I am probably the biggest fool in the world right now because I actually thought that today’s game between USA & Finland was going to be competitive. I could not have been more wrong. In all actuality, what I saw was the real Mikka Kiprusoff show up, who chokes and plays poorly in big games and boy did he ever have a melt down today. At just 2:04 into the game, Kipper came out to play a puck but the US was pressuring, so he froze and turned the puck right over to Ryan Malone, leaving the net wide open for the games first (and only needed goal).

After that, it was all over for Finland because I guess misplaying that puck got into Kipper’s head and he was just letting everything in after that. Granted Team USA was applying tremendous pressure on him in front of the net (which he has always struggled with) but he was also out of position on all of the goals. The next goal came just 4:18 later on a power play when New Jersey’s own Zach Parise had a gorgeous roof top goal. Bam! Just like that it was 2-0. At this point I was very happy and thought “a two goal lead for Ryan Miller? Looks like we got this one already”. Well we definitely had the game but it wasn’t secured because of Miller, who barely saw any action today, but because of the unrelenting offensive pressure from the Americans.

By the 13:00 mark of the first period Team USA had a commanding 6-0 lead. After they had their fourth goal, Mikka Kiprusoff pulled himself in favor of Niklas Backstrom, who did not fair any better in the period, giving up two goals on 4 shots. Patrick Kane had himself a game with two goals. Former Devil Brian Rafalski also added to his Olympic leading points total with two helpers. As far as current New Jersey Devils, Parise finished with a goal and an assist and Captain Jamie Langenbrunner got an assist of his own on Paul Stastny’s goal.

So after the first period it was 6-0 Team USA and they never looked back. The rest of the game was just finishing it out for them and not embarrassing the Fins anymore. Tim Thomas made his Olympic debut in the third period to give Ryan Miller rest (as if he needed it), which is nice to see when anyone can get an opportunity to experience the Olympics. He did however spoil the shutout giving up a goal, but in his defense it was an impossible deflection off of a slap shot that I don’t think any goalkeeper could have stopped.

This game was in all honesty a surprise to me. I was not surprised at how the Americans had faired so far in the tournament up to this game. I was, however, expecting today to be a competitive match up as the Fins are usually always up to the challenge. I can’t help but feel bad for Teemu Salanne, who is the all-time Olympic leader is goals, because of how he is leaving his last Olympic experience. Perhaps bronze will make him feel better when they face-off tomorrow against Slovakia (whoops, or Canada – yea right).

Now, it all comes down to this. On Saturday the world will be watching as Team USA will face-off against the heavily favored host nation, Canadians. It will be Luongo, on his home ice in Vancouver going against Ryan Miller, the unsung hero gaolie for the Americans (the best USA has seen since Mike Richter). The veteran grit of Thornton, Iginla, Heatley, Niedermayer, and Pronger against the upstart American Stars like Kane, Parise, Kessel, Pavelski, and Brown. It should be one for the ages. The last time Canada won the gold was in Salt Lake City in 2002 against Team USA, but that US team was very different than this one. It should be an epic game. GO USA!

Team USA is just one win away from being in the Gold Medal game. First, however, they have a tough group of Finnish players in their way. The Fins are in the medal round for the second consecutive Olympics as they were in the Gold Medal game in 2006 against the eventual winners, Sweden. Now, lets think about this, with all the talent teams like Russia or the Czech’s have, how is it that Finland always seems to hang around? Well the answer is in the way they play the game.

They thrive on the smaller ice surface, much as the Americans do, but also play with tremendous patience as well as pride. This team is the most experienced of all the Olympic teams in the Men’s Tournament and it has shown. They play a solid defensive game giving up only 4 goals so far this tourney. Goalkeeper Mikka Kiprusoff, appearing in his first Olympics, has thrived so far, leading in save percentage at 94.67% (Ryan Miller is behind him at 94.44%). This Fin team is very discipline as well, they stick to what they do best and that is fundamentally sound hockey and when a team executes that, they are almost always staying out of the penalty box. The Fin’s are also a very close-knit team, with two brother combinations in the Ruutu’s and the Koivu’s. These guys have played with each other a lot over the years and know each other’s style very well; they mesh together. Finally, they will be playing with a lot of heart for their long time leader Teemu Selanne as this will be his last Olympics and what better way could it end than with gold around his neck?

