Mårts reverse abuse that may have cost the Tre Kronor semifinal spot – Swedish Radio

With Staffan Kronwall injured in the Tre Kronor last matches got Mattias Ekholm, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, John Klingberg and Oscar Klefbom almost nonstop play. Petter Granberg, last in the slopes of the squad, and Jonas Ahnelöv and Daniel Rahimi was the other slopes in Mårts squad.

– Mårts chose to just use Rahimi or Ahnelöv at the end of the group stage. Then he had to play any of them against Russia, but they only got sporadic playing time while the other four defenders needed rest, says Jönsson.

He is critical of the Mårts chose to call in more inexperienced hill Petter Granberg instead to wait for another day when Jonas Brodin in Minnesota became available. Brodin wanted to play the World Cup and was also the last year a proposed Olympic-back. But then Mårts already called in Granberg day before was no place left in the squad.

– Brodin I’m sure would have been much better than Petter Granberg, who did not add much. I think Mårts felt stressed, he made the choice quickly because he felt that the defense was not working. With better cooling, he had been able to get a better hockey back, says Jönsson.

But it is not just the defense that gets criticism. An offensive key players like Jimmie Ericsson, who played the Sochi Olympics, did not make a single goal during the World Cup.

– He gets criticized. He plays with good guys and playing in powerplay. Then I think he should poked into someone puck. But he did his best game against Russia, then it was a bit off and go.

Jönsson thinks while the Mårts did some good tactical changes during the tournament.

– He moved around on some guys behind the first formation that worked out well. Mattias Sjögren and Jimmie Ericsson moved around, it was good.

Couple Mårts now has a year left on his contract. Jönsson thinks he should pursue it.

– I think about it, because it works quite well with Mårts. He has brought with him quite a few NHL players, although he failed Patric Hörnqvist. I think Mårts doing a good job and have no problem with that he may run a few more years.

Magnus Wahlman
magnus.wahlman@sverigesradio.se

Andreas Lundin
andreas.lundin@sverigesradio.se