Hockey

VANCOUVER - Earlier this week, the head coach of Canada's women's hockey team was asked if Sweden was a threat at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Melody Davidson provided a diplomatic answer about the third- (or fourth-) best nation in women's hockey, and the progress it has made since a colossal upset over the United States in Turin four years ago.

But a more telltale sign came later that day, when the Swedes practised at UBC Thunderbird Arena. Davidson, notepad and pen in hand, was in the stands along with former Canadian head coach Danielle Sauvageau, dutifully scouting the Scandinavians for a preliminary round game next Wednesday. And Davidson would have recognized some drills because Swedish head coach Peter Elander borrows liberally from his counterpart, including a fight-for-the-puck session that he calls "war" or "Mel," in honour of the Canadian coach.

"We steal the drills," the affable Elander says with a laugh.

And the Swedes may also steal the North American style when the women's tournament begins Saturday. Sweden plays Switzerland in the first hockey game of the Olympics, and the team is promising a more entertaining brand of hockey because Elander says that champions in the sport, at any level, have a commonality: the ability to control the puck.

"When you have the puck, you can't give it away," he said. "If you look at the Sedins [of the Vancouver Canucks] and all the winning NHL teams, it's not dump-and-chase teams that win big."

This comes as somewhat of a surprise.

When Sweden was in Vancouver for the Hockey Canada Cup test event in September, Elander said his team would play the most boring game possible against the North American heavyweights because they couldn't match skill. The team has been known to play a dump-but-don't-dare-chase style that patiently waits on opponents to make mistakes and robs the sport of anything resembling entertainment.

But over the last quadrennial, the Swedes have improved and come to Vancouver bolder and better than in Turin, when they were surprising silver medalists. Their ambitious goal here is gold, which is really the next logical step even if they are heavy underdogs for anything but bronze.

(Technically, Sweden is ranked fourth in the IIHF world rankings, behind Finland, the bronze medalists at the world championships last year).

In Turin, Sweden beat the U.S. 3-2 in overtime of a semi-final contest - the first time a North American power had lost to a European entry at a major international tournament - before losing to Canada in the gold-medal game. They also beat Canada at the Four Nations Cup in November of 2008.

Eleven players return from Turin, and Elander has high hopes for a trio of teenagers - Tina Enstrom, Cecilia Ostberg and Klara Myren - who are expected to play on the same forward line. Captain Erika Holst is a 15-year veteran who is marked every time she steps on the ice.

But improvement, and closing the gap on North America, are very different species in women's hockey. Canada and the U.S. also improve, and Elander believes the superpowers are 40-per-cent better than in Turin, upping the ante for his charges.

The consensus among Scandinavian and North American players and coaches is that Sweden no longer requires out-of-this-world goaltending from Kim Martin, named the top goalie in Turin, to beat the superpowers. They still require excellent goaltending, but their skaters are better equipped to handle the speed and puck movement of the North Americans, and they can compete better all over the ice.

"That Sweden team four years ago had a lot of firepower, and they have some players who can be difference-makers," U.S. defenceman Caitlin Cahow said. "Now, they field three lines that can do some damage, so you have to stay on your toes."