Team Sweden overcame a shaky start and a determined Italian effort to secure a 5–2 victory in Group B preliminary-round action at the Winter Olympics Milan Cortina 2026 on Wednesday night.
Despite entering the tournament as one of the gold-medal favorites, Sweden looked unsettled at times against an Italian squad playing in front of a raucous home crowd at Santagiulia Arena. Italy briefly threatened a stunning upset before Sweden’s NHL-laden roster found its rhythm in the second period and pulled away late.
Italy struck first when Luca Frigo capitalized on a rare mistake by Swedish goaltender Filip Gustavsson. After Gustavsson mishandled a dump-in behind his net, the puck slid into the crease, allowing Frigo to pounce and score at 4:14 of the opening period, igniting the home crowd.
The early goal highlighted the nerves Sweden showed early, particularly against an Italian roster without NHL experience. By contrast, Sweden’s lineup entered the game with a combined 16,880 NHL games played.
Sweden responded with balanced scoring and puck possession, eventually taking control behind a standout performance from Rasmus Dahlin, who recorded three assists to tie a Swedish Olympic record. Defenseman Gustav Forsling and forward Gabriel Landeskog each contributed key goals to keep the game level heading into the latter stages of the second period.
The decisive moment came from William Nylander, who broke a 2–2 tie at 16:46 of the second period. Nylander collected a loose puck beside the net and lifted it over goaltender Damian Clara for his first Olympic goal. The Toronto Maple Leafs star had been a game-time question after missing practice the day before but delivered when Sweden needed it most.
Clara, an Anaheim Ducks prospect, was sensational in net for Italy, stopping 46 shots and keeping the underdogs within reach. One of his biggest saves came early in the third period when he robbed Elias Pettersson on a breakaway with a sliding left-skate stop. Clara exited minutes later with an apparent injury and was replaced by Fadani.
With the momentum shifting, Mika Zibanejad extended Sweden’s lead to 4–2 at 15:42 of the third period, firing a long wrist shot through traffic with Pettersson screening the goaltender. Captain Victor Hedman sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 17:11.
Italy also received a goal from Matthew Bradley, but Sweden’s depth and offensive pressure ultimately proved overwhelming.
Sweden finished with 60 shots on goal — the most ever recorded by a team in an Olympic Winter Games featuring NHL players — demonstrating the sustained pressure that eventually wore down Italy’s defense.
While Sweden (1-0-0-0) showed flashes of vulnerability, the tournament favorite still opened Olympic play with a convincing win. Italy (0-0-1-0), meanwhile, earned respect with a spirited performance that kept the outcome in doubt for much of the night.
