– It shows that it was a long time ago, Lindholm continues with a smile.
Everyday Elias Lindholm plays in Boston, and after an uneven start to the season it turned.
– It was good for me at the end in Boston. I managed to pile some pucks there and scored some points. It meant that I had good self-confidence with me for the World Cup so I have only continued in the same way here, says Elias Lindholm for a while after Sweden had taken the fifth straight victory in the home World Cup.
– I got to play with good players. I played with “pasta” (Czech World Cup star David Pastrnak) and then it’s easy to play.
In the World Cup plays Lindholm together with Mikael Backlund, who was back in the team against Slovenia after standing over the match against Latvia due to injury, and Filip Forsberg.
Three -goal shooter Lindholm praises his chain buddies.
– It has worked very well so it is just to continue in the same way, he says and smiles again.
– It feels like we are trying to play pretty straight anyway. In some matches, such as when you meet such teams, it may be difficult sometimes but we always try to have someone on the box and throw a bunch of pucks there.
In and With the three goals, Lindholm not only tops the Swedish points league with its nine points (five goals and four assists) but the entire World Cup’s points.
He is shadowed by teammate David Pastrnak from the Czech Republic who also has scored nine points, but who is placed second in the points league because he has scored four goals and five assists.
-He has played a match less so he can do three to four points in that match. He is so good. But I don’t care about it. As long as we bring home everything in the end, it doesn’t matter who makes the goals, says Lindholm.
The home team Sweden is considered one of the strongest gold candidates in the World Cup, and had won all their four matches before Friday night.
Opponents Slovenia are newcomers to the A-World Cup this year, after being down and waiting, and before the match against Sweden they had lost all their four matches. The biggest loss came the day before when they lost 9-1 to Finland.
In the Swedish team there are only two players who do not play in the NHL, in the Slovenian team do not play a single player there.
In other words, anything but a simple Swedish victory had been a huge bark, and Tre Kronor did not disappoint the packed arena.
Admittedly, the Slovenian players struggled with everything they had – and their goalkeeper Lukas Horak struggled hard and well. How much he had to do reveals the shot statistics that Sweden won by 60-9.
First period However, was not much to cheer for seen with Swedish eyes. Instead of coming out with frenzy and energy, the pace was sometimes too low and the game carelessly.
It got better the longer the period went on, but despite a large playing takeover, Tre Kronor did not manage to score a single goal in the first period. Not even when they got to play with a man more.
On the other hand, it became a goal in the other.
Already from the middle period Start parked three kronor in the attack zone. The Swedish players poured on with shots, and in the sixth minute of the period, however, Horak couldn’t even resist. Then came Elias Lindholm’s first goal, a distinct shot after a game turn.
His second goal came with just over two minutes left of the period, the third in the twelfth minute of the third period.
Marcus Johansson then set the final score to 4-0.
With the victory against Slovenia, Sweden is ready for the quarterfinals. Something that for a team aiming for gold the most was something to be done. The goal in the group play is rather to win the group, which gives a slightly simpler resistance in the quarterfinals.
On Saturday Afternoon, Sweden plays its sixth group game match. Then France stands for the resistance.
Then Elias Lindholm will have extra support from the family at the stand.
How many goals will there be from your club then?
– Only we win it is quiet for me, he says with a smile.
