Alfredsson, one of 11 NHL players on the Swedish team, scored a short-handed goal at 15:42 to make it 2-0. Dick Tarnstrom, who became the first defenseman to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins in scoring this season, scored another power-play goal with three seconds left of the period.
Alfredsson now has a team-leading three goals and two assists for five points in six games.
"We did what we had to do -- no more, no less," Alfredsson said. "We knew it [Latvia] was a team that sits back so it was important to get the lead."
Viktors Ignatjevs, a defenseman who plays for Spartak Moscow, gave Latvia a glimmer of hope when he cut the score to 3-1 just 1:11 into the third period, beating Henrik Lundqvist with a wrister from the point that went in between the pads, ending the Swedish goalie shutout bid.
But P.J. Axelsson of the Boston Bruins skated in all alone and beat Irbe with a low shot between the legs to restore the Swedes three-goal cushion at 9:09.
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