Slovakia's TOMAS KOPECKY (82) scores the goal that knocks out defending champion Sweden sends Slovakia to the semifinals of the ice hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Powerless to prevent Kopecky are Swedish defenseman NIKLAS LIDSTROM (5) and goaltender HENRIK LUNDQVIST. (Matt Slocum/AP)

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For all the skill and experience found on the rosters of both SLOVAKIA and SWEDEN, not to mention ice hockey history between the two nations involved, it was only appropriate that the very last quarterfinal match at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver should feature a lively and entertaining affair settled by a solitary score.

Following a scoreless and evenly-played first period, the Slovaks drew first blood after the defending Olympic champions took a penalty for too many players seven and a half minutes into the second session.

Capitalizing on the power play, Slovakia’s Chicago Black Hawks star MARIAN HOSSA handed MARIAN GABORIK a perfect, cross-ice pass for the New York Rangers star to one-time past his National Hockey League teammate, HENRIK LUNDQVIST, in the Swedish goal.  

Less than a minute later, the Slovaks surprisingly scored yet again.

Intercepting a pass in his own defensive zone, Slovakia’s aging ZIGMUND PALFFY of HK 36 Skalica sent Torpedo Yaroslavl’s RICHARD ZEDNIK away on a rush. Palffy paid the price and received a devastating hit, but the former NHL scoring star’s quick pass had been huge. The NHL veteran Zednik sped into the Swedish zone down the right, drew the lone defender and cut the puck across for defenseman ANDREJ SEKERA of the Buffalo Sabres to shoot past Lundqvist. 

Sweden held a wide 12-4 lead in shots-on-goal for the second period and would respond, however, with the leadership of a veteran.

The 37-year-old, two-time Olympic gold medalist PETER FORSBERG of Mo Do Ornskoldsvik, with a backhand flip from behind the goal, found PATRIC HORNQVIST of the Nashville Preadators in front. With a backhand of his own past Slovak goaltender JAROSLAV HALAK of the Montreal Canadiens, the 22-year-old Hornqvist halfed Slovakia’s lead.

Almost immediately thereafter, with Forsberg steaming for the net, Detroit Red Wings star HENRIK ZETTERBERG had his centering pass deflect off Slovak defenseman MILAN JURCINA in front past Halak to pull Sweden level at 2-2 with five and a half minutes remaining until the second intermission.

Unfortunately for Sweden, Atlanta Thrashers defenseman TOBIAS ENSTROM took a penalty for tripping with less than two minutes to go and Slovakia promptly scored. PAVOL DEMITRA of the Olympic host city’s Vancouver Canucks, who produced the shootout winner for Slovakia versus Russia earlier in the tournament, struck again. The 35-year-old wing, who has missed most of this NHL season due to injury, cannoned a slapshot from the top of the left face-off circle over Lundqvist’s shoulder to send Slovakia back in front just before the break.

Nine minutes into the final frame, Slovakia again went up by two thanks to a goal from the unlikely TOMAS KOPECKY of the Chicago Black Hawks. Demitra and Marian Hossa broke into the zone on a two-one-one break; Kopecky slid his Chicago teammate’s rebound past the prone Lundqvist for his first goal at the Vancouver Games. Kopecky has four goals in 58 NHL games for the Black Hawks this winter.

Veteran DANIEL ALFREDSSON of the Ottawa Senators managed to draw the Swedes within one less than a minute later to set the stage for a tense and dramatic finish as Sweden pressed their attack. Indeed, the Swedes posted a lopsided 29-14 shots-on-goal total for the contest. But, Halak and the Slovaks were able to hang on for the victory and a place in the semifinals at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Slovakia, who failed to get past the preliminary stage at both the 1998 Nagano Games and the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, have reached the medal round for the very first time in Vancouver.

