they possess was also impactful on the offensive side of the ice. They went with the method to get pucks deep and get them. The speed they have caused problems for Sweden. Once they got the puck, they got traffic in front of Sweden netminder Melker Thelin and threw pucks at him, helping them lead in the shot department through the first 20 minutes, 11-5.
Switzerland continued to show they had no quit, battling until the final horn and trying to climb back into the game after falling down 6-1. They may not have won, but they certainly have plenty of good things to look at and build off of, including showing a resiliency not to give up when they get down in a game. The third period was a prime example of this, as they scored four goals to make it close (they were helped out by Sweden’s lack of discipline at times). They were also helped out by the strong play and resiliency of netminder Christian Kirsch (San Jose Sharks), who played the final two periods and built off his game against Slovakia on Dec. 27.
Puck Movement Key to Sweden’s Success
In the win, Sweden put the adage “nothing moves quicker than the puck” on full display. Whether on the power play or at five-on-five, they moved the puck so well that Switzerland’s speed was sometimes negated. It was truly shown on the man advantage. The quick puck movement around the offensive zone kept Switzerland on their heels and, at times, led to them being out of position, leading to a number of the Swedish goals in the game.
The top-notch puck movement was not shown only in the offensive zone, though, as Sweden made quick work through the neutral zone numerous times thanks to solid passing. With the talent on their roster, allowing them any time and space to make a play with the puck will be detrimental to anyone they go against, and that was the case for the Swiss.
Big Names Step Up for Sweden
As mentioned above, Sweden has a roster full of top-end talent, and they showed up in a big way for them in the win. They were led by defensemen Tom Willander (Vancouver Canucks) and Axel Sandin Pellikka (Detroit Red Wings). Willander chipped in two power play goals and two assists while Sandin Pellikka added one goal of his own along with two assists. Up front, players like 2025 NHL Draft prospect Victor Eklund and Felix Unger Sorum (Carolina Hurricanes) stepped up. Otto Stenberg also got himself involved in the scoring for the first time in the tournament.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
With the big names leading the way and starting to click, it will be a major boost for the Swedes as the tournament approaches the knockout rounds.
What’s Next for Both Teams
Switzerland is off until Dec. 31, when it takes on Kazakhstan. This will be a big game for both teams, as they will be battling for what will likely be the fourth spot in Group B and avoid having to play in the relegation game. Sweden also returns to the ice on Dec. 31, taking on Czechia in the game that determines the number one spot in the group after Czechia won their second tournament game on Dec. 28 against Kazakhstan and sit at 2-0.
Sign up for our NHL Prospects & Draft Substack newsletter
