Mattias Ekholm tells Team Sweden teammates how to stop Connor McDavid

«I'm going to have to be on top of my game, and everybody that's out there against him is going to have to do that,» Ekholm said on Monday. «But at the end of the day, he's the best in the world. We know that, but we're going to have to focus on our team and what we're doing.»

«That's just what it is. I'm going to battle for the puck with them, and I'm not going to want to lose that battle whatsoever, and I know he is the exact same way,» Ekholm said. «It's going to be special for sure.

"I haven't played against him obviously since I got to Edmonton, and I haven't had a chance in a long time to play against him. But he's obviously the best player in the world, and I see him every day in practice, so hopefully there's some muscle memory of some of the things that he does.»

"I think he's so good at taking what you give him, so there's no real script," he said. "How do you play defense against him? He's so good, so dynamic, so explosive that you just got to make sure you're on your toes and do your best. Try not to get into foot races and stuff; that's usually not going to end well. He's a hell of a player."