Sweden Prevails in Matchup Between Andersson and Chytil

The Rangers only have two prospects taking part in the 2018 World Junior Championships, but Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil certainly make up for lack of quantity with quality.

Yesterday, the two 2017 first-round picks faced off, as Sweden took on the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championships.

Despite ending the game pointless, Andersson played a notable role in Sweden’s 3-1 win. He played his typical 200-foot game and made an impact in all three zones. Though he didn’t score, he had a few quality chances and displayed his ability to put pucks on net from the slot.

In total, he tied Alex Nylander for a team-high five shots on goal. He also made possibly the best defensive play of the game, tying up the backdoor option on a transition play that seemed destined to end in a Czech goal.

For better or worse, the game was a solid representation of the player Andersson can be. He didn’t score flashy goals the way Elias Pettersson or Alex Nylander did, but he made contributions every shift in a number of different ways.

Filip Chytil, who was a force against Russia on Tuesday, had a more timid game against Sweden. Though he certainly had a few moments of note, his line struggled to generate many offensive shifts against the organized Swedes. His most notable moment was when he used his evasiveness in tight space to draw a penalty from Jesper Boqvist.

Both players play their next games on Saturday.