with a 2-1 deficit, its a different game." The Avalanche

It was a classic mismatch on paper. The 11th-ranked Latvians pitted against the powerhouse Swedes. The 2006 Turin gold medallists versus the last-place finishers from the 2010 Vancouver Games. But Team Sweden had its hands full in booking its spot in the quarter-finals of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Saturday, earning a hard-fought 5-3 win over the pesky Latvian side. Erik Karlsson, Daniel Alfredsson and Alex Edler each had a goal and assist for Team Sweden at Shayba Arena. Sweden (3-0), which finished its round-robin atop Group C, was also fuelled by goals from Patrik Berglund and Jimmie Ericsson. The Swedes were spectacular with the man advantage, going 4-for-5 on the power play. Karlsson now has five points (three goals, two assists) in three games in Sochi. Janis Sprukts had a goal and assist, while Lauris Darzins and Zemgus Girgensons – the only current NHLer on the team – also scored for Latvia (0-3), which went 2-for-4 on the power play. Sweden came into the game as heavy favourites, boasting much more NHL and international experience. But Latvia, coached by Buffalo Sabres bench boss Ted Nolan, found a way to level things out on the ice, never quitting with some energetic and feisty play. Latvian netminder Kristers Gudlevskis didnt look like a goalie making his first Olympic appearance, either. He was poised, calm and collected in making 25 stops on 30 shots. Perhaps his best came off the stick of Loui Eriksson in the third period. Gudlevskis was seemingly at the mercy of Daniel Sedin, who sent a cross-crease pass to a wide-open Eriksson. But the Latvian goalie was up to the task and stretched out to steal what looked like a sure goal from the Bruins winger. Latvia kept the Swedes on their toes throughout the game, trading scoring chances and forcing Lundqvist to make several tough stops throughout the game. The New York Rangers netminder finished with 20 saves and helped keep the Latvian attack at bay. The Swedes broke through and opened the scoring on a power play at 15:50 of the first period while Krisjanis Redlihs was in the penalty box, with Berglund redirecting a Karlsson point shot into the back of the net. Latvia tied it 1-1 on a spectacular passing play fuelled by Janis Sprukts. From his own blue-line, he did his best Chris Pronger impression and sent a tape-to-tape long pass to Kristaps Sotnieks, who found a streaking Lauris Darzins. The 29-year-old showed excellent patience in outwaiting his world-class counterpart Lundqvist, beating him with a sneaky backhand move. The short-handed Swedes were already without the services of one of their top snipers in Henrik Zetterberg, who was forced to pull out of the Winter Games with a herniated disc in his back. The Swedish Ice Hockey Federation announced the injury after Swedens 4-2 victory over the Czech Republic Thursday. But it was just another in a list of star forwards to drop out of the Games with health issues. Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin pulled out of Sochi on the eve of the Olympics with a rib injury. The normally durable 33-year-old had his National Hockey League ironman streak snapped at 679 games last month, a franchise best in Vancouver. Detroit Red Wings workhorse Johan Franzen, a key presence in front of the net unafraid to get physical, is also on the injury list for Sweden with a concussion. Nick Tropeano Angels Jersey . -- Syracuse was dangerously close to letting another less talented opponent pull off the upset when C. Keynan Middleton Jersey . Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. https://www.cheapangels.com/183j-justin-bour-jersey-angels.html . Nikolaos Kounenakis has been hired as an assistant coach, the team announced on Monday. Tommy La Stella Angels Jersey . Louis Blues, having added Ryan Miller and Steve Ott from Buffalo, remain the No. Tim Salmon Angels Jersey . The Cottagers last victory came in a 2-1 home win over West Ham when Rene Meulensteen was still in charge. Since then, a miserable run of seven defeats and two draws has seen the club part with the Dutch coach and replace him with German Felix Magath.DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche grabbed headlines with their fast start this season. The St. Louis Blues are proving to be a good story, too. Jaroslav Halak made 24 saves, David Backes had a goal and an assist and the streaking Blues beat Colorado 4-1 on Wednesday night. Alexander Steen scored his 20th of the season and Jaden Schwartz also had a goal for the Blues, who have won five straight. It was their first victory in Colorado since April 12, 2009. "I cant tell you the last time we won in this barn, so obviously coming here, its big getting two points," said Chris Stewart, who was playing for Colorado when St. Louis last won in Denver. "I think I was on the receiving end last time this team won in this barn, so its a big two points." The Blues lead the NHL with 18 wins more than a quarter of the way through the season. Semyon Varlamov stopped 31 shots and Patrick Bordeleau scored for the Avalanche, who had won three in a row. Colorado coach Patrick Roy was angry after the game with what he considered a double standard. Roy, hired by the Avalanche from the Quebec Major Junior League last summer, took some criticism earlier this season for talking to opposing players during the game. He took issue Wednesday with St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock. "I was very mad at the end because Ive been jabbed by different coaches around the league, especially Hitchcock when he said thats junior, stop talking to players and talking to the referee," Roy said. "But I saw a guy on the other side who was talking to players and was also talking to the referee. He got the referee even (angry). Seems to me theres different rules for everybody in this league. "I guess the old guys are allowed to do whatever they want and I guess us, because were younger, we cant say anything. Im a little (mad) about that." Colorados 17-5-0 start was a franchise best this deep into the season, but the Blues have been the better team lately. They have won 10 of 12 and earned points in 11 of those games. "We are sticking to the way we play. We have been for the last little while," Steen said. "Pucks are bouncing our way, we are taking care in our own end and our goaltending has been phenomenal." St. Louis is 4-1 in one-goal games during its recent run and has averaged 3.4 goalls.dddddddddddd "Our 5-on-5 play is getting better and our special teams have really carried us," Hitchcock said. One of the wins in that stretch was a 7-3 victory over Colorado on Nov. 14, which came in the middle of a three-game skid for the Avalanche. St. Louis dominated that game from the start of the second period, and that continued Wednesday. The Blues had the first seven shots, and goals by Backes and Steen in the first 6:10 of the game gave them a quick two-goal lead. Backes scored when he redirected T.J. Oshies pass on a rush 2:46 into the first period. Steen made it 2-0 with a power-play goal, which tied him with Washingtons Alex Ovechkin for the overall NHL lead. "We havent had good history in this building the past few years, so we needed to set the tone," Backes said. "Oshie makes a great pass and I found a piece of it and it found a hole." After being outshot 9-1 to that point, Colorado pushed back and got on the board when Bordeleau stuffed in a rebound midway through the first. The Avalanche had several chances to tie it, but Schwartzs short-handed goal with 1:48 left in the period made it 3-1 and stopped Colorados momentum. "We lost the game in the first 10 minutes," Matt Duchene said. "If we played a little better in the first 10 there, even giving up that shorty late in the first period there we go into the next period with a 2-1 deficit, its a different game." The Avalanche failed to mount a comeback in the final two periods. They were held to 14 shots in the last 40 minutes, with four coming in the final 5 minutes of the game. They had two on a power play and two more after pulling Varlamov for an extra skater, but Stewart sealed it with an empty-net goal with 1:44 left. "In general, we played a really sound game," Hitchcock said. "We managed the puck properly, we just did a lot of things good. We had a lot of guys on top of their game." NOTES: Blues C Derek Roy had two assists. ... Avalanche C Paul Stastny missed the game due to back spasms. ... Duchene returned to the lineup after missing three games with an oblique strain. ... Steen has 99 goals as a member of the Blues. ... St. Louis short-handed goal was its first of the season. It also was the first short-handed goal allowed by Colorado. ' ' '