Thursday Olympiad

Americans,

As it was on Common Man Monday, there are a ton of games to cover today on the Thursday Olympiad. Today would be equivalent to day 3 of the 5 day festival of Zeus Olympios in the time of ancient Greece. Since it is 2010 A.D., we have another week of games as opposed to the 5 total days in 776 B.C. I will try and keep it in chronological order once again:

Monday, February 22

12:00 PM, PST (3:00 PM, EST: Women’s hockey, Sweden v. United States

No contest here. The United States blows by Sweden 9-1 on the way to the gold medal game. The gold medal game will be played today at 3:30 PM, PST (6:30 PM, EST).

5:00 PM, PST (8:00 PM, EST): Women’s hockey, Finland v. Canada

Once again, no contest here. The Canadian women pounded Finland to the tune of 5-0 to advance to the gold medal game against the United States. Said game will be the only true test for either the United States or Canada. These two teams are the only teams worth watching in women’s hockey.

In consolation games, China upset Slovakia 3-1 and Switzerland beat Russia 2-1. The bronze medal game will be today at 11:00 AM, PST (2:00 PM, EST) between Finland and Sweden. It should be a good game between Big Sister and Little Sister.

Tuesday, February 23: “Fight For Your Right to Medal” Day

12:00 PM, PST (3:00 PM, EST): Belarus v. Switzerland

This game was for the right to square off against the United States in the quarterfinals. This, as with most of the Olympic hockey this year, was also a very entertaining game. You could see the desire and fire to move on in the eyes of both squads. Alexei Kalyuzhny opened up the scoring for the Belarussians (yes, that is what it is) :59 seconds into the game and Belarus seemed to control the first half of the first period until Julien Sprunger tickled the twine for the Swiss at 12:25. From then on, this was a gritty game. Minnesota Wild’s Hnat Domenichelli put one home for Switzerland and St. Louis Blues’ Konstantin Zakharov answered for the Belarussians in the second period. No goals were scored in the third, so we go to overtime. Still tied after overtime, these two teams were headed to the shoot out. Thomas Deruns opened the shoot out up with a goal for the Swiss, beating Alexei Mezin. Swiss goaltender, Anaheim Ducks’ Jonas Hiller stopped Belarus’ Oleg Antonenko. The Swiss put another one home off the stick of Romano Lemm. Belarus answered with a goal from Dmitry Meleshko when he beat Jonas Hiller. Both final shooters were shut down by the goaltenders, giving Switzerland the advantage 2-1, the overall victory 3-2 and a date with the United States in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 12:00 PM, PST (3:00 PM, EST).

4:30 PM, PST (7:30 PM, EST): Germany v. Canada

This game would decide the right to play Russia in the quarterfinals. I hate to say it again, but thanks for showing up, Germany. However, Germany did not disappoint me during this Olympics. They played very technically sound, but they were simply overpowered by the usual powerhouses. They have their own league in Germany (die Deutschland Eishockey Liga) so look for them to start making noise in Olympics to come. This game, however, Canada breezed through 8-2. Canada got goals from Calgary Flames’ Jarome Iginla (2), Philthadelphia Flyers’ Mike Richards, San Jose Sharks’ Joe Thornton, Anaheim Ducks’ Scott Niedermayer, Nashville Predators’ Shea Weber, Columbus Blue Jackets’ Rich “Nashty” Nash and your own Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby. Deutschland hat Toren von Nashville Predators’ Marcel Goc und Kassel Huskies‘ Manuel Klinge bekommen. Sid versus Geno will be Wednesday at 4:30 PM, PST (7:30 PM, EST).

7:00 PM, PST (10:00 PM, EST): Latvia v. Czech Republic

First off, Bill McCreary reared his ugly head to referee this game…not a good sign. This game would decide the right to play Finland in the quarterfinals. The Czech Republic came out on top 3-2, but it took overtime with the Latvians to decide it. The Czechs jumped out to a two goal lead in the first period with tallies from Tomas Rolinek and Washington Capitals’ Tomas Fleischmann. The Czechs seemed to have the game in hand until the third period when Latvia answered with two goals from Martins Cipulis and Mikelis Redlihs. The deal-breaker came at 5:10 in overtime from Boston Bruins’ David Krejci, pushing the Czechs into the quarters against Finland. That game is scheduled for Wednesday at 4:00 PM, PST (7:00 PM, EST).

9:00 PM, PST (12:00 AM, EST) Norway v. Slovakia

This game was for the right to play Sweden in the quarterfinals. Another entertaining game was at hand, mostly due to some sloppy play by Slovakia. Slovakia pulled through 4-3, however. Goals for Slovakia came from L.A. Kings’ Michal Handzus, New York Rangers’ Marian Gaborik, Richard Zednik and the game winner was from former Penguin Miroslav Satan. Norway got goals from Mats Zuccarello Aasen, Tore Vikingstad and Anders Bastiansen. Slovakia plays Sweden on Wednesday at 9:00 PM, PST (12:00 AM, EST).

