The Swedes were happy to beat the Japanese after falling 4-3 to them in a shootout in Malmo to kick off the 2015 Women’s Worlds. Even more importantly, this results puts Sweden in a great position for the quarter-finals.

It was a tense, scoreless game through two periods.

Pernilla Winberg, who led Sweden at the 2014 Olympics with seven points, got her team on the board unassisted just 59 seconds into the third.

Emma Eliasson added a power play marker at 5:33 to make it 2-0. That was all the Damkronorna needed.

Final shots favoured Sweden 35-16.

Japan pulled goalie Nana Fujimoto with under two minutes to play, but couldn’t cash in with the extra attacker. The Japanese are winless through two games.

Sweden will finish its preliminary round schedule against Switzerland on Thursday and the Japanese will face the Czechs.