Team Canada and Sweden (optional) skated at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden on Friday morning.
Canada faces its stiffest test yet at the World Juniors on Friday as they take on the host Swedes in a game that will likely determine who finishes first in Group A. Each team has started the tournament with consecutive wins.
"It's huge," said Team Canada defenceman Oliver Bonk. "We got to finish on top for the rankings and just for us too. We don't want to be losing games here. We came here to win every game so we got to win this one."
"It's pretty important," agreed Team Sweden defenceman Axel Sandin Pellikka. "It's our home rink so we want to let the fans see what they want to see. Finishing first in the group would be a huge confidence boost for us as a team."
Canada beat Sweden 5-1 during the group stage last year in Halifax.
"Tonight is front of our home crowd," said Swedish head coach Magnus Havelid. "I hope we can use it in a good way."
Canada has benefited from a boisterous group of more than 3,000 fans, who have made the trip from back home. So, this will be the first time they will face a hostile environment.
"The message is the crowd should just be white noise to us," said head coach Alan Letang. "We should be so focused on the details of our game and what we need to do and the crowd is just in the background. Any little trip, any little hook, any little thing, they'll be screaming for a penalty, but we can't control that. If we're dialled and focused, we'll be fine."
Canada and Sweden are both clicking at 50 per cent on the power play so discipline will be key.
Sweden has eight returning players while Canada has just one player with World Junior experience and centre Owen Beck only played in three games last year.
Most of the Canadians have notable big-game experience, including captain Fraser Minten, who suited up in the Memorial Cup last year and played four games for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.
"Honestly, those games are the easiest to manage," Minten said. "You're so in the moment and there's a lot of adrenaline going all the time. Those are the most fun games for myself and I find the easiest to get up and stay up for."
Team Canada was all business during a brisk 20-minute skate on Friday morning.
"We're pretty focused right now and guys know what's needed tonight," Letang said. "It's going to be a great game, great atmosphere and challenging circumstances. We're really going to see what our character [is] tonight."
Canada wraps up the preliminary round against Germany on New Year's Eve. Sweden will take on rival Finland in their last group stage game.
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Canadian centre Macklin Celebrini and Swedish defenceman Tom Willander, who are teammates at Boston University, have put their friendship on hold at the World Juniors.
"It's kind of been silent," Celebrini said. "We both know what's at stake here."
"It's a busy schedule," Willander noted after Sweden's win on Thursday night.
Celebrini and Willander are freshmen, who lived together in the same dorm.
"Good buddy of mine," Celebrini said. "It's exciting to play him and compete against each other."
"It will be fun," Willander said. "A lot of fun."
Celebrini leads Canada with six points in two games.
"He's competitive," Willander said. "That's one of the things I think is good about his game is that really all parts of it is good. So, competes hard, good along the boards, being well positioned."
Willander has passed on a scouting report to his Swedish teammates.
"He's got a good shot," said Sandin Pellikka. "I know Tom plays with him in Boston and he says we have to stay close with him."
Canada will have to keep an eye on Willander as well.
"He's a very, very calm, skillful defenceman," said Celebrini. "He's a great skater and he's dangerous so we got to be mindful of him and really their whole team. They got a lot of good players. Yeah, we got to bring it."
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Willander is Sweden's only NCAA player and is appreciating the chance to be back in his native country.
"It’s fantastic," the Vancouver Canucks prospect said. "I love being at home. All the fans, but also just the culture."
What does he miss the most about the culture?
"I feel like it's so calm," he said. "So calm here, yeah, love it."
Willander is navigating the hustle and bustle of life in Boston well so far with eight points and a plus-13 mark in 15 games.
"He's been excellent for us," Terriers coach Jay Pandolfo said. "For an 18-year-old, a very mature player. Very strong. He's got great feet. He's got excellent feet. It's very difficult to beat him because he can close so quickly defensively, and his transition game is excellent."
Willander has fired 16 shots on net so far with Boston.
"He's very good at getting pucks to the net from the blue line," Pandolfo noted. "He just kind of snaps it in there and finds way to get it through traffic all the time. It's a heck of a skill to have."
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Sweden will be getting Elias Salomonsson back after the defenceman served a one game suspension.
"He's very pumped up for the game," said forward Noah Ostlund. "He will have a great game tonight."
The Winnipeg Jets prospect was ejected from the tournament opener against Latvia just 25 seconds in after hitting Emils Veckaktins from behind.
"He's one of our key players and I know he's looking forward to play," said Havelid. "We left what happened on the ice there. It's better for him just looking forward. When I met him in the room now, he's so excited. I hope he can balance everything and have a good start and help the team."
"He's an awesome player," said Sandin Pellikka. "He's a big player but it still looks like he doesn't weigh anything. He just flies out there. We play at the same team back home so I know he's very eager to get in there."
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After posting a shutout on Wednesday, Mathis Rousseau will start again for Canada.
"He'll be tested tonight," said Letang. "He'll be called upon tonight, but all of us have to step up. We have to be a little bit better in front of him. The front of the net is going to be critical. They box out well. We have to get inside. We have to prevent them from getting inside."
Hugo Havelid is expected to start for Sweden. He's also coming off a shutout.
"It feels like he's unstoppable," said Sandin Pellikka. "No pucks go in the net."
"He gives us confidence on the ice," added Ostlund.
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Team Canada lines at Friday's skate:
Minten - Geekie - Dumais
Cowan - Poitras - Savoie
Rehkopf - Celebrini - Yager
Allard - Beck - Danielson
Wood
Mateychuk - Lamoureux
Furlong - Warren
Donovan - Bonk
Nelson
Rousseau starts
St-Hilaire
Ratzlaff