A downfall for them has been their power play. In their last game against the Czech Republic they had four first period power plays and did not convert once and went 0-5 for the game itself. They also lack a true game changer, sure they have a lot of overall talent, but someone to take a game on to their shoulders is hard to find. I think Mikko Koivu may be their best guy to be able to do that, however, upstart Niklas Hagman has himself three goals so far this tournament, so who knows who could step up for them.

In any case, this will be a tough and physical game between Finland and the US. Team USA needs to establish their physical play throughout in order to make this game their own. Without that, they will be giving the Fins too much opportunity to move the puck around, which will eventually lead to clear shots.

So, before we look forward to a rematch in the Gold Medal game against Canada, we can’t sleep on this Finland team that is very capable of up starting this American run we have gone on. In any case…GO USA!

Team USA advance into the Olympic Semifinals today after a hard fought and near upset from the Swiss Team. New Jersey Devil Zach Parise shined the brightest out of the American stars, getting the two goals the US had in the 2-0 victory.

The go-ahead goal came in the third period to vault the US ahead of Switzerland and putting an end to the goose eggs on the board. The goal occurred when the Americans got a power play after a tripping call went against the Swiss. After a pile up in front of the net, Parise would eventually get one past Jonas Hiller. That one goal would be all Ryan Miller would need and Team USA marched on to the win. Parise would seal the deal with an empty netter at the end of the game.

This game was really all about Jonas Hiller keeping the Swiss in the game. He made 42 saves and wrapped up his outstanding Olympic campaign up with another great game. On the other side, he may not have seen a lot of shots, but Ryan Miller rose to the occasion once more, doing exactly what was asked of him today. Had he let in a goal at any point, this could have gone down as one of the worst losses in US Hockey history.

Team USA will play in the semi’s against either Finland on Friday at 3:00 EST. Finland knocked Team USA out of the 2006 Winter games in the quarterfinals, lets hope we will have some sweet revenge!  GO USA!

Also, the US Women’s team faces off against their arch rival’s, Canada in the women’s gold medal game at 6:30 EST.

Outside of the United States, in Devils world, Patrik Elias’ and Ilya Kovalchuk’s Olympic experiences both came to an end last night. Elias’ Czech team were outplayd by Finnish goalie Mikka Kiprusoff and Kovalchuk and his Russian teammates were dominated by Team Canada.

Day 1 of the Men’s Olympic Tournament has concluded, when all teams who were expected to win, did. The United States kicked the day off with a 3-1 win over a defensive minded Swiss team. The US team had some pretty looking plays from their younger guys, like David Backes, who went coast to coast for a goal. Devils Captain (and US Captain) Jamie Langenbrunner said after the game that the team has “room to grow” as one. Hopefully, that happens quickly because of how the tounrmament favorites in Canada and Russia looked.

Canada drubbed Scandanavia’s worst hockey team, Norway, 8-0. Interestingly enough, the game was 0-0 after the first period. That all quickly changed when Canada started to roll on the power play. Jerome Iginla had himself a hat-trick in the victory.

In the night-cap, the offensive heavy Russian team, lead by Alex Ovechkin, handeled Latvia easily in an 8-2 win. The Devils new superstar Ilya Kovalchuk had himself a pretty one time goal in the third (and an assist on a Malkin goal)  when the game was already out of Latvia’s reach. Ovechkin had two goals in the win.

Martin Brodeur will get his first start of the Olympic Games Thursday when the Canadians take on the Swiss at 7:30PM ET and the USA will play Norway at 3:00PM ET.

Men’s Hockey

0

Switzerland	1
(0-1-0-0, 0 pts)
United States	3
(1-0-0-0, 3 pts)

• Final

U.S. hockey team defeats Switzerland in opener

Box Score »  Conversation »

		1	2	3	T
Switzerland		0	0	1	1
United States		1	2	0	3

SUI:R Wick

USA:R Malone , D Backes , B Ryan

OLYMPIC MEN’S HOCKEY – PRELIMINARY ROUND

2

Latvia	2
(0-1-0-0, 0 pts)
Russia	8
(1-0-0-0, 3 pts)

• Final

Ovechkin nets two as Russia dismantles Latvia

Box Score »  Conversation »

		1	2	3	T
Latvia		0	0	2	2
Russia		3	1	4	8

LAT:H Vasiljevs , G Ankipans

RUS:E Malkin , D Zaripov (2), A Radulov , I Kovalchuk , A Ovechkin (2), A Morozov

OLYMPIC MEN’S HOCKEY – PRELIMINARY ROUND

1

Norway	0
(0-1-0-0, 0 pts)
Canada	8
(1-0-0-0, 3 pts)

• Final