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SLOVAKIA 4 – SWEDEN 3

Shots-on-goal :  Sweden 29 – Slovakia 14

SVK goals :  Gaborik, Sekera, Demitra, Kopecky

SWE goals :  Hornqvist, Zetterberg, Alfredsson

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Slovak defenseman MILAN JURCINA (68) deposits Swedish forward SAMUEL PAHLSSON into Sweden’s bench as Pahlsson’s teammates scramble to protect themselves. Jurcina, who started the current 2009-10 season with the Washington Capitals, and Pahlsson are teammates with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

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Slovakia defender ANDREJ MESZAROS (14) of the Tampa Lightning bops Sweden forward HENRIK ZETTERBERG (40) of the Detroit Red Wings at the Slovak bench in the Olympic quarterfinal match at Canada Hockey Place. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)  

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Slovakia defenseman and quarterfinal goal-scorer ANDREJ SEKERA (44) of the Buffalo Sabres squeezes Swedish center NICKLAS BACKSTROM of the Washington Capitals against the boards in Vancouver. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

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to be continued…

Sweden's LOUI ERIKSSON (91) sweeps around Finland goalkeeper MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF (34) to score his second and the team's third goal of the match between rival Scandanavian powers at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. (AP Photo)

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The Kingdom of SWEDEN once upon a time, of course, included what is now the nation of FINLAND…

Sweden had only lost two of ten games played all-time against its arch-adversary, Finland, at the Winter Olympic Games heading into the 2010 Vancouver Games and the very last round-robin match of this year’s tournament.

The last meeting at the Winter Games between the two Nordic nations was, of course, for the Olympic gold medal itself at the Turin Games in 2006; Sweden won the closely contested affair 3-2 in Italy. 

Sweden, seeking to defend its Olympic championship in western Canada, took its opportunity with the two-man advantage 6:41 into the contest when LOUI ERIKSSON of the Dallas Stars was able to snap the puck past Finland goalie MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF of the Calgary Flames after finally controlling a pass from NICKLAS BACKSTROM.

Sweden, as always with their patient, defense-first approach, were able to completely control the first period of play, as evidenced by the 16-5 shot advantage they accumulated.

Backstrom, at 22 years of age one of the country’s up-and-coming players on the international stage, bagged an all-important second goal for Sweden with a little than than six minutes left in the middle period. 

Finnish defenseman LASSE KUKKONEN of Russian club Avangard Omsk made a mess of the puck at his feet and fell down, allowing Swedish forward DANIEL SEDIN of the Vancouver Canucks to easily steal the vulcanized rubber. Sedin stepped around Kukkonen and fed Backstrom, who was involved in all of Sweden’s goals on the night, for a chance in the slot that the Washington Capital did not waste.

Another of Sweden’s young stars in the making, the 24-year-old Eriksson, scored again on the power play with less than two minutes left in the second period. Eriksson took a pass from JOHAN FRANZEN of the Detroit Red Wings down low to the left of Kiprusoff and swung around out front to slide the puck past the sprawled Finnish goaltender’s right side into the net. Eriksson’s second goal of the game, his third at the Vancouver Games, left Sweden in total control of the contest at 3-0.

The Finns, meanwhile, had to feel deflated after outshooting the Swedes 10-8 for the second twenty minutes.

Less than a minute before the second intermission, Finland defenseman JONI PITKANEN of the Carolina Hurricanes was given a five-minute major penalty for checking to the head and neck area for his hit on Sweden’s PATRIC HORNQVIST of the Nashville Predators. Pitkanen also received a game misconduct and is automatically suspended for Finland’s next game, which will be in the quarterfinal proper round.

Sweden’s goaltender HENRIK LUNDQVIST of the New York Rangers, a holdover from Turin, was never seriously pressured on a sustained basis and stopped all 20 shots Finland fired his way. Lundqvist has now registered two shutouts in three games played at the 2010 Winter Games. Lundqvist has also turned aside 57 of the 59 shots (96.61 save percentage) he has faced thus far in Vancouver.

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SWEDEN 3 – FINLAND 0

Shots-on-goal :  Sweden 32 – Finland 20

SWE goals :  Eriksson 2, Backstrom

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Two Detroit Red Wings --- Finnish forward VALTTERI FILPPULA (51) and Swedish defenseman NIKLAS KRONWALL (55) --- collide at Vancouver in the battle for Scandanavian supremacy renewed at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (AP photo)

To be continued…

Vancouver Canuck DANIEL SEDIN (22, left) shoots the puck into the right hand corner of Belarus netminder ANDREI MEZIN's goal to send Sweden in front 1-0 at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. (Jukka Rautio/HHOF-IIHF Images)

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If anyone on SWEDEN’s bench in the third period against BELARUS in Vancouver today had got to thinking of the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City Games eight years ago, that would be understandable.