Wednesday, February 24: Quarterfinals

12:00 PM, PST (3:30 PM, EST): Switzerland v. United States

This game was defined by one man: Jonas Hiller. The Anaheim Ducks’ goaltender played the game of his life for his home Switzerland and hats off to the man. If you did not watch the game, the United States won 2-0, but Jonas Hiller turned away a staggering 42/43 shots. At the other end of the ice, Buffalo Sabres’ Ryan Miller simply did his job by stopping all 19 shots the Swiss threw at him. The United States played stifling team defense, holding the Swiss to just four shots in each of the first two periods, while in the same time, peppering Jonas Hiller with 32 shots over two periods. Both teams played amazing on the penalty kill as well. Through four power plays (2 by each team), there were NO power play shots. The stars and bars managed to hit the post a couple of times, but the crazy events began at the end of the second period. At the end of the second period, USA’s Ryan Kesler took a shot in the waning seconds that rolled over the right shoulder of Jonas Hiller at the buzzer. After further review, the horn sounded without the puck fully across the goal line. The score remained 0-0 after two periods of play. Finally at 2:08 in the third period, the United States gets a goal on the power play off a tipped shot by New Jersey Devils’ Zach Parise. The shot from Detroit Red Wings’ Brian Rafalski was low and hard, but Parise lifted it into the chest of Hiller, but the puck seemed to grow legs and crawl in to the bottom corner, just out of Hiller’s reach. 1-0 United States. Later in the third, a crazy event took place. Switzerland seemed to answer on a bad-angle shot from Switzerland’s Sandy Jeannin that hit off the far post behind USA netminder Ryan Miller, the goal light went on, but the referee signaled ‘no goal’ and play continued. Doc Emerick, Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick all thought it was a goal…hell, all of us in the Gentlemen’s Loft thought it was a goal. Capitan then says what everyone is thinking, “Now what happens if we score?” Sure enough, as soon as those words roll off his tongue, Ryan Suter buried a wrist shot from the point. The Suter shot was called off for an interference call on Ryan Kesler and then play was stopped for review of the Swiss “goal.” After further review, the puck never crossed the goal line. No goals either way. Play would continue at 1-0 until Zach Parise added his second, an empty netter with 12 seconds to go. The USA moves on to play the winner of Finland and the Czech Republic tomorrow at 12:00 PM, PST (3:00 PM, EST).

4:30 PM, PST (7:30 PM, EST) Russia v. Canada

There was a lot of bad blood in this one. My personal highlight of this game was how Doc Emerick, Jeremy Roenick and Mike Milbury could not believe that Alexander Ovechkin was getting beat to pucks and beat into the defensive zone. Do none of them watch NHL games? Ovechkin only hustles into the offensive end. He does not back check and he does not over exert effort to get to loose pucks, except when he can catch an opponent with his head down. That being said, Russia showed its true colors, the same as that of a Pac-10 team: all offense, no defense. Canada wins this one in decisive fashion 7-3, out shooting Russia 42-28. Ovechkin was kept off the score sheet, but some Penguins did make it. The highlight of this game was the lack of class by mostly Washington Capitals’ players in the third period. Alexander Semin delivered a dirty hit on San Jose Sharks’ Dan Boyle, but Boyle retaliated with a slew foot, so neither showed class. Goals for Canada came from Anaheim Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf, San Jose Sharks’ Dan Boyle, Columbus Blue Jackets’ Rick Nash, Dallas Stars’ Brenden Morrow, Anaheim Ducks’ Corey Perry (2) and Nashville Predators’ Shea Weber. Russia got contributions from Phoenix Coyotes’ Dmitri Kalinin, Atlanta Thrashers’ Maxim Afinogenov and your Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sergei Gonchar, with an assist from Geno Malkin. Canada moves on to the semifinals to play the winner of Sweden and Slovakia tomorrow at 6:30 PM, PST (9:30 PM, EST).

7:00 PM, PST (10:00 PM, EST) Finland v. Czech Republic

This was another of the great defensive battles that this year’s Olympics. Not too much to talk about other than the great goaltending performances by the Czech Republic’s Tomas Vokoun and Finland’s Miikka Kiprusoff. Vokoun turned away 29/30 and Kiprusoff turned away 31/31. The Finns came out on top 2-0. The only goals in this game were scored by Finland late in the third period off the stick of Calgary Flames’ Niklas Hagman at 13:34. Detroit Red Wings’ Valtteri Filppula added an empty netter with 1:35 to go in the game. Finland moves on to the semifinals to face the United States tomorrow at 12:00 PM, PST (3:00 PM, EST).

9:00 PM, PST (12:00 AM, EST): Slovakia v. Sweden

Upset alert. This year will be the third Olympics in a row that the defending gold medal team loses in the quarterfinals. That’s right; Slovakia pulls the small upset by beating defending champ Sweden 4-3. A slow start would be the demise of Sweden, who to this point had only given up two goals throughout the tournament. Scoring did not open up until the second period when Slovakia put two past New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist off the sticks of fellow Ranger Marian Gaborik and Buffalo Sabres’ Andrej Sekera. Sweden did answer back in the second with goals from Nashville Predators’ Patric Hornqvist and Detroit Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg to tie the game at 2-2. However, with under a minute to go in the second period, hometown Vancouver Canucks’ Pavol Demitra gave the Slovaks a 3-2 lead with a power play goal. About half way through the third period, Chicago Blackhawks’ Tomas Kopecky added another tally for Slovakia. A mere 38 seconds later, Ottawa Senators’ Daniel Alfredsson answered for Sweden, making the game 4-3 and seeming to take away the momentum from the Slovaks. But to no avail. Both goaltenders held strong for the rest of the third. A fairly low-shooting game in a sense, but Henrik Lundqvist turned away 10/14 and Monteal Canadiens’ Jaroslav Halak turned away 26/29 for Slovakia. The Slovaks move on to play Canada tomorrow at 6:30 PM, PST (9:30 PM, EST).

U-S-A,

B Brog