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Salo saves Swedes in victory vs. Czechs
By Jody Genessy
Deseret News Olympic specialist
WEST VALLEY CITY — Super Salo is at it again.
These are the Olympic Games and he is playing in Utah, so it only figures Tommy Salo is on top of his game.
Salo was so good Sunday in Sweden's 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic he even outshined Dominik Hasek, and that's worthy of the adoration he received from the blue-and-gold-clad Scandinavian fans at the E Center each time he made a save.
Last seen in these parts carrying the Utah Grizzlies to an International Hockey League Turner Cup championship in 1996, Salo made it look like he was playing against the Orlando Solar Bears again Sunday.
Not even close. Salo was nothing short of amazing while making 38 saves against the defending gold-medal champions, not some IHL club.
"He played even bigger than he did the other night against Canada," said Sweden's Nicklas Lidstrom, referring to the Swedes' 5-2 win Friday. "I thought he won this game for us."
Added Daniel Alfredsson: "He was outstanding for us."
Salo got all the offensive help he needed — and help's not an easy thing to get when Hasek is in the opposing goal — from defenseman Kim Johnsson and red-hot Mats Sundin. Sundin's game-winner was his third goal of these Olympics.
But the former Utah Grizzlies star was the story of the day at the E Center. And if Salo continues on this torrid pace, he might get a gold to go with the one he earned in 1994 when he held off Team Canada in the famous finals shootout as Sweden won that Olympic tournament.
As always, Salo didn't really want to talk too much about his own game. He said he's having a good time playing in Utah for the first time since he earned MVP honors after the Grizz's Game 4 overtime title-clinching win in front of 17,000-plus fans at the Delta Center in June of 1996.
"It's always fun to be here," said Salo, speaking of Utah — he'd never played in the E Center before. "I played pretty good."
The victory puts Sweden into a great — and very unexpected — position to advance to the medals round as the top seed from its group. Canada and the Czech Republic both entered the Olympics with more highly regarded teams.
"We have to be happy," Sundin said. "It's a good start for us."
Sweden got off to a great start against the Czechs. Johnsson zipped a slapshot from the top of the slot past Hasek to put the Swedes up 1-0 only 4:45 into the game.
After a steal, Sundin was able to skate to the middle of the ice, where he fired a shot right between Hasek's legs for a 2-0 second-period lead.
"He surprised me," Hasek said. "It was a bad goal. A good shot, but a bad goal."
Jiri Dopita scored the Czech Republic's lone goal, trimming its deficit to one goal midway through the second period. Salo stopped Dopita on his first attempt, but the rebound came right back to the Czech forward and he burned him on the second try.
Other than that, it was all Salo. Just like the good-old days for Utah hockey fans.
E-MAIL: jody@desnews.com Sweden 2
Czech Republic 1
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February 18, 2002
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