Only on the mens side. Until the Bronze in the last Olympics hardly anybody here know that girls even could play hockey.
Though today, the Russian men defeated Latvia 9-2 and have thus clinched a spot in the Quarterfinals. The U.S. men play Sweden later today. -G
The U.S.A., along with Canada in yesterdays match lacked heart. There is no way a team Switzerland or a team like Latvia can tie or beat those teams unless they are simply working hard and giving it their all.
Alfredsson glides through the area in front of the crease practically at will and buries it over a sprawling DiPietro. US has had a chance or two but I can't say i'm optimistic.
Everyone on the ice made a play on that one! Unreal backhand pass by Conroy to set up Modano's goal. We don't need no power play! It's still going to be a tough game though.
Hate to nit-pick, but technically the Miracle on Ice in 1980 wasn't a semi-final, it was part of the medal round (round robin). We played the USSR then Finland, but it wasn't knockout style...
Great, we'll lose another 2-1 game to Russia, back into the second round on goal differential and get demolished by Canada. I can't ********ing wait unbelievable
Have faith my friends>This is needed so I can be competitive and really I like it win the whole tourney is so tight. Canada needed that loss and the U.S too. It will always be a goaltender who saves games and ends up being the key to a tourney.
i hope nobody is dumb enough to compare defeating the ussr national team of 1980 to defeating the f-ing usa women's team of 2006, all gender issues aside. women's hockey is garbage. the ussr team of 1980 would have won the stanley cup.
Looks like it'll be US-FIN in the quarters. But I still think the US needs to win tomorrow for its collective psyche. They played okay today, Sweden was better. I never saw this team as a medalist, but the lack of goal scoring has been a disappointment. 2010 or 2014 (if the NHLers play) are better bets, with all the U-18 talent pools accumulate and many of the players are ready.
This is how I rate the teams so far on quality of play: 1. Finland 2. Slovakia 3. Russia 4. Sweden 5. Canada 6. Switzerland 7. Czech Republic 8. USA Despite the losses, I predict that Canada and the USA will advance to the semis. Who will win it? Anyone on that list; its that close! Overall, I have never enjoyed watching hockey as much as I have the past week. I hope that the NHL and IIHF continue to collaborate on future Olympics and World Cups. I hope that the NHL, someday too, expands their rink widths to international standards. It makes for a much better game than the tight confines of NHL rinks (although the new rules have improved the product).
what is the word on the sports network or cbc about the men's team? is this worse, more of a national disaster than labor day night 1972?
Canada seems tired and really the bigger ice surface could be a factor. Either then that I think every team are competitive and really this is turning out to be a fine tourney. I think Finland will win the whole thing they just seem hungry then any other team.
people go on about the usa basketball team at the olympics. how they don't train hard enough or long enough. well they at least trained for a few weeks. these hockey with nhl players train for a day or two and then they start playing. but that is still no excuse to get shut out twice in a row. shut oput by suisse? are you kidding me? suisse would probably go 10-72 in the nhl over a whole 82 game season.
It's actually not that bad, i think the slow start in Salt Lake and the eventual result has tempered things somewhat... They're playing the same way that got them in trouble last time. The forwards and defence are leaving too many gaps between them on this big ice. So the passes get intercepted, the forwards get caught etc. and guys not moving their feet get exposed. But, we're not too worried. They'll get back to the close puck support hockey that we're used to and they'll pick up the work ethic as the medal round approaches...atleast that's what we hope
Canadian women win GOLD with a 4-1 win over Sweden http://www.tsn.ca/olympics/news_story/?ID=155585&hubname=olympics TURIN, Italy (CP) - The Canadian women's hockey team completed a dominating performance at the Winter Olympics by defending its gold medal with a 4-1 win over Sweden on Monday. The game was anticlimactic as the anticipated Canada-U.S. final did not materialize, due to Sweden's upset of the Americans in the semifinal. But the Canadian players stormed off the bench, throwing their sticks and gloves in the air en route to a group hug of goaltender Charline Labonte. "It never gets tiring, that's for sure," Canadian forward Vicky Sunohara told CBC. They then took a few laps of the ice waving Canadian flags and saluted the crowd with one that combined both the Canadian and Italian flags. "I'm just going to enjoy this right now," said captain Cassie Campbell. "This is beautiful, and it's just a great team effort and brings home another gold for our country." Once they had their medals, the Canadians shook