Monday, February 18, 2002
Mean Mats put Swedes in peril
But Czechs not able to score the tying goal
By AL STRACHAN -- Team Sun
SALT LAKE CITY -- Mats Sundin scored the winning goal in Sweden's 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic yesterday -- a win which guaranteed it first place in Group C -- but it was not his finest hour.
In the third period, with the Swedes holding off a furious assault from the Czechs, Sweden appeared to have matters in hand when Martin Havlat was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Michael Nylander.
But during that major, Sundin took two separate penalties and, playing four-on-four on the large ice, the Czechs once again were able to put Sweden under intense pressure.
As Europeans, the Czechs are familiar with the Swedish torpedo system, and they countered it well.
For two periods, the Czechs used a passive defence, not bothering with any deep forechecking.
They tended to wait for the Swedes to emerge from their own end, then they established a triangular formation with the highest forechecker in the centre of the ice but slightly towards the weak side.
Now, if everything works correctly, the Swedish puck carrier's only option is to send the puck up the strong side where there are two more Czech forwards. As a result, the Swedes are forced to employ a dump-and-chase approach.
Then, in the third period, the Czechs suddenly switched to sending in two forecheckers, thereby disrupting the Swedish plans for counter-attacking the other system.
Sweden goaltender Tommy Salo, who won Olympic gold in 1994, stopped 37 of 38 shots. Czech Republic goaltender Dominik Hasek, a gold medallist in 1998, made 20 saves.
The Swedes never trailed. They led 1-0 after one period on a goal by Kim Johnsson, then added to that lead when Sundin scored in the second.
Jiri Dopita of the Czech Republic made it close, but Sweden held on to win, a result that pleased Team Canada.
Now, the Canadians' fate is in their own hands.
Since the Swedes almost certainly will defeat Germany today, all the Canadians have to do is win their game against the Czech Republic tonight and they will earn second place in their division.
Should Canada do so, it almost certainly will draw Finland for its quarter-final game, a much better proposition than having to face either the United States or Russia.
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