Had Belarus forward ALEXEI UGAROV of Russian club HK MVD Balashikha not hit the post late in the latter half of the third period with the Belarussians trailing by a single goal, no one could say for sure how matters might have ended.

Despite a late charge by Belarus, however, there would be no repeat of 2002 for the defending Olympic gold medalists from Sweden.

DANIEL SEDIN of the Olympic host city’s Vancouver Canucks shot Sweden ahead roughly seven minutes in; long-time Ottawa Senator DANIEL ALFREDSSON added a second for Tre Kronor with nine minutes expired in a first period that saw Sweden amass a 17-6 advantage in shots-on-goal.

Detroit Red Wing forward JOHAN FRANZEN, recovered from ACL surgery this past fall, fashioned a goal nine and a half minutes into the second period to extend Sweden’s lead to 3-0.

“I’m happy for the win, we played a good first period,” Swedish coach BENGT GUSTAFSSON stated after the match. “Then we got overconfident and started to cut corners a bit, and tried to find the easy way out instead of paying the price for scoring goals.”

Dynamo Minsk forward ALEXANDER KULAKOV corraled a loose puck and, with Swedish goaltender JONAS GUSTAVSSON of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his back, lifted Belarus with a goal 14:40 into the second period.

This was Sweden’s first goal surrendered at the 2010 Winter Olympics in 94:40 of play at the Vancouver Games.

Nevertheless, the Swedes finished the second still with a commanding 31-13 lead in shots.

The Belarussians saved their best hockey for the final period and played the Swedes even over the last twenty minutes. DMITRI MELESHKO, also of Dynamo Minsk, netted a rebound courtesy a Kulakov shot with eight and a half minutes remaining to set the stage for a tense finish, which was punctuated by Ugarov’s clanking of the iron.

The 37-year-old Alfredsson, at his fourth Winter Olympics tournament, ended the drama with his second goal against Belarus and Dynamo Minsk goaltender ANDREI MEZIN ten seconds from full time to set the final score at 4-2 for Sweden.

With that goal, Andersson moved past Swedish legend, MATS NASLUND, a.k.a. The Little Viking, into eighth place on Sweden’s all-time scoring list at major international tournaments.

Andersson, who has appeared at 12 tournaments for Tre Kronor, now totals 28 goals and 67 points in his career. Ten of those goals for Sweden have come at the Winter Olympic Games.

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SWEDEN 4 – BELARUS 2

Shots-on-goal :  Sweden 39 – Belarus 18

SWE goals :  Alfredsson 2, D. Sedin, Franzen

BLR goals :  Kulakov, Meleshko

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Sweden’s DANIEL SEDIN (22) prepares to shoot the puck as Belarussian defenseman SERGEI KOLOSOV (25) and forward ANDREI MIKHALEV (8) are tangled up in front of goaltender ANDREI MEZIN at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. (Molly Riley/Reuters)

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Sweden stake the early 1-0 advantage over Belarus thru DANIEL SEDIN (22) of the host city’s National Hockey League team, the Vancouver Canucks. (Matt Slocum/AP Photo)

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Mezin makes one on his 34 saves for Belarus with Sweden’s PATRIC HORNQVIST (27) of the Nashville Predators lurking in front. (Matt Slocum/AP)

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Swedish goaltender JONAS GUSTAVSSON lies flat on his back as Belarussian forwards ANDREI STAS (26) and ALEXANDER KULAKOV (11) boast the game’s first goal for Belarus in the second period. (Matt Slocum/AP)

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Alfredsson ends the drama for Sweden with his second goal of the game with ten seconds remaining. (AP Photo)

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Sweden's DANIEL ALFREDSSON (11) set to celebrate as Belarussian defensemen RUSLAN SALEI (24) and VIKTOR KOSTYUCHENOK (43) already feel the frustration. (AP Photo)

German defenseman SVEN BUTENSCHON (6) uses his body to shield Swedish goal-scorer LOUI ERIKSSON (91) at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. Butenschon, a veteran of 140 National Hockey League games, last played in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks four years ago. Eriksson scored the second goal in Sweden's 2-0 defeat of Germany in Group C at the Olympics. (Jukka Rautio/HHOF-IIHF Images)

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Had German defenseman CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF’s power play shot not caught iron early in the second period, the story just may have been different.