hands with the rival Americans, who won bronze earlier in the day by beating Finland 4-0, before getting together for the traditional team photo. Veteran forward Danielle Goyette, playing in her last Olympics, said she didn't want the moment to end. "If I had a choice, I would have stayed there all night," said the 39-year-old. "But they had to push me off the ice." Canada had never lost to the Swedes in 46 previous meetings and kept that unbeaten record intact with a solid effort from the goaltender out. Gillian Apps, Caroline Ouellette, Cherie Piper and Jayna Hefford scored for Canada and Hayley Wickenheiser and Jennifer Botterill each had two assists. Gunilla Andersson replied for the Swedes in the third period. The Canadian women came to the Olympics better prepared than any other country because they spent more time practising together and they played more competitive games. They were deeper in individual talent, particularly up front and in goal, and had the most cohesive team game, which was the reason for their 46-2 margin in goals against the opposition here. Canada did not give up a goal even-strength in the tournament. The Swedes needed to force Canada to make fatal mistakes in its own end, score on the power play and get over-the-top goaltending from Kim Martin to pull off an upset. Of the three, they did score on the power play, but were down 4-0 at that point. Martin stopped 22 of 26 shots, but gave up a questionable goal early. The lone window for the Swedes to mount a comeback was in the third period when they scored five minutes in and had another power-play opportunity midway through, but they were shut down by Canada's penalty killers. The line of Apps, Piper and Wickenheiser was lethal in the final and throughout the tournament. Piper and Apps led the team in goals with seven apiece and Wickenheiser had the most points in the tournament with five goals and 12 assists in five games. She was named the MVP and top forward at the tournament. Wickenheiser, Apps and defenceman Carla MacLeod were all named to the tournament all-star team. Labonte earned the win by stopping eight shots. It was the 23-year-old's first start in the final of an Olympics or world championship. The Swedes threw pressure on Canada in their own zone early by sending three checkers in with another hovering at the blue-line, but Canada methodically worked the puck out of the zone with heads-up passing and carried the play with superior puck possession. Canada led 2-0 and 4-0 at period breaks, but the players stayed intense on the bench with their eyes glued to the play in front of head coach Melody Davidson, whose brow didn't unfurrow until the buzzer sounded to end the game. Andersson's shot from the blue-line through traffic beat Labonte over her shoulder at 5:24 of the third period. Maria Rooth, the co-hero of the upset over the U.S. with Martin, had a good chance in the second and third periods, but was shut down by an alert Labonte. Botterill reversed behind the net and fed Hefford in the slot midway through the second period. During the wave by the pro-Canadian crowd of 6,664 at the Palasport Olympico, Wickenheiser swooped behind the net to feed Piper cruising into the slot at 8:58 of the second. Martin made some impressive stops in the second period, but the damage was done by giving up questionable goals in the first. Canada's goal was to break her confidence early and Apps did that at 3:15 of the first period. The granddaughter of Hockey Hall of Famer Syl Apps wheeled out from the boards to the top of the face-off circle and slid an off-speed shot under Martin's stick. Ouellette gave Canada a 2-0 lead after the first period, in which the Swedes were outshot 11-2. Ouellette cruised down the right lane and deflected Hefford's pass from the sideboards on Martin's glove side at 12:13. Notes: Dick Pound, the Montreal lawyer who heads up the World Anti-Doping Agency, presented Canada with their gold medals. ... Canadian gold and silver medallists in skeleton, Duff Gibson and Jeff Pain, were at the game as were Canadian men's hockey team assistant coach Jacques Martin, men's taxi squad players Jason Spezza and Dan Boyle and alternate goalie Marty Turco. ... Canada is 46-0-1 all-time against Sweden . ... The U.S. defeated Finland 4-0 for bronze, Germany downed Russia 1-0 in a shootout for fifth and Switzerland beat Italy 11-0 for seventh place.
I honestly think Canada will still win Gold. The problem is, this team had the chance to go down as one of the best ever assembled. You can say they've played poorly, or you can say that the wrong players were picked. Either way, with 2 losses (and, I really think, a 3rd tomorrow before they really wake up), they've blown the opportunity to go down in history--even if (or when) they win the gold medal.
You'd probably get alot of old timers argue that either the '76 or '87 Canada Cup teams would have been the greatest of all time...the '76 team was loaded with future hall of famers and the '87 team had Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier and Coffey to name a few