First: Anesthetic. Then: Gold, euphoria & celebration.

n the day of the final we go by bus to the arena as usual. I am seated opposite Henrik Lundqvist. He is touching and rubbing his injured knee, trying to massage it a little.

One of the other players asks him how he feels.

“I don’t know. It hurts. We’ll have to wait and see what it feels like in the arena.”

In the locker room a whole team of people are waiting.

Doctor Björn Waldebäck and physical therapists Thomas Carlsson and Johan Söderström. Goaltender coach Stefan Ladhe. And “the Russian Magician” Vladimir Egorov, Tre Kronor’s expert on these types of injuries.

They are there to help Henrik get out on the ice.

First he gets a sonography to make sure playing won’t worsen the injury.

hen that is concluded, what remains is “just” the pain and mobility.

Then Egorov gives Henrik electroacupuncture treatment.

Finally Waldebäck tops it off – with a syringe.

“I want to try out the anesthesia already now in the morning to make sure you feel it working,” says the medic.

 LUNDQVIST: SO CLOSE TO MISSING THE FINAL

Meanwhile the players are heading out for warm-ups, but they all want to know “the King’s” status so several of them pop their heads through the door to ask.

But no one knows.

Henrik gets the injection and then puts on half of his equipment in the locker room. The medical team gathers around him, sort of in a circle, as he tries a few movements and concludes that it feels… OK.

He is still unsure though of what it will feel like on the ice, where the strain will be completely different.

Home, rest and back again.

Third goaltender Eddie Läck has been given instructions.

He is to warm up as if he is playing, then be available in the locker room until the puck drops, in case of Lundqvist’s knee not holding together. That is how uncertain things are.

But Eddie never has to change and enter the ice.

“You know the difference between something that will pass in an hour, in 20 minutes, and something that needs treatment. This one felt worse,” Henrik Lundqvist says afterwards. “I was a little bit worried. It felt like I wouldn’t be able to play, what should we do and what would the consequences be? But my mind went from being a big dark cloud to looking forward to playing”.

And so Lundqvist goes out on the ice and plays a great game. When he saves the last shot the feeling of relief is immediate. For everyone.

hat follows is already a classic moment. William Nylander forgets that Henrik barely can stand, going in for an open-ice hit bordering on suspension-worthy. Lundqvist didn’t have the puck, after all…

I am next to the bench. Euphoria. I see tears falling down many cheeks, even the hard-nosed ”Russian magician” from Kaliningrad, Egorov, is crying.

I’m looking out on the ice. Henrik is hugging Joel, and then I’m almost about to start crying too.

This was probably the brothers’ last chance to play the World Cup together. Henrik down and out with an injury just the day before, getting back on his feet and saving the game. Now they can celebrate winning the gold together.

I shoot a few pictures.

immy, Jimmy”. It’s Henrik calling out. “Save this picture for me, OK?” And then they shout as loud as they can straight into my camera.

The trophy is raised and confetti is spraying all over the place.