Czech Penalty Troubles Dull Team's Mojo, Swedes Win 3-0

Friday’s early game promised to be a good one, with Czechia facing off against Sweden. These players know each other well. Nearly all of Sweden’s squad ply their trade in the SDHL, where they play with and against 12 of the Czechs. Some of the Swedish league’s brightest young stars were rostered today, including Swedes Sara Hjalmarsson, Hanna Thuvik, Sofie Lundin and Elin Svensson and Czechs Adéla Šapovalivová, Tereza Pisteková, and Sara Cajanová. NCAA players Natalie Mlynková, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, and potential PWHL first-round draft pick Kristyná Kaltounková from Colgate also suited up for Czechia.

Both teams are lacking some key national team pieces in this tournament, as most PWHL players have opted not to attend, preferring to stay with their North American teams. For the Swedes, this means the team lacks two potentially game-breaking defenders in Maja Nylén-Persson and Anna Kjellbin. The Czechs are doing without a line and a half of big names, including Tereza Vanisová, Dominika Lasková Aneta Tejralová and Denisa Krizová.

While some have decried the lack of top end talent on this tournament’s teams, and even questioned the competition’s relevancy, the WEHT provides coaches the invaluable opportunity to evaluate players at the senior international level. While Canada and the US have a wealth of talent and depth at their disposal, smaller federations must ensure that they choose precisely the right players at every spot to compete at Olympic qualifying events and World Championships.

Both teams came out hard in the first period and generated their share of chances. Foreshadowing things to come, the Czechs took two minor penalties, one right at the end of the period, when Agata Sarnovska was forced to haul down Sweden’s Hanna Thuvik to prevent a scoring chance. Sweden did not convert on the ensuing power play to start the second period, but did the next best thing five seconds after the penalty expired. Forward Wilma Sundin curled around the top of the right circle before firing the puck into the net through traffic to make it 1-0. Sara Hjalmarsson, who notched an assist on the play, did an excellent job in the Czech slot all night — she screened, she tipped, she whacked at rebounds and generally made life difficult for Czech keeper Michaela Hesová. The rest of the period was marked by three consecutive Czech penalties. While the Swedish power plays did not score, they moved the puck well and created some decent chances, and most importantly reduced Czech possession time. Indeed, Czechia registered zero shots on goal in the period, and appeared understandably frustrated.

As the third period began, Czech forward Kristyna Kaltounková, who has returned to the national team after years inexplicably left off the roster, appeared determined to win. Her teammates, unfortunately, did not get the memo. The harder “Kalty” fought, the less help she got. Speedy Mlynková showed moments of push-back, but also the body language of a player who had already lost. When the Czechs were called for yet another penalty, this time interference on Klara Seroiszková, the wheels fell off. Sweden, finally rewarded on the power play, scored when Elin Svensson, in the bumper position, redirected a Lova Blom pass through traffic.

Svensson added an empty netter minutes later and the Swedes went home with a well-deserved win.

With the loss, Czechia takes last place in Group B, and will face the loser of tonight’s game between Finland and Switzerland on Saturday. The Swedes, second in Group B, will face Group A winners USA.