We've seen a strange swagger from Sweden at this year's World Junior tournament. Magnus Svensson Paajarvi's colourful comments about a potential matchup with Canada started everything.

The media loved it and went back to him for more. Paajarvi didn't back away from what he said, but clarified, explaining that if they got Team Canada down 2-0 quickly they could use the home crowd against them.

Sweden's confidence might be a creation of the media and maybe they are being goaded into it by reporters asking questions, but despite losing the gold medal game to Canada a year ago and dropping seven of the last eight head-to-head matchups, the Swedes are still talking.

"If we have a two-goal lead we are going to win," forward Mikael Backlund told Tony Ambrogio, echoing the comments his teammate made earlier in the tournament. "

Backlund went on to say he thought Sweden had the better team last year and will have the better team tonight. In Tony's opinion Backlund was pretty much promising a victory. 

On the loss to Team Canada last year:

"I was real frustrated," Backlund said. "I want to beat them."