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BEIJING — Eric Staal leaned on his stick, sweat dripping from his brow as he wore the Maple Leaf on his chest for likely the last time.

Canada's veteran captain spoke glowingly of a team thrown together in a pandemic to play for Olympic gold in a tournament that was supposed to feature hockey's best.

COVID-19 had other plans.

The stand-ins did all they could. It just wasn't nearly enough.

"We really enjoyed being around each other," Staal said after Canada crashed out of the Beijing Games with a 2-0 quarterfinal loss to Sweden on Wednesday. 

"Makes it sting a little bit more. Tough to end this way."

But end it did on a night where a group of weary Canadian non-NHLers had few answers against a disciplined opponent that played its smothering system to near perfection.

Lucas Wallmark capitalized on a mistake and got a bit of luck to score midway through the third period and send Canada home without a men's hockey medal for the first time in 16 years.

"It's just tough," said Canadian defenceman Owen Power, the top pick at the 2021 NHL draft. "Can't win if you don't score."

Lars Johanssen made 22 saves for the Swedes, who will meet the Russian Olympic Committee in Friday's semifinals. Anton Lander added the clincher into an empty net.

Matt Tomkins stopped 24 shots in the second of a back-to-back and Canada's third game in four nights.

"Part of wearing this jersey is winning," he said. "It's heartbreaking to fall short. 

"Came here to win a gold medal and anything less than that … not what we were hoping for."

Wallmark’s winner came off a sloppy sequence for a team running on fumes where Andrew McBain and Eric O'Dell couldn't get the puck out of their end. Wallmark stripped the latter and fired a shot off Tyler Wotherspoon's stick and past Tomkins' blocker with 9:45 left in regulation.

The goal tied Wallmark with Slovakia's Juraj Slavkovsky for the tournament lead with five.

Canada tried to press, but simply didn't have the legs before Lander iced it with Tomkins on the bench for an extra attacker.

"You were hoping that the break would go your way," Canadian head coach Claude Julien said. "Our guys battled hard. We played a lot of hockey in the last few days. You could see they were fresh.

"One of those games where whoever made a mistake or got a little bit of a break would win. That's what happened … unfortunately that's hockey."

Thursday marked the countries' first meeting at the Olympics since the 2014 final in Sochi when Canada beat Sweden 3-0 for gold.

That also marked the last time NHLers took the ice at a Games.

The league skipped the 2018 event for financial reasons before withdrawing from 2022 because of COVID-19 concerns that forced dozens of postponements and battered its December schedule, pressing players from other leagues into service on short notice.

Sweden advanced to the quarters in Beijing as the No. 4 seed, while Canada had to play an extra game — a 7-2 victory over China — in Tuesday's qualification round after finishing fifth of 12 teams in the round robin.

Canada won Olympic gold with its NHLers in 2010 and 2014 before securing bronze four years ago using a roster of mostly European-based professionals. The country's NHL players lost in the quarters to Russia in 2006 after topping the podium in 2002 for the first time in 50 years.

Despite winning three of its four games heading into Wednesday's matchup at National Indoor Stadium — including two victories over a Chinese program making its Olympic debut as hosts — Canada never really got going in Beijing.

Mason McTavish, the No. 3 overall pick by the Anaheim Ducks last year, had just one assist despite playing on the top line with Staal, who's looking for an NHL contract.

But like his team, the 37-year old failed to move the needle for long stretches. 

Josh Ho-Sang — viewed as another offensive threat ahead of the tournament — started alongside Staal and McTavish, but was demoted to the 13th forward spot after two games.

Power, the top pick by the Buffalo Sabres, had some early struggles, but grew into his role on the top defence pair as the games progressed.

The Canadians lost to the United States in round-robin play, which forced them to suit up for the qualification round against China. They got the job done, but were unconvincing, especially early, before having to play the rested Swedes just 24 hours later.

"We put ourselves in that spot," said veteran forward David Desharnais. "If we win against the U.S. … we get that extra rest. 

"That's big in these tournaments."

And while Tomkins and Edward Pasquale were mostly solid in goal, the fact Devon Levi — the MVP of the 2021 world junior hockey championship putting up big numbers in the NCAA — didn't see a minute of action raised eyebrows both in China and back home.

"An amazing experience," said Tomkins, who finished with a .963 save percentage and a 1.01 goals-against average after taking the reins from Pasquale following the loss to the Americans. "Incredible honour to be here at the Olympics and have the chance to wear the Maple Leaf and represent the country.

"Something I'll remember the rest of my life."

The 27-year-old from Edmonton playing his first season with Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League had to make a good save early Wednesday after Canada iced the puck seven seconds into the first period.

The North Americans came out hitting on the smaller NHL-sized ice, but the Swedes didn't back down and delivered their fair share in return.

"Too many shifts where we were trying to just survive," said defenceman Maxim Noreau, one of three 2018 returnees for Canada. "Wasn't consistent enough."

The grinding chess match continued into the second before Sweden had a couple chances where Tomkins once again had to be sharp.

The Canadian netminder stopped Pontus Holmberg on the doorstep before also denying Lander, who played 215 games with the Edmonton Oilers, with his blocker.

Johansson didn't have a lot to do through 40 minutes, and it was much of the same in the third as the Swedes choked Canada off at almost every turn before eventually breaking through.

"It's heartbreaking," Tomkins said. "We knew it would come down to an ugly finish.  

"Tough to be on the wrong end of it."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2022.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press