Will Henrik Lundqvists recent struggles carry into the Olympics?
Don’t overlook this player: Nicklas Backstrom is emerging this season into one of the game’s best all-around players. He always has excelled as a passer while playing with Alex Ovechkin in Washington, but now he’s proving he can consistently score goals, too. He already has 25 this season, three more than his career high. What will prevent a medal: Goaltending is the one area where the Swedes aren’t deep. If Lundqvist struggles at all, the Swedes are in trouble. The two other goaltenders on the roster are Toronto rookie Jonas Gustavsson and Stefan Liv, a former Red Wings draft pick playing in the Swedish Elite League. The Swedes win gold if…: Another favorable path to the finals certainly wouldn’t hurt, but if Lundqvist is Lundqvist, this team can play with anybody. Predicted finish: Third place — This tournament is too loaded to expect the same team to win back-to-back, but this team is too loaded not to expect it to be in the conversation. Craig Custance is a writer for Sporting News
