Olympic Update - T-minus 1 hour

I'm doing another Olympic hockey recap for my college radio station, so I'm recycling the outline again. I'd feel worse about this, but there's actually some thought put into the recap (unlike the normal rambling posts) so I hope my loyal readers will let me slide. And, hey, if you want to listen, the link's up on Twitter.

Canada - USA

• Team USA won this game 5-3
• Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur - normally a stalwart in goal - had an absolute meltdown, making blunders that led directly to 3 USA goals
• USA also scored the first goal :41 seconds into the game, which did a lot for taking the rabid Canadian fans out of the game early

This game left USA, Russia, Sweden, and Finland as the teams with the bye to the quarterfinals, although in the next round there were no upsets. This set up the expected gold-medal matchup of Russia-Canada in the quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals
- Russia - Canada

• Unexpected blowout, Canada beating Russia by the score of 7-3 - might I remind you that Russia was supposed to be the favorite in this tournament.
• Alex Ovechkin was a non-factor in the game, although almost all of Team Russia barely showed up to this game.
• Mike Milbury, the outspoken NBC anchor, even went as far to say that Russia brought their "Eurotrash" game - when you can make Jeremy Roenick speechless, I do believe you've crossed a line.

- USA - Swiss

• USA won 2-0 over the Swiss in a well-played game

Semifinals

- USA - Finland

• Complete blowout
• Miikka Kiprusoff was horrible - 2:04 into the first period he makes a very poor play on the puck that turns it over straight to Ryan Malone who hit it into an empty net. Needless to say, the Finns never recovered.
• Kiprusoff was pulled after the fourth goal only ten minutes into the first period, but that was too little too late - the final tally 6-0 after end of the first
• Final score was 6-1 after Finland scored one late in the third period. With this game, the USA advance to the GOLD MEDAL ROUND

- Canada- Slovakia

• The Canadians controlled most of this game, the score being 3-0 at the end of the second, outshooting the Slovaks 21-9.
• Slovakia made it interesting with two late goals in the third period and a good last minute rush at the net - Pavol Demitra had a chance to tie up the game in the waning seconds but missed the net. Canada escapes with a 3-2 win to propel them into the Gold Medal Game

Bronze Medal
Finland-Slovakia

• Finland wins the bronze medal after a 5-3 match.
• Slovakia's special teams kept them in this game, as they did for most of the tournament. Slovakia's first two goals were scored on the powerplay, and their third was a shorthanded goal.
• Unfortunately for the Slovaks, the Finns came back and scored four goals in the third period, wrapping up their bronze medal run

So that leaves today's game, the game of games, the USA-Canada contest for the gold. Can the Americans pull off another upset? Or will Canada manage to pull through and win it all on home ice? I expect a tight game - can you imagine this game being otherwise?

Either way, though, the Americans come home with a medal which is more than many (including myself) expected and that in itself is a victory. But gold would certainly look nicer...