Nas-ty win

Sweden finishes final round undefeated after 7-1 win

Sweden's Mikael Renberg celebrates a goal in the first period. AP

PROVO, Utah (AP) -- With nothing to gain from a win, Sweden could have relaxed.

Instead, the Olympics' smoothest hockey team rolled into the quarterfinals with its stylish, cerebral game in fine form.

Markus Naslund scored two goals, and captain Mats Sundin had a goal and two assists as Sweden posted its third straight final-round victory, 7-1 over Germany, on Monday night.

"Obviously, it's good for my confidence," Naslund said. "As long as the team is winning, you might take on different roles. It's been fun so far, even though I haven't scored."

Backup goalie Johan Hedberg stopped 19 shots, losing his shutout bid during a power play with 1:59 left.

"You know you're going to win the game, there's no doubt about that, still you want to keep [the shutout] as long as you can," Hedberg said. "It's a good challenge, too, challenges you to stay sharp in your head."

Sweden will face Belarus following a performance that often resembled a scrimmage for the slick team that is the only one to win all three of its final-round games.

"We didn't think we had a great second half against the Czechs [on Sunday], and we wanted to make sure we didn't lose any of the momentum we've built up," Sundin said. "It was a concern, but I think we took care of it."

With nothing to gain and very little to lose, the Swedes had the perfunctory task of performing against the overmatched Germans. In case anyone thought the Swedes would go through the motions, their big names made sure there was no mistake -- the Swedes are all business. Markus Naslund and Mats Sundin -- the best forward in the Games thus far -- scored early, taking any intrigue this tilt may have held. Team Sweden took the opportunity to rest starting goaltender Tommy Salo, allowing Johan Hedberg to see Olympic action. He wasn’t very busy, but the sloppy play of the Germans made his task that much easier. Granted, their strategy to sit back and passively defend takes its toll against better opponents. So, after putting a scare into Team Canada the night before with a gallant two-goal third period, Germany had very little to offer on this night. Moreover, they would have had to be in top form because the Swedes were relentless. Next up is lowly Belarus, so expect the same from Sweden on Wednesday.

Mikael Renberg, Daniel Alfredsson, Mathias Johansson and Tomas Holmstrom also scored for Sweden, which had already clinched the top quarterfinal seed in its round-robin group with surprising victories over Canada and the Czech Republic in its first two games. Marcus Ragnarsson, Niklas Lidstrom and Mattias Ohlund each had two assists.

The Swedes' superb passing and strategy has contrasted with the struggles faced by Canada and Russia, which haven't been able to integrate their rosters of NHL stars into effective teams.

All of the Swedes say they have embraced coach Hardy Nilsson's free-flowing system, and the results have shown on the ice.

"I was a little bit afraid that we couldn't keep up the concentration, but we did it well," Nilsson said. "Sweden's guys, they're very happy to get together. They've grown up [learning] to play like a team. They don't have any problem to get together in a short time."

Germany (0-3), which went undefeated in the preliminary round and winless in its last three, will meet the United States in the quarterfinals.

"We had to play three really good teams, and we got a good taste of what it's like to play at this level," German forward Marco Sturm said. "We'll give it a good shot against the United States, but we've already got a lot out of this experience."

Sweden rested goalie Tommy Salo, who was outstanding in two games since returning to the state where he led the Utah Grizzlies to a minor-league championship.

Hedberg was rarely tested as he watched German goalies Christian Kunast and Robert Muller, filling in for resting starter Marc Seliger, battle wave after wave of Swedish attacks.

Naslund, the NHL's second-leading scorer, got Sweden's first goal on the power play just 4:30 in. Sundin added his fourth goal of the Olympics moments later on a nice pass from Alfredsson, and Sundin's Toronto Maple Leafs teammate Renberg made it 3-0 after 9 1/2 minutes.

"We have good personal chemistry between us," Naslund said. "We get along well, and we like to play hard for each other. I also think the coaching staff has let us play the way we like."

Sweden was up 6-0 after two periods. Dennis Seidenberg's slap-shot goal in the waning minutes denied Hedberg of a shutout in his first Olympic match.

Sweden has played smart, team-oriented hockey while winning its final-round group, and its win over Germany was no exception. Sweden's "torpedo" offensive system shot it past Canada and the Czechs, but the Swedes made yet another strategic innovation against the Germans' 1-4 defense.

While Canada and other teams have struggled against Germany's blue-line stack of defenders, Sweden simply chipped the puck into the corners in a modified dump-and-chase. The Swedes then used their speed to blow past Germany, leading to a consistent diet of scoring chances.

"We survived three games and had two very clear results and one was very close," German coach Hans Zach said. "I'm very pleased with what happened. ... As far as the game goes, we were well prepared in the first couple minutes and after they scored, we got a little frustrated and went downhill from there."

Sundin had another outstanding game, but he was only one of many Swedish forwards playing well. It's intruguing to imagine how well Sweden might be playing with the addition of Peter Forsberg, who's out with a foot injury.

"We're happy, but we realize this is only a start," Sundin said. "The real tournament starts with the quarterfinals, and we think we're ready."

 

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.