It’s still early in the men’s hockey tournament at Milano Cortina 2026, but Sweden’s men’s hockey team may have some concerns when it comes to goaltending.
Filip Gustavsson, who plays for the Minnesota Wild of the NHL, allowed two goals on the opening six shots during a 4-1 loss to rival Finland on Friday.
This followed a similar slow start to host Italy on Wednesday when Gustavsson allowed two goals on the first four shots, including the opener which was scored off an ugly rebound.
Gustavsson finished with 20 saves on 23 shots against Finland, who added an empty-netter late to complete their victory. He made 20 saves on 22 shots against Italy, with Sweden throwing 60 shots at the opposing net in the 5-2 win.
The 27-year-old native of Skelleftea, Sweden is having a strong season with the Wild, posting a 20-9-6 record with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage over 36 games.
New Jersey Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom and Jesper Wallstedt of the Wild are the other goalies on Sweden’s roster.
Holding a 1-1 record, Sweden wraps their Group B schedule on Saturday against Slovakia. The first place team in the group qualifies directly to the quarter-final.
Sweden are major podium contenders at this year’s Olympics as they look to add to their gold medals from 1994 in Lillehammer and 2006 in Turin. They all own three silver medals.