VS
SNET 1:00 PM MT
[quote]For Norway, all eyes will be on goalie Pal Grotnes, who was brilliant for two periods of the Canada game before leaving with an injury, believed to be leg cramps. If Grotnes is able to go, as he believes he will be, the Norwegians have a puncher's chance. If not, it could be a long afternoon for the Europeans.
For the United States, it will be interesting to see where their chemistry experiment stands. Team USA has only been together for three days and is still trying to find its way when it comes to line combinations and the like. Will a full day of practice set the team right? We should find out early in this game.
VS
TSN 9:55 PM MT
Quote:
Russia merely broke a sweat against Latvia in its Group B opener Tuesday. Slovakia on Wednesday night broke out in the traditional cold sweat that is standard whenever it faces its arch-rival, the Czech Republic.
Actually, the Slovaks probably were fully lathered long before ever beginning Olympic play, what with the scheduler and the injury gods conspiring against them. The only one of the traditional power countries to have to play three games in four nights in group play, Slovakia also drew into the most difficult of the three groups by virtue of their low IIHF seeding, owing to poor results over the last four years.
Under normal circumstances, Slovakia could be expected to give Russia all it could handle. But playing a second straight night against a formidable opponent, Slovakia will be accomplishing a great deal if it merely keeps this a game going into the third period.
Russia's speed and skill should be on display from the drop of the puck. A tired Slovak team will be scrambling to keep up with Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk and Alexander Semin -- particularly because those NHL stars ought to be significantly sharper in their second Olympic game than their first.
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Olympic Hockey OOT: Feburary 18th