“I wish we had scored first, then maybe we would have had a different result,” Ehrhoff, who plays his professional hockey for the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL, stated after the match.

Shortly thereafter, four and a half minutes into the second period, former Vancouver Canucks defenseman MATTIAS OHLUND did score for Sweden on the power play for the defending Olympic gold medalist from the 2006 Turin Games. Ohlund, the all-time scoring leader for defensemen in Canucks history, appeared to benefit from an effective screen of German goaltender THOMAS GREISS of the San Jose Sharks set by the Vancouver Canucks’ DANIEL SEDIN.

Sweden added a second goal following a giveaway in the corner at the German end. Washington Capitals center NICKLAS BACKSTROM grabbed the puck and set up the Dallas Stars’ LOUI ERIKSSON in front.

Germany, who outshot the Swedes in the first period and hit both a post and a crossbar in the match, again outdid the Swedes with 11 shots in the final twenty minutes but were unable to solve Swedish goaltender HENRIK LUNDQVIST of the New York Rangers.

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SWEDEN 2 – GERMANY 0

Shots-on-goal :  Sweden 25 – Germany 21

SWE goals :  Ohlund, Eriksson

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New York Rangers goaltender HENRIK LUNDQVIST steers aside one of 21 shots during Sweden’s 2-0 shutout victory over Germany. (Jukka Rautio/HHOF-IIHF Images)

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Vancouver Canuck DANIEL SEDIN (22) of Sweden celebrates as German goaltender THOMAS GREISS looks to the referee for a call after MATTIAS OHLUND’s opening goal on a screened shot.

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Two-time Olympic gold medalist PETER FORSBERG (21), participating at his fourth Winter Games for Sweden, is marked by Germany's KAI HOSPELT (18) in Vancouver. (Jukka Rautio/HHOF-IIHF Images)

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PETER FORSBERG (21) snaps off a shot for Sweden as German defender ALEXANDER SULZER (52) of the Nashville Predators tries to intercede. It was Sulzer's giveaway in his own defensive corner that directly led to Sweden's second goal in Germany's 2-0 loss at the 2010 Vancouver Games. (Jukka Rautio/HHOF-IIHF Images)

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Sweden's LOUI ERIKSSON (91) shoots past German goaltender THOMAS GREISS (1) of the San Jose Sharks for the second Swedish goal. (Matt Slocum/AP)

A two-time gold medalist for the sport of ice hockey, PETER FORSBERG will be making his fourth Olympic appearance for Sweden at the Vancouver Games.

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SWEDEN — final roster for 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

Coach — Bengt GUSTAFSSON —- Asst — Tommy Albelin, Mattias Norstrom

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Goaltenders

• #   1 — Stefan LIV — HV 71 Jonkoping
• # 30 — Henrik LUNDQVIST — NY RANGERS
• # 50 — Jonas GUSTAVSSON — TORONTO

Defensemen

• #   2 — Mattias OHLUND — VANCOUVER
• #   3 — Douglas MURRAY — SAN JOSE
• #   5 — Niklas LIDSTROM — DETROIT
• #   6 — Magnus JOHANSSON — HC Linkopings
• # 10 — Henrik TALLINDER — BUFFALO
• # 29 — Johnny ODUYA — ATLANTA
• # 39 — Tobias ENSTROM — ATLANTA
• # 55 — Niklas KRONWALL — DETROIT

Forwards

• # 11 — Daniel ALFREDSSON — OTTAWA
• # 19 — Nicklas BACKSTROM — WASHINGTON
• # 20 — Henrik SEDIN — VANCOUVER
• # 21 — Peter FORSBERG — Mo Do Ornskoldsvik
• # 22 — Daniel SEDIN — VANCOUVER
• # 26 — Samuel PAHLSSON — COLUMBUS
• # 27 — Patric HORNQVIST — NASHVILLE
• # 33 — Fredrik MODIN — COLUMBUS
• # 40 — Henrik ZETTERBERG — DETROIT
• # 80 — Mattias WEINHANDL — Dynamo Moscow
• # 91 — Loui ERIKSSON — DALLAS
• # 93 — Johan FRANZEN — DETROIT

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A solitary change for the Olympic squad of Sweden national team coach BENGT-AKE GUSTAFSSON :

Detroit Red Wings forward TOMAS HOLMSTROM was dropped due to his lack of fitness as a result the nondislocated foot fracture suffered a month ago.

