TURIN, Italy – The last time Sweden played an Olympic final in men's hockey was 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. Peter Forsberg scored the game-winner against Canada in a shootout.
Three Winter Olympic Games later, Forsberg and the Swedes are going for gold again after routing the Czech Republic 7-3 yesterday at Palasport Olympico.
“I barely remember what happened it was so long ago,” Forsberg said. “It definitely feels great to be back in the final playing for the gold after getting knocked out in the quarters the last two Olympics. It's unbelievable to be back.”
For this generation of older players, such as Forsberg, Mats Sundin, Fredrik Modin and Nik Lidstrom, these Games represent a last chance for a gold medal.
“You can sense it, when we came here, all the boys, we kind of knew it was our last chance to play together,” Forsberg said. “That was why I really wanted to come over here.
“For Sundin and Lidstrom, it's their last chance to win the gold. I played with Sundin in '92 on the national team. Not being here, not playing with him – one last time – would be hard.”
Whatever passion the Czechs displayed against Slovakia in the quarterfinals, wasn't present until the game was decided. Inexplicably, several of Sweden's goals came off wide-open chances as the speedy Czechs simply refused to skate. Defenseman Tomas Kaberle was in shock.
“It's hard to face this loss,” he said. “During many parts of the match, none of us were on the Swedes. Everybody was looking at them. We didn't play. When you lose that way, it's more harder than ever.”
It took the Swedes all of 34 seconds to stun the Czechs on the opening shift of the game as Sundin gave Forsberg a pass into the offensive zone. The Philadelphia Flyers' center skated the puck to the left circle and delivered one of his patented passes into the middle for Modin. Goalie Milan Hnilicka acted as if he never saw the shot.
The Swedes blew the game open with three goals in less than eight minutes during the second period to make it 5-1.
Finland 4, Russia 0
Teemu Selanne looked up to see an Anaheim Mighty Ducks teammate waiting for him in a long hallway at Palasport Olimpico.
Illya Bryzgalov embraced his friend with a heartfelt hug in the aftermath of Finland's triumph over Russia – a victory that sent the Finns to the Olympic gold medal game.
As sad as it was for the Russians – and in particular San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov – the vanquished had to respect Selanne and his surprising teammates.
“He didn't win a Stanley Cup,” Bryzgalov said. “I hope he wins something.”
Selanne, 35, said it would be the biggest game of his distinguished career. The four-time Olympian has rediscovered his flash in the past two weeks to help Finland go 7-0 on its way to the final against its biggest rival.
Antero Niittymaki got his third shutout as the Finns scored two power-play goals.
Selanne has imagined the final game for years. He and his buddies once played Sweden in an imaginary Olympic final in an outdoor rink when he was “7 or 8.” “That time we won,” said Selanne.
He hinted that tomorrow's final could be the last time he represents Finland. Selanne said a victory over Sweden would be the ultimate way to retire from the national team. One of the great scorers in history, the Finn has suffered Dan Marino's fate of never winning a major championship.
“It would be nice to give something back to Finnish hockey,” he said.
The San Jose Mercury News contributed to this report.
