Together with Lias Andersson and Elias Pettersson , Alex Nylander completes Team Sweden's rock star line trio. When Sweden has needed a goal or a play to be made, The Andersson-Pettersson-Nylander line is quick to answer.
Not during Sweden's quarterfinals match with Slovakia though.
"Now, I and my line have to step up. I had a bad game today. It's unacceptable, I have to play better", Nylander told Hockey Sverige on Tuesday night in Buffalo.
The power trio of Andersson-Pettersson-Nylander has combined for 18 points in 5 games played at the IIHF WJC tourney in Buffalo.
Not bad production, eh?
"Snipeshow", who has scored one goal and six assists in five games played at the IIHF World Juniors in Buffalo, played 17 minutes, didn't record one a shot on goal and was held scoreless. The son of "The Swedish Gretzky" and brother of a fulltime NHLer is never satisfied with his own game. Nylander
Andersson has scored five goals and one assist in five games played. Pettersson has potted four goals and two assists in five games played.
Nylander wasn't happy about his performance.
"I have to start moving my feet and create more chances ... use what I'm good at. I have to work harder".
Honest. Candid. Real.
Nylander knows he has to be better in order for Team Sweden to knock off his future Buffalo Sabres teammate Casey Mittelstadt and the fearless young Americans.
Nylander missed the first month of the 2017-18 season with a groin/hamstring injury he sustained during a games versus the Pittsburgh Penguins at a Buffalo-hosted prospects tournament in september. Slowly, Nylander is showing progress.
“I think it’s coming back right now,” Nylander said. “I’m trying to get my game back. It’s coming with this tournament, but there’s more that I can do.”
Luckily for Nylander, Andersson and Petterson, the Swedes got all the offense they needed to win their semifinals match from another forward trio.
Oskar Steen, Tim Söderlund and Isac Lundeström stepped forward and delivered when needed most. Lundeström scored two goals en route to victory.
"They did a good job. That line played very well. We went to the semifinal and that is great", psaid Nylander.
"Now I'm just focusing on winning the next game and finding my game. I have more in me (left to give)".
Team Sweden head coach Tomas Montén was not as critical of the efforts of Andersson-Pettersson-Nylander.
"This (USA) will be a completely different match. In particular, it gets much stiffer, the officials allow much more and it will not be as much powerplay time as before. That's where they (USA) have their cutting edge skills.
"If you win games in this tournament, there must be different units in different games that will appear".
Sweden will need all of the primary, secondary and tertiary scoring it can manufacture if it intends to knockout the defending champion Americans on their own home soil.
It's going to be a great game.
The Andersson-Pettersson-Nylander trio will have to dominate it’s next game against Mittelstadt, Brady Tkachuk, Kiefer Bellows and the Americans if the Swedes wish to avoid their inevitable annual knockout in the semifinal game. Twelve years in a row the Swedes have made the semifinals. They have just one WJC gold medal to show for it.
Sweden is an astounding 44-0 in the preliminary games in the past 11 IIHF WJC tourneys (including this year), however, Tre Kronor have won just four of the past 10 semifinals and have not stood on the medal podium for the past three tournaments.
Sweden will face USA in the WJC quarterfinals knockout game on Thursday night. The winner will advance to play the winner of Canada-Czechs.
The losers will go home wondering "what could we have done differently".
This isn't Nylander's first WJC rodeo. This is his third straight IIHF World Juniors journey. He's bettle tested. He's the "old man" on this team. There is more expected from him this time around.
Nylander played just 15 games before joing the Swedes in Buffalo the week before Christmas. He has 2 goals and 4 assists in his 15 games played. To my eyes, his straight line explosiveness, stop-starts, change of directions have been improvng with each of the five games he's played in at this WJC tourney. He and his teammates are feeling the pressure of yet another semifinal showdown with a team favored to win the tournament. Its time for "Snipehow" to let his instincts and his hockey doing his talking for him.
"Snipeshow" has a lot riding on each and every performance. Nylander wants Sweden to win the WJC gold medal. He wants it badly. He also wants Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill to be impressed with his overall play at the World Juniors. Two weeks ago, Botterill loaned Nylander to Team Sweden from the AHL Rochester Amerks. Nylander appreciates his boss's genrosity and he doesn't want it to go for naught. With a high letter grade evaluation from Botterill, Nylander is hoping he can earn himself a call-up to Buffalo in the new year. If and when Botterill trades Evander Kane (and others) away from the Sabres, there will be a need to call up a forward to provide offense to teh Sabres. The NHL trade deadline is February 26.
Nylander knows first hand how deadly an offensive sniper Casey Mittelstadt is. The two eighth overall picks dangled and dropped jaws at Sabres development camp in July 2017. Mittelstadt and Nylander provided daily highlights with dirty dangles, ankle breaking dekes and sick mitt work. Mittelstadt leads the touney with 10 points (averaging 2 points per game played) while Nylander has 7 points in 5 games. Nylander expects more of himself. He's not a kid anymore. He's a pro. It's time for Nylander to apply the knowledge that he has learned while riding buses and breaking down opponents on video while playing against 30 year men in the American League. Nylander won't turn 20 years of age until March, however, he already sounds like a grizzled NHL veteran.
"We must raise ourselves when we play against the United States. We need to play a little easier, work hard on every shift and get the puck deep down low. We must not let them start their forecheck and force turnovers, "said Nylander.
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