2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey: Top standouts from Italy vs. Sweden
On paper, there was no reason for Italy to keep things close against Sweden in men’s Olympic hockey action.
But after scoring the first goal of the game, and keeping things tied for about half the night, the hosts proved they could hang around. Sweden ultimately won the game t-2, but it was still a night to remember in Milano.
Luca Frigo would score Italy’s first Olympic goal in 20 years, taking advantage of Filip Gustavsson losing his stick to make it 1-0 Italy. Gabriel Landeskog and Gustav Forsling would score a goal each before the end of the first period, giving Sweden its first lead of the game.
But with 37 seconds off the clock in the second, Matt Bradley – a former NHL prospect – managed to tie things up again. It gave Italy new life, scoring twice on just four shots. Sustained pressure was an issue, though, and William Nylander would ultimately score to make it 3-2 with under four minutes to go in the middle stanza.
The major story, though, was the play of Anaheim Ducks prospect Damian Clara. The 6-foot-6 goaltender made 46 saves before tweaking his right leg in a breakaway save on Elias Pettersson in the third period. That meant Davide Fadani was forced to finish the game for the Italians, and despite a strong effort in net, it wasn’t enough to secure the victory as Mika Zibanejad and Victor Hedman both scored late to make it 5-2.
Here is a look at the top performers from both teams on Wednesday night:
Italy
#20 Damian Clara, G (Anaheim Ducks): As the lone NHL-affiliated player on the Italian national team, the pressure was high. And after 25 saves in the opening period alone, and nearly 50 total, he clearly was up for the task. The 21-year-old used his size and experience handling heavy workloads, both in the Swedish league and internationally, to stay calm under pressure. Without Clara’s huge performance, this was going to be an absolute bloodbath.
#13 Matt Bradley, C: The former Montreal Canadiens prospect is one of the newest players on the Italian scene, only getting his citizenship to represent the team this season. The speedy forward was clearly the smartest Italian forward on the ice, and he scored the 2-2 goal. Italy brought him over in an attempt to get some solid pro experience up front, and he did plenty of play-driving in this one.
#36 Cristiano DiGiacinto, LW: DiGiacinto made it his mission to hit everyone at any cost. It felt like the Swedes noticed that, too – they seemed to panic when they saw DiGiancinto coming in like a truck with no brakes. The former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect isn’t big, but he knows his role and sticks to it, allowing his linemates to create opportunities all over the ice.
#93 Luca Frigo, LW: The Moncalieri, Italy native, took advantage of a total brainfart from Gustavsson in the first period and made him pay. It was a huge moment for Frigo, who was part of the national team when they fell short of qualifying for the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games. Frigo has really come into his own in recent years, proving to be a consistent producer at just about any tournament. His goal today, though, was easily the biggest of his career.
Sweden
#26 Rasmus Dahlin, D (Buffalo Sabres): Dahlin only played in two games at the 2018 Olympics as more of a depth player. This time around, he’s a difference-maker. He had three assists, including on the go-ahead goal late in the second period after some great work to outmuscle two different Italian players. Dahlin is typically very productive whenever he represents the Swedes, and they’ll continue to lean on him as the team’s top blueliner.
#42 Gustav Forsling, D (Florida Panthers): Forsling took a boatload of shots in the second period and it resulted in the 2-1 goal for the men in yellow. The Panthers defender seemed to play his best hockey after the second Italian goal, keeping the pressure alive as he looked to avoid the upset. That was just his first men’s national team goal in a decade, too.
#14 Joel Eriksson Ek, C (Minnesota Wild): Eriksson Ek was one of the few Swedes who seemed to make any headway around the crease. He was excellent in front of the net, which resulted in a whopping seven shots after just 38 minutes. Eriksson Ek is a strong two-way player who may never put up eye-popping numbers, but he creates opportunities for his linemates and is strong defensively. Today, it felt like he was absolutely snakebitten on the scoresheet.
#88 William Nylander, RW (Toronto Maple Leafs): There were questions as to whether Nylander would be healthy and ready to go. But it was clear early on that he was Sweden’s top forward, and he was rewarded with the 1-1 goal to get his team back in it in the first period. Nylander was especially good on the power play, using the extra ice to his advantage. He’s quick, smart and skilled, and that ability to see a loose puck through traffic paid off on the third Swedish goal.
PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE
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