JOHAN FRANZEN, whose Olympic hopes appeared wrecked after ACL surgery this past fall, takes his club teammate’s place on the Swedish roster.

PETER FORSBERG, who has played just 17 Swedish Elitserien games this season while struggling with physical fitness all year, is on board Tre Kronor’s ship and, apparently, is all set to go.

Forsberg, 36, is a veteran of 18 matches (2 go 17 as, 19 pts) at three previous Winter Games and is the holder of two Olympic gold medals, as well.

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Match history at major international events :

GERMANY — versus — SWEDEN

(including West Germany’s record, 1952-1990)

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First meeting — 78 years ago — 1932 in Berlin, Germany

Overall record — Sweden 40 — (West) Germany 2 — tied 3

Winter Olympics record — Sweden 9 — (West) Germany 0 — tied 2

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• 1932 — EC – Berlin ————————— 0-1 – Sweden
• 1952 — OG – Oslo —————————- 7-3 – Sweden
• 1953 — WC – Zurich ————————– 8-6 – Sweden
• 1953 — WC – Zurich ———————— 12-2 – Sweden
• 1954 — WC – Stockholm ——————— 4-0 – Sweden
• 1955 — WC – Krefeld ————————- 5-4 – Sweden
• 1956 — OG – Cortina d’Ampezzo ———- 1-1 – tie
• 1959 — WC – Ostrava ———————— 6-1 – Sweden
• 1960 — OG – Squaw Valley —————– 8-2 – Sweden
• 1961 — WC – Lausanne ——————- 12-1 – Sweden
• 1962 — WC – Denver ————————- 4-0 – Sweden
• 1963 — WC – Stockholm ——————- 10-2 – Sweden
• 1964 — OG – Innsbruck ——————– 10-2 – Sweden
• 1967 — WC – Ljubljana ———————- 3-1 – Sweden
• 1968 — OG – Grenoble ———————- 5-4 – Sweden
• 1971 — WC – Bern —————————- 7-2 – Sweden
• 1971 — WC – Bern —————————- 2-1 – West Germany
• 1972 — WC – Prague ———————– 10-0 – Sweden
• 1972 — WC – Prague ————————- 7-1 – Sweden
• 1973 — WC – Moscow ———————— 8-2 – Sweden
• 1973 — WC – Moscow ———————- 12-1 – Sweden
• 1976 — WC – Katowice ———————- 4-1 – Sweden
• 1977 — WC – Vienna ————————- 7-1 – Sweden
• 1978 — WC – Prague ————————- 6-2 – Sweden
• 1979 — WC – Moscow ———————— 7-3 – Sweden
• 1980 — OG – Lake Placid ——————- 5-2 – Sweden
• 1981 — WC – Stockholm ——————– 4-2 – Sweden
• 1982 — WC – Helsinki ———————— 3-1 – Sweden
• 1983 — WC – Munich ———————— 5-1 – Sweden
• 1984 — OG – Sarajevo ———————- 1-1 – tie
• 1985 — WC – Prague ———————— 3-2 – Sweden
• 1985 — WC – Prague ———————— 5-2 – Sweden
• 1986 — WC – Moscow ———————– 4-2 – Sweden
• 1987 — WC – Vienna ———————— 3-0 – Sweden
• 1988 — OG – Calgary ———————– 3-2 – Sweden
• 1989 — WC – Stockholm ——————- 3-3 – tie
• 1990 — WC – Bern ————————— 6-0 – Sweden
• 1991 — WC – Helsinki ———————– 8-1 – Sweden
• 1992 — OG – Albertville ——————– 3-1 – Sweden
• 1992 — OG – Albertville ——————– 4-3 – Sweden
• 1992 — WC – Prague ———————– 5-2 – Germany
• 1994 — OG – Lillehammer —————– 3-0 – Sweden
• 1996 — WCH – Stockholm —————– 6-1 – Sweden
• 2002 — WC – Stockholm ——————- 6-2 – Sweden
• 2004 — WCH – Stockholm —————– 5-2 – Sweden

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SWEDEN also met EAST GERMANY on sixteen occasions at major international tournaments between 1957 and 1985; the Swedes won fifteen of those matches against but a single victory for the Deutsche Demokratische Republik.

