The first thing I'll tell you is that the idea that Sweden was wronged by the officiating or Canada is absurd.
I don't dare to have a strong opinion on this yet, since I am still trying to get a grip of hockey. If you say so, I'll just have to believe (or doubt) you. Guess for now it is the former ;-)
First, accusing your opponent of diving is really poor form. Even if they did! But in this case they simply didn't. It was a well played and honest game. Second suggesting that your country had a higher standard of sportsmanship while exhibiting poor sportsmanship (Oskar Steen slash vs USA, Dahlin stick smashing on the boards like a baby, Gustafsson slash, Andersson's medal toss, Brannstrom refusing to shake hands, Dahlin and Pettersson interviews) is pretty gauling. Sweden earned every penalty and are angry that Canada didn't join them in being undisciplined.
I agree with you to 100% that tossing a medal (or even skating up to the official with your helmet still on for the medal ceremony) is disrespectful to a very huge extent. I know people say you do not win silver you lose gold. However, a lot of kids wish they would be in their place and to show such disregard for what they achieved even when losing the final game is stooping very low. Same goes for refusing to shake hands. As for the interviews and what was said in those I still tend to give Dahlin and Pettersson the credit of being young, inexperienced with media, overwhelmed with bad emotions and not having learned to cope with disappointment in a mature way yet - after all, those guys are kids still! In particular with the Dahlin interview I think he was pressured into saying things he didn't want to say at first by the journalist. He even said he doesn't want to pass blame but then she probes on and on... I don't think any of us would have done so much better in a similar situation.
What I find more outrageous than Dahlin's interview is the fact that Montén didn't show up to face the media! That coach is definitely not a role model here.
Thank you I'll read these, I think I'll get the jist with Google translate and try not to jump to any conclusions. If there's video and you have time to paraphrase...
I'm fascinated by all of this as an example of delusion...
either mine or, apparently, the whole country of Sweden's, because I can't begin to reconcile their impression of the game with mine, which I've rewatched the key parts of many times now.... So I'm left wondering what is in the collective Swedish psyche that has them holding such a twisted perspective, defending poor behaviour and insults made by their team... and, well, just wrong.
I can try to find video footage with Swedish comments, but it may take a day or two and then gladly paraphrase that, too. On the newspapers I just want to say, that these were the only three articles I could find that had a sentence or max. two of underlying criticism against Canada out of more than fifteen I looked through... so overall Swedish media wasn't criticizing Canada and nowhere did I find justification for Andersson's misbehaviour. I do believe one or two articles even mentioned that this is not how you should deal with a loss like that... but I can go check the newspapers for that again.
In conclusion, I wouldn't go as far as to say "the whole country of Sweden" is delusional about the game and that the "collective Swedish psyche" has a twistesd perspective.
From what I gathered in this thread alone is that Sweden was playing pretty good, especially during those PKs, so I guess disappointment with the unlucky outcome of the game is justified. That doesn't mean I espouse the veiled or unveiled accusations against Canada. I just find it remarkable how people who clearly favoured the game's winner can get so worked up over a teenager saying stupid things in a post-game interview.
As I said before: this was just a hockey game, Canada won, the next tournament is coming up, let's just all calm down! ;-)