Pro Hockey Resume

The Associated Press

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Sweden looked like a defending Olympic champion for the first time at the Vancouver Games.

Loui Eriksson scored power-play goals in each of the first two periods, Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and Henrik Lundqvist made 20 saves for a shutout to lift the Swedes to a 3-0 win over Finland in a rematch of the Turin Games final. The Swedes won their group and earned a bye to the quarterfinals on Wednesday as the second-seeded team.

“We start over again,” captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. “It doesn’t really matter what we did this week. It’s going to be exciting.”

Sweden and the United States were the only teams to win all their games in regulation, but the Americans earned the No. 1 seed because of goal differential. The U.S. won its games by a combined total of nine goals – two more than Sweden.

That puts the Swedes in the side of the bracket that includes Canada and Russia.

“Before we face one of those two teams we have to beat another team,” Sweden coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson said. “It’s not going to be an easy one in the quarterfinal.”

Miikka Kiprusoff made 29 saves for the Finns, who beat the Czech Republic on a tiebreaker to earn the No. 4 seed.

“If you have to lose one game, this is the one,” Finn forward Teemu Selanne said. “Now, the tournament starts.”

(AFP) STOCKHOLM — Peter Forsberg, the 36-year-old centre who has twice helped Sweden capture Olympic gold, was named Sunday to the 23-man provisional roster for Sweden’s reigning Winter Olympic ice hockey champions.

Forsberg, whose 12 National Hockey League seasons included two Stanley Cup titles with the Colorado Avalanche, has struggled with ankle and foot injuries in recent years. He now plays for Modo in his homeland’s elite league.

The 2003 NHL Most Valuable Player, set up the winning goal in Sweden’s 3-2 victory over Finland in the 2006 Turin Olympic final and scored the deciding goal in a shootout win over Canada for 1994 Olympic gold.

Sweden coach Bengt-Aake Gustafsson’s lineup was largely comprised of NHL stars. Final squads are not set until February 15, the eve of the Olympic openers.

Gustafsson included Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson despite the influential centre being ruled out for four to six weeks on Saturday with a separated left shoulder.

Nicklas Lidstrom, a six-time winner of the NHL’s Norris Trophy as top defenseman, was among four Detroit Red Wings named to Sweden’s team, joined by defenseman Niklas Kronwall, Tomas Holmstrom and Detroit scoring leader Henrik Zetterberg.

Goalkeepers: Jonas Gustavsson (Toronto Maple Leafs/NHL), Stefan Liv (HV 71), Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers/NHL)

Defenders: Tobias Enstrom (Atlanta Thrashers/NHL), Magnus Johansson (Linkopings HC), Niklas Kronwall (Detroit Red Wings/NHL), Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings/NHL), Douglas Murray (San Jose Sharks/NHL), Johnny Oduya (New Jersey Devils/NHL), Henrik Tallinder (Buffalo Sabres/NHL), Mattias Ohlund (Tampa Bay Lightning/NHL)

Forwards: Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa Senators/NHL), Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals/NHL), Loui Eriksson (Dallas Stars/NHL), Peter Forsberg (Modo), Tomas Holmstrom (Detroit Red Wings/NHL), Patric Hornqvist (Nashville Predators/NHL), Fredrik Modin (Columbus Blue Jackets/NHL), Samuel Paahlsson (Columbus Blue Jackets/NHL), Daniel Sedin (Vancouver Canucks/NHL), Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks/NHL), Mattias Weinhandl (Dynamo Moscow/RUS), Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings/NHL)