BEIJING — Permission to make mistakes gave players on Canada's women's hockey team the freedom to exercise their offensive creativity.
Canada continued to air out its attack in the Olympic women's hockey tournament in Friday's 11-0 quarterfinal win over Sweden.
Defending champion United States — a 4-1 winner over Czechia on Friday — and Canada await the outcome of Saturday's quarterfinals between Russia and Switzerland, and Finland and Japan, to know their semifinal opponents Monday.
The gold-medal game is Thursday in Beijing.
Brianne Jenner's second hat trick of the tournament and Sarah Fillier's first gave both women a tournament-leading eight goals apiece.
They're one back of the tournament record of nine held jointly by Canada's Meghan Agosta and Switzerland's Stefanie Marty (2010).
Canada has outscored its opposition 44-5 in Beijing for an average of almost nine goals per game.
"I wouldn't want to play against us," defender Jocelyne Larocque said
Canada's head coach Troy Ryan wanted to cultivate among Olympic hopefuls the confidence to blitz the offensive zone with speed and flair.
"We did start talking in January of last year, we really wanted the group to be comfortable with making some mistakes while they try to get better offensively and sometimes you get good things from that," Ryan explained.
"One of the things we tried to talk about early on is, to make this team you had to be willing to make mistakes, you had to be willing to add to your game.
"It's not necessarily that we completely flipped the way we're doing things. We had such a good foundation of the defensive side of the game, that just adding a little bit of offence to that defensive structure is maybe what the group needed at this time."
Jamie Lee Rattray, Erin Ambrose, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull and Emily Clark also scored in Canada's quarterfinal victory.
Sarah Nurse and Marie-Philip Poulin each contributed four assists.
"We've definitely been generating a lot of goals, but what's great about this group is, of course that's acknowledged, but it's definitely not the focus," Larocque said. "It's not about who is scoring.
"I feel that in the dressing room that it's not point night for anyone. It really isn't and it would be really easy to have that mentality."
Canada's Emerance Maschmeyer posted an 11-save shutout in her second start in Beijing.
Swedish counterpart Emma Soderberg stopped 30 of 39 shots for two periods before giving way to Ida Boman and her 15 saves.
"It's tough, but at the same time, both myself and the team could have done it a bit better," Soderberg said.
"It looks too easy for them sometimes but they've had these scores throughout the whole tournament."
Canada attacked the Swedes in waves and relentlessly cycled in the offensive zone.
Three acrobatic Soderberg saves held Canada to a one-goal lead until late in the opening period when the floodgates opened.
Canada made the most of Sweden's numerous tripping penalties with a 4-for-7 power play.
The line of Poulin, Jenner and Nurse was a standout generating multiple scoring chances below the hash marks.
"We've only been with Nursey for a few games now and there's definitely some chemistry," Jenner said.
"She's been relentless for us on the forecheck, turning lots of pucks over and that's where we have success."
Forward Melodie Daoust remained out of Canada's lineup Friday. She hasn't played since her injury in the second period of a 12-1 win over the Swiss in the tournament-opener.
The Swedes were once a top-four country in women's international hockey. They upset the U.S. in a 2006 Olympic semifinal for an eventual silver medal.
Sweden's women's team slid down the rankings into turmoil three years ago, however.
After finishing ninth and relegated for the first time in the women's world championship, Sweden's players refused to attend a national-team camp and a tournament to start the following season to protest their financial compensation and working conditions.
The host Swedish hockey federation subsequently cancelled the 2019 Four Nations Cup featuring Canada, Finland and the U.S. in Lulea.
The federation and the players came to an agreement later that year, and the Swedish women are trying to climb back into the world's elite.
They beat France in a November, 2021 qualifying tournament to get to Beijing, and play an Olympic game against Canada for the first time since 2010.
"Now we've got a feel for what pace they're playing with at this level and we've got something to work towards," Soderberg said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2022.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
