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WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY

September 25, 2016

Rickard Gronborg

Toronto, Ontario

Team Europe ‑ 3, Team Sweden ‑ 2 (OT)

Q. Coach, after each game your guys have come in here and said, "There's more, we have better, we have better." You probably thought the same thing. Yet it looked like the best game you guys played for 60 minutes was the first game, the Russian game. Why do you think you guys were not able to get to that next level that everybody thought you had?
RIKARD GRONBORG: Well, result‑wise, yeah, I think that was the best game. I think we did some really good stuff against the Russians. I think we did really good things in each one of those games. I think I liked the battle in our team. I think we battled back. Chips were down against North America, chips were down tonight and we're still battling back. I liked that.
Things we were hoping for, obviously producing on the power play and producing a little bit more offensively, and sometimes you can't control it. Sometimes you're creating opportunities, you just can't put the puck in the net. That's kind of how I felt tonight. I felt like right before they scored the game‑winning goal we had a two‑on‑one situation and we couldn't score. If you put yourself in that position, one of the top four teams in this tournament, you go into overtime, obviously we've done a lot of good stuff. That's how I sum it up, and I think obviously there are things you want to go back and change, but right now I'm content we're top four, but I'm obviously disappointed we're not top two.

Q. You have some very talented, creative players on this team; your three senior advisors are Mats Sundin, Daniel Alfredsson and Nicklas Lidstrom, all very creative offensive players. Why for such long periods of time did your team play the way it did? Why did it play that defensive passive style?
RIKARD GRONBORG: I don't think we were passive. I think you're wrong there. Obviously we need to show patience, and I think we showed patience. Not that we're playing defensive. I think a misconception of that. But at the end of the day when they're scoring six goals against us in an exhibition game, we didn't show patience. That's what happens. This is a very good team we're playing against.
What we wanted to do was obviously make sure we don't get turnovers and we don't get obviously odd‑man rushes against, and I think we did a pretty good job of that tonight. We put ourselves in a position of winning this game. In the offensive zone we don't put reins on our players. We don't put obviously defensive assignments in the offensive zone. So I don't think I agree with you there.

Q. With so many talented players, just the struggles on the power play and so many games that are close, was that a little bit of an Achilles heel in the end?
RIKARD GRONBORG: Yeah, that was a disappointment, no question. Obviously we were hoping to produce more on the power play and offensive situations for sure. Sometimes we don't get that opportunity. Power plays, they're streaky, there's no question, but unfortunately we couldn't get it going this tournament, and that could have been‑‑ obviously a goal here and there, and that was the difference at the end of the day.

Q. On Tatar's first goal, it looked like you had at least one defenseman that could have got to the rebound. Did you see it that way?
RIKARD GRONBORG: Yeah. I don't know. I need to go back and watch it. Sure.

Q. Both Henrik and Daniel have talked this week about this may be the last time they play for Sweden. Can you just talk about what they've meant to this team, and also, do you think that they will play again in the next one?
RIKARD GRONBORG: Well, obviously you've got to ask them, but there's a tremendous‑‑ it was tremendous to work with them for this tournament. I think they did an outstanding job of not only on the ice but obviously getting this team together. We had some bounces when it comes to injuries and stuff before the tournament. I think they really took charge when we brought new players in and brought them into our system and the way we try to work. Unfortunately, like I said, we probably would have played the last games, but it didn't happen.
For them not coming back and playing, obviously I would love to work with them again. Like I said, I think they're tremendous hockey players, tremendous people to be around.
Yeah, like I said, I hope I have a chance to work with them again.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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