Sweden's PATRIC HORNQVIST shoots past Czech Republic goalkeeper MILAN HNILICKA to open the scoring in the quarterfinals of the 2008 IIHF World Championships. Sweden defeated the Czechs 3-2 in overtime.

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Classic, old-time style hockey on display Friday night in Canada with the visiting Nashville Predators and the host Calgary Flames.

And what better way to open than with a good ole’ donnybrook featuring the Flames’ fighter BRIAN MCGRATTAN (10) and Predators’ protector WADE BELAK (3)?

Finnish netminder MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF (42 ga, 2.15 avg, 3 so, 92.6%  sv pct) was in fine form again for the Calgary Flames but in the end it was Sweden’s PATRIC HORNQVIST (27) who settled matters in favor of the Nashville Predators.

After some work along the boards, Hornqvist heads for the net and hammers the puck past Kiprusoff for the game’s lone goal : 

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20092010,2,706

In his first season at the NHL level, the Hornqvist has stepped up his game and clearly established that he can score goals for the Predators. The freshly-turned 23-year-old right wing, after totaling just two goals in 28 games for Nashville last season, finished last year with Milwaukee in the American Hockey League (49 ga, 17 go 18 as, 35 pts). No such need for a return to the minors this term as evidenced by Hornqvist’s 17 goals and 30 points in 47 games.

Hornqvist, who was selected for Sweden’s Olympic squad competing in the Winter Games at Vancouver next month, has also proven himself responsible defensively with his + 12 rating.

TOMAS HOLMSTROM (96), center, with Swedish teammates PETER FORSBERG (21), left, and MIKAEL SAMUELSSON (37) at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy. Holmstrom has hurt his foot for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and could be out up to a month. Forsberg, meanwhile, is still on the shelf in Sweden's Elitserien.

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Swedish star HENRIK ZETTERBERG, after being out the past eight games, returned to action for the Detroit Red Wings in Thursday night’s National Hockey League contest with the Anaheim Ducks.

Much to the certain chagrin of Swedish national team coach BENGT-AKE GUSTAFSSON, however, the return of one of his Olympic selections to the line-up for the Red Wings is marked with the withdrawl of another due to injury.

Two-time Olympic veteran TOMAS HOLMSTROM sustained a nondislocated fracture of his foot during practice Wednesday in Anaheim. The 36-year-old left wing is expected to miss between three to four weeks. Holmstrom is currently fourth in scoring for the Red Wings with 15 goals and 21 points from 42 games.

SWEDEN’s first match at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, is scheduled with GERMANY for February 17.

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INJURY UPDATE :

Sweden’s two-time Olympic gold medalist, PETER FORSBERG, is still on the shelf for Swedish elite league club Mo Do Ornskoldsvik.

Forsberg has played just nine out of 37 domestic league games in Sweden this season. The 36-year-old has been listed as week-to-week with injured ribs. 

Mo Do Ornskoldsvik currently stand ninth in the Elitserien out of twelve teams.

DANIEL ALFREDSSON (11) fights his way through two defenders in Sweden's 5-2 defeat of Germany at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey in Stockholm. Alfredsson had two assists in the contest. The 37-year-old Ottawa Senators right wing has been chosen to his fourth Olympic ice hockey squad for Sweden.

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SWEDEN national team — 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Vancouver

coach — Bengt-Ake GUSTAFSSON

Goaltenders

• 6 app – 28 ga — 27 – Henrik LUNDQVIST — NY RANGERS
• 7 app – 11 ga — 29 – Stefan LIV — HV 71 Jonkoping
• 1 app — 5 ga — 25 – Jonas GUSTAVSSON — TORONTO

