Team Sweden faced off against Latvia in an elimination game in the Olympics on Tuesday. The winner of the game will face Team USA on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Preparing for a back-to-back, Sweden scratched defenseman Rasmus Andersson and Jesper Bratt for the Latvia game. The move surprised many around the world before Tuesday's matchup.
“Rasmus Andersson, Jesper Bratt and Filip Gustavsson are not dressed for Sweden,” Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported. Gustavsson was an expected scratch, as New Jersey Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom got the net on Tuesday. This move sets up Gustavsson, of the Minnesota Wild, to start against the Americans if they win.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski said what everyone was thinking when this news came across. “Unless Sweden is saving a fresh Jesper Bratt for a 4-point game against Team USA I have no idea why they wouldn't play him today.”
Bratt played 16 minutes against Italy in the first game of the Olympics, but has not cracked double-digit minutes since. Sweden is deep at forward, but Bratt is a legitimate NHL scorer that the Swedes are not using. As Wyshynski points out, he can take over a game in the Olympics and send the US home.
It did not matter for Team Sweden in their first elimination game of the Olympics. They took an early 2-0 lead against Latvia and eventually took a commanding lead. They will likely face the United States in the quarterfinals, with two of their better players rested for the matchup.
Sweden is the seventh seed in the elimination bracket because it lost to Finland in the round robin. The 4-1 loss to their arch rivals put them behind the Fins in the standings. Goal differential put Slovakia in the top spot and sent Finland to the quarterfinals as the wild card. Even if they hold on against Latvia, they still have a long road to a medal.
