2022 Olympics: 3 Takeaways from Team Switzerland’s 1-0 Loss to Russia

The second was arguably the best period of hockey that Switzerland played. They did not suffer any dip in play due to the bad bounce and goal going against them, instead, they battled hard and desperately tried to find a way back into the game.

Every team will face adversity here, either on or off the ice. How you bounce back from it will determine the chances of success for the team it involves, and Swiss fans should be thrilled with what they saw in the second period of this game.

Strong Performance in Goal from Reto Berra

If the mid and lower-tier teams are to have any success on the international stage, then top-quality netminding is key. Switzerland certainly had that from Berra in their opening game, with the former Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames goaltender showing exactly what he is capable of delivering.

Berra didn’t face a constant barrage of shots from Team Russia, they put 30 on goal, but that did include a number of strong chances, including efforts from down low where Berra needed to react quickly to clear the puck.

At 35, with a good number of NHL games and international competitions under his belt, it is no surprise to see Berra settling in quickly to this tournament. If he can keep up this kind of play, he will be a big positive for the team.

Swiss Need to be More Clinical if They Want to Challenge for a Medal

Looking forward, if there is something for Switzerland to work on over the coming days, then it is certainly their shooting. They created many chances and outshot the Russians 33-30, but despite the many good opportunities we saw from them, they failed to put the puck in the back of the net.

Better shooting would have seen them take at least a point from this game rather than losing it 1-0, despite playing against one of the fancied nations. They may get away with it against Denmark and Czechia in their remaining group games. However, if this team wants to go far and potentially even challenge for a medal, they will have to do better with their chances. It is great to see them being created, but as today’s game showed, they count for nothing unless pucks hit the back of the bet.

Switzerland has to be more clinical if they want to go far in this competition and pick up a medal like they did when winning silver at the 2018 World Championships.

What’s Next?

Switzerland has a rest day next, with no game scheduled for Thursday. However, they have back-to-back games to finish the group stage, beginning with the Czech Republic on Friday and ending with a game against Denmark on Saturday.

Look out for more solid play from this team, the hope of being a little more clinical, and hopefully, that all leads to progression to the knockout phase.