Defensemen

• 7 app – 62 ga — 36 – Magnus JOHANSSON — HC Linkoping
• 7 app – 48 ga — 33 – Mattias OHLUND — TAMPA BAY
• 9 app – 46 ga — 39 – Nicklas LIDSTROM — DETROIT
• 4 app – 24 ga — 28 – Niklas KRONWALL — DETROIT
• 2 app – 11 ga — 25 – Tobias ENSTROM — ATLANTA
• 1 app — 5 ga — 29 – Douglas MURRAY — SAN JOSE
• 1 app — 5 ga — 28 – Johnny ODUYA — NEW JERSEY
• 0 app — 0 ga — 30 – Henrik TALLINDER — BUFFALO

Forwards

• 11 app – 74 ga — 37 – Daniel ALFREDSSON — OTTAWA
• 8 app — 60 ga — 29 – Henrik ZETTERBERG — DETROIT
• 10 app – 59 ga — 36 – Peter FORSBERG — Mo Do Ornskoldsvik
• 6 app — 47 ga — 32 – Samuel PAHLSSON — COLUMBUS
• 6 app — 41 ga — 29 – Henrik SEDIN — VANCOUVER
• 6 app — 39 ga — 35 – Fredrik MODIN — COLUMBUS
• 6 app — 36 ga — 29 – Daniel SEDIN — VANCOUVER
• 4 app — 35 ga — 29 – Mattias WEINHANDL — Dynamo Moscow
• 3 app — 22 ga — 22 – Nicklas BACKSTROM — WASHINGTON
• 2 app — 18 ga — 22 – Patric HORNQVIST — NASHVILLE
• 3 app — 16 ga — 36 – Tomas HOLMSTROM — DETROIT
• 1 app —– 9 ga — 24 – Loui ERIKSSON — DALLAS

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One pleasant surprise on defense is 36-year-old veteran MAGNUS JOHANSSON of HC Linkoping. The former Chicago Black Hawk and Florida Panther has appeared at seven IIHF World Championships (62 ga, 11 go 14 as, 25 pts) for Sweden, but has never before been selected to an Olympic squad. Johansson produced three goals and eight points in nine games for Tre Kronor at the IIHF WC in Switzerland last spring.

One notable name not appearing on defense for Sweden is that of 19-year-old VICTOR HEDMAN of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hedman, the second overall pick in last summer’s NHL draft, has made the immediate transition to the big leagues and boasts three goals, 11 points and a solid even rating from 36 games with Tampa Bay this season.

PETER FORSBERG of Mo Do Ornskoldsvik, meanwhile, a big question mark as a result of injuries, is chosen to the Swedish squad and, if healthy, will compete this February in the Winter Olympic Games for the fourth time in his accomplished career for Tre Kronor.

SVEN "Tumba" JOHNASSON is still the all-time leading scorer for Sweden at the Winter Games. The four-time Olympian notched 28 goals in 30 games and earned two medals, one silver and one bronze. Here, Tumba tangles with the Canadian defense at the 1961 IIHF World Championships in Switzerland as goaltender SETH MARTIN scrambles for the puck.

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SWEDEN all-time top scorers, Winter Olympic Games :

• 32 pts – 28 go — 4 as – 30 ga — Sven “Tumba” JOHANSSON
• 23 pts — 4 go – 19 as – 23 ga — Mats NASLUND
• 22 pts – 11 go – 11 as – 22 ga — Ronald PETTERSSON
• 21 pts – 13 go — 8 as – 22 ga — Lars-Erik LUNDVALL
• 20 pts – 11 go — 9 as – 16 ga — Mats SUNDIN
• 20 pts — 8 go – 12 as – 16 ga — Daniel ALFREDSSON
• 20 pts – 13 go — 7 as – 20 ga — Nils NILSSON
• 19 pts — 2 go – 17 as – 18 ga — Peter FORSBERG

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SVEN “Tumba” JOHANSSON totaled eight goals at Oslo in 1952, three goals at Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1956, six goals at Squaw Valley in 1960 and eleven goals, including his hat trick versus Italy in Sweden’s qualification game, at Innsbruck in 1964.

Officially, Johansson was the tournament top scorer at the ’64 Innsbruck Games with eight goals and 11 points in the seven final round-robin games. 

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Ottawa Senators right wing DANIEL ALFREDSSON could very easily end up in second place all-time for Sweden with a strong showing at the Vancouver Games this February.

And Mo Do Ornskoldsvik center PETER FORSBERG is another who might find his name moving up the chart with results at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.