The big question before the quarterfinals against Canada was whether Magnus Hellberg or Lasse Johansson would guard the goal.

The answer was Johansson - and with the result in hand, it was the right choice.

The SKA St. Petersburg player stopped 22 shots and zeroed the opponent.

In the third period, Lucas Wallmark and Anton Lander set the goals in the offensive direction and ensured that Sweden can look forward to a semifinal against the Russian Olympic Committee's team on Friday.

- It feels great.

It's great fun, you do not want to go home now.

Especially also how we played.

Maybe no dazzling offensive, but a fantastic defensive.

We gave them nothing today and we were patient and waiting for that goal chance, he says.

"A couple of half chances"

For his part, he thinks it was a fairly quiet evening thanks to Sweden's solid defensive play.

- They had a couple of easy situations, you got to feel a little on the puck in the first, and overall we play absolutely fantastically well.

It felt like they had a maximum of a couple of half chances in the entire match, he says.

- They did not come in front of goal and obscured, but you got to see all the pucks.

And it was a club or a leg in the way all the time.

I'm very happy with how they played in front of me.

"We have fought"

Lasse Johansson had to stand aside the last two group games in favor of 30-year-old Magnus Hellberg.

But a slightly weaker effort by Hellberg in the 3-4 loss against Finland meant that Johansson regained the confidence between the posts.

- We have fought, Mange and I, to be allowed to stand.

He had a slightly better match in the first group game match (which he played) and of course you should choose to move on to such an effort.

There were no oddities.

But we also knew that it can be played at any time, so you have always prepared.

Now I got the chance and I'm glad I got to play this match, he says.

Now a semi-final awaits against the Russian team - and thus against several of his teammates in the club team in the KHL.

- It's a bit special, I play with many players this year, and have done so in previous years.

It's always fun matches, it's a good and skilled team.

It's one of the favorites, so yes, it's going to be as much fun as meeting Canada, he says.

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Sweden is ready for the Olympic semifinals.

Photo: Bildbyrån