SAN FRANCISCO—On Saturday, September 10, the Sharks took on cross-state rivals, the Anaheim Ducks, for the second match of three for this year’s Prospect Showcase.
Stockholm, Sweden-born forward Filip Sandberg, 23, scored the only goal of the game, assisted by left winger Rudolfs Balcers, who scored three goals and had four assists in the game against Colorado on Saturday, September 9.
San Francisco News spoke with Sandberg following the match.
San Francisco News: Do you feel that your energy amps up during rivalry games?
Sandberg: Yeah. I heard it on defense today too, they were screaming a lot. [SAP Center] is for sure a big arena, but I like the atmosphere in here. I would like to play when it is full.
SFN: Can you describe your playing style?
Sandberg: I’m a pretty fast right winger with a good shot. I try to work hard in the defense zone and be a threat toward the defensemen. I create a lot of scoring chances.
SFN: Which aspects of your playing style do you feel will help you succeed at the professional level?
Sandberg: I just go out, try to play my game, and be a threat all the time. Play solid, try to do what I’m best at: shooting the puck like I did today, and I succeeded. When focusing on those basic things, the others will come.
SFN: What is different about playing hockey in America than in Sweden?
Sandberg: I would say the ice, for sure. It is much smaller here, so you don’t have much time with the puck. You have to think faster, do stuff more quickly to bring the puck to the net.
The right winger has been described as “feisty, small, and speedy.” San Jose Barracuda Head Coach Roy Sommer compared Sandberg’s playing style to that of Sharks left winger Marcus Sorensen, also a native of Sweden.
“He plays a little similar [to Sorensen]. I think this guy has a better shot, and he seems to put up good numbers. He was a leading scorer in the playoffs of the Swedish league [HV71 Jonkoping], which is a hard league to score in. He’s another one of those typical Swedes who just has a great work ethic.”
