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. Edmundo Sosa . Jagr had a goal and two assists, Andy Greene scored 43 seconds into overtime and Marek Zidlicky had two goals as the Devils rallied past the Washington Capitals 5-4 Saturday night. Whitey Herzog . Founding members of the Genie Army, a group of Eugenie Bouchard supporters who cheered for the rising tennis star during the Australian Open in January, will be in the city for the Rogers Cup, beginning this weekend. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/...arge-1551q.html. - Kyle Wood and Barclay Goodrow scored second period power-play goals to provide all of the scoring for the North Bay Battalion in a 2-0 victory over the Erie Otters in Ontario Hockey League action on Thursday. Miles Mikolas . -- The Vancouver Whitecaps remained unbeaten with a scoreless draw at the New England Revolution on Saturday. Paul DeJong . After missing 20 games as a rookie a year ago, Valanciunas - like the Raptors as a whole - has been fortunate to be in good health this season. As he spoke about it, the Raptors sophomore centre scanned the room for wood to knock on. "It is disappointing because we lost today so thats the worst part of the day," said Valanciunas, who left Tuesdays game with a lower-back sprain in the third quarter, missing the rest of Torontos 118-113 overtime defeat at the hands of the Hawks.LA QUINTA, Calif. - Bill Haas pulled off another imaginative escape to win the Humana Challenge.I think of myself as more of a painter and not a mechanic, Haas said.Far less dramatic or lucrative than the shot he splashed out of the water to 3 feet in a playoff victory in the 2011 Tour Championship, Haas came through with another bold play Sunday after his drive on the par-5 18th stopped on top of the front lip of a right fairway bunker.You got to come up with something, Haas said.Standing in the sand with the ball in dormant grass at nearly waist level, he choked up on an 8-iron and gave it a whack.I easily could have whiffed it, could have chunked it and moved it 5 yards, Haas said.Instead, he hit it 80 yards down the fairway. That left him 170 yards and he hit another 8-iron safely to the middle of the green to set up his winning two-putt par.He was afraid to hit left-handed and considered a one-handed shot standing backward.Using the little toe of the club left-handed, the water was in play, out of bounds might have been in play, I just didnt feel comfortable doing that, Haas said. I have done the thing before backwards where you do it one-handed and poke it down the fairway. I almost did that.Haas pulled ahead with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th and escaped with the par on 18 for a one-stroke victory. He closed with a 5-under 67 for his sixth PGA Tour title. The 32-year-old former Wake Forest player won the 2010 event for his first tour victory.Honestly, if you would have told me I would have done this last week, I would have laughed at you, Haas said. To be here is an unbelievable feeling.Haas earned $1,026,000, a fraction of the $11.44 million he made in in Atlanta in the 2011 Tour Championship.His father, Jay, won the 1998 tournament. Haas great uncle, 85-year-old Bob Goalby, was in the gallery at PGA Wests Arnold Palmer Private Course. Goalby won the 1968 Masters.Haas was making his first start since November. He took the break to rest his left wrist, fractured in April when he fell down stairs.I played a little bit, Haas said. I didnt just put the clubs up.Haas got to 22 under with the birdie on 16, breaking a six-man tie for the lead.Ive been in a tournament where Ive been maybe one ahead or tied, butt not with five or six guys right behind me knowing that if I dump one in the water, I go from winning to finishing 10th, Haas said.ddddddddddddMatt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman, Brendan Steele, Steve Wheatcroft and Sung Joon Park tied for second. Hoffman and Steele shot 64, Park had a 65, and Kuchar and Wheatcroft shot 67.Haas kept a share of the lead with a key par save on the par-3 15th. Short-sided in the left bunker, he blasted to 6 feet.That was one of the moments where I knew if I missed that I was going from leading to maybe not even top 10, Haas said.He had a chance to increase the lead on the par-3 17th, but missed a 10-foot birdie try with a bighorn sheep grazing nearby at the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains.On 18, with water on the left, his drive went too far right.I was doing everything I could to not go left. So, what do you do? You go right, he said.Haas eagled the par-5 sixth for a share of the lead, setting up his 15-foot putt with a 260-yard shot from the dormant left rough with the ball below his feet.That was huge, Haas said. Just fortunate that 5-wood came out like it did, because out of that Bermuda rough, anything can happen.Justin Thomas, Webb Simpson and Boo Weekley tied for seventh, two strokes back.Thomas, playing alongside Haas and two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton, dropped out of the lead on 16 with a double bogey after hitting into the canal from a fairway bunker.Hit fractionally behind it and in the water she went, Thomas said.The 21-year-old former Alabama player birdied 18 for a 69.Compton shot 70 to tie for 10th, three strokes back at 19 under.I wasnt pleased with the way I started, Compton said. You got to put your foot down.Phil Mickelson had a 68 to tie for 24th at 15 under in his first start since the Ryder Cup.It was a good week to get the year started, Mickelson said. Now well see the next two weeks if I can get that fine-tuning done.DIVOTS: Colt Knost had a 63 — the best round of the day — to tie for 10th at 19 under. He was in the first group off the 10th tee and played his final nine holes behind Haas group. ... Patrick Reed, the winner last year, shot 71 to finish at 15 under. He started the year with a playoff victory in the Tournament of Champions. ' ' '