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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. Brandon Parker Jersey . -- The guys in green raced off the court and into the locker room where they danced and sang, compared whose shot was most likely to end up featured on "One Shining Moment," and checked Twitter to see who was giving them a shoutout. Doug Martin Jersey . The last team in the NBA that will have any sympathy for the Thunder is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are showing signs of putting everything together after two years of devastating injuries. http://www.authenticraidersfansclub.com/...-Nelson-Jersey/. Cornet won six straight games to rally from a 2-0 deficit and take the first set. The 25th-ranked Frenchwoman broke back twice in the second set before Bacsinszky saved a match point at 5-4. Dwayne Harris Jersey . The veteran fighter will be squaring off with Henderson in a five-round lightweight bout as part of another network televised card at the United Center on Saturday night. Tahir Whitehead Jersey . -- Arizona coach Bruce Arians says there "were obviously very, very many problems" with the officiating in the Cardinals 24-21 loss at Philadelphia.MONTREAL - Its been a rough season for Brandt Snedeker but the 2012 Fed Ex Cup champion hopes to have his game ready to defend his RBC Canadian Open title in July. Snedekers best result so far this year is a tie for eighth place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. He sits 113th in FedEx Cup standings and has dropped to 31st in world rankings — not the results expected from a player ranked fourth in the world only two years ago. "My golf game is not quite where I want it but Im getting closer," Snedeker said Monday on a conference call. "I have another month to get ready." The Canadian Open returns to Royal Montreal for the 10th time July 24-27. It will be the 60th anniversary of the last victory by a Canadian at the national open. The courses club pro Pat Fletcher won in 1954. Tournament director Bill Paul announced that Snedeker, Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan as well as Canadians Graham DeLaet, Mike Weir, David Hearn and Stephen Ames will be there. Snedeker is confident he will find his best game soon. "I go through peaks and valleys," the Nashville, Tenn., native said. "Im not a very consistent player, but you have to ride through the rough patches. "I feel Ive ridden the rough patches out and I feel a hot patch should start soon. Id love to play my best all year, but you have to have the mental fortitude tto fight through it.dddddddddddd" He is entering perhaps the most important part of the schedule, with the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in North Carolina June 12-15 and the British Open at Royal Liverpool in July, followed immediately by the Canadian Open. Snedeker plans to play 10 of the next 12 weeks. Last years Canadian Open victory at Glen Abbey near Toronto was his sixth PGA Tour win and was particularly special because his caddy Scott Vail, is from Oshawa, Ont. "I felt a lot of pressure last year on Sunday trying to pull it out for him," Snekeder said of his caddy of the last eight years, who got to take the Canadian flag from the 18th pin home as a souvenir. "Hes been a good friend for a lot of years." He caught a break when tournament leader Mahan pulled out after two rounds to be with is wife as she delivered a baby. "Golf is a funny thing, you never know whats going to happen," he said. "Any time you win you have breaks go your way. "It gave me a chance and when it happened, I took advantage of it." Snedeker has a strong history at the Canadian Open. He tied for seventh at his first one in 2007, when he was PGA Tour rookie of the year, and tied for fifth in 2009. Hes never played at Royal Montreal, an old-style, tree-lined course in Ile-Bizard, Que., but said he saw it on TV as the Americans defeated the World team in the 2007 Presidents Cup and is looking forward to trying out its Blue course. 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