Team Sweden survived an early national embarrassment in their first game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n
The medal favorites eked out a 5-2 victory over the host Team Italy, needing a game-winning tally from Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander<\/a> to prevent a horrible start to the tournament.<\/p>\n Sweden initially fell behind 1-0 to the Italians, whose roster has zero players with NHL experience, and later saw their 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission turn into a 2-2 tie just 37 seconds into the second period.<\/p>\n Luca Frigo, born in Moncalieri, Italy, opened the game\u2019s scoring just 4:14 into the first period. The 32-year-old forward, who plays for Bolzano HC in Austria, picked up a loose puck in the slot and buried it after Sweden\u2019s goaltender, the Minnesota Wild\u2019s Filip Gustavsson<\/a>, fumbled it and lost his stick.<\/p>\n In doing so, Frigo became the first Italian player since Tony Iob, on February 21, 2006, against Switzerland, to score at the Olympics.<\/p>\n Sweden would respond with the only two other goals in the first period, via Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog<\/a> and Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling<\/a>. Italy\u2019s netminder, Anaheim Ducks prospect Damian Clara<\/a>, was under siege throughout regulation but made 25 saves in the first frame alone.<\/p>\n In the second period, former Hershey Bears winger Dustin Gazley set up Matt Bradley (no, not that one<\/a>) to tie the game at two goals apiece. After a long spell with no scoring, Nylander then put the Swedes up for good, finishing off a brilliant effort from Buffalo Sabres defender Rasmus Dahlin<\/a>.<\/p>\n Clara, who made 46 total saves, was forced out of the game in the third period after suffering an injury making a breakaway stop on Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson<\/a>. The 21-year-old backstop has just two games of AHL experience from last season and is playing the 2025-26 campaign in Sweden for Bryn\u00e4s IF, where he is 16-13 with a 2.49 goals-against average, a .888 save percentage, and two shutouts.<\/p>\n He was replaced by Davide Fadani, who gave up a goal to Mika Zibanejad<\/a> with 4:18 left in regulation to seal Sweden\u2019s win. Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman<\/a> would later add an empty-net tally.<\/p>\n