Women Win Gold! Men Take a Game at a Time!

Head coach Mike Babcock warned the Canadian players prior to the Olympic hockey tournament that it wasn't going to be easy.

And Babcock, who knows a thing or two about elite hockey having coached the Detroit Red Wings to a Stanley Cup title in 2008, said the level of play at these Winter Games has been like nothing he has seen before.

"This isn't the National Hockey League," he said on Thursday. "I coached in the Stanley Cup finals quite a few times now.

"The pace there is very high but it is not like this. And so there is no way my players can play the same amount of minutes they do in the NHL. It is impossible."

Mighty Canada is hoping there are no more surprises in store at the Olympic tournament as they face upstart Slovakia in the semi-finals on Friday.

The heavily-favoured Canadians square off in the round of four after blowing out top-seeded Russia in the quarter-finals to record their first Olympic hockey win over The Big Red Machine in 50 years.

"We have to use our speed and our size and get a good start," Canada's superstar forward Sidney Crosby said after practice on Thursday.

"Everyone's playing as hard as they can and leaving it all out there."

The semi-finals follow a drama-filled quarter-final round where Slovakia upset reigning gold medallist Sweden 4-3 and Canada routed the Russians 7-3.

Babcock has stopped tinkering with his lines and thinks he has four combinations that can be successful.

"We need everybody," he said. "We try to use our bench as much as we can. We think that's a weapon for us."

The Slovaks have a shot at a medal for the first time in the Olympics. Their best previous finish was fifth four years ago in Turin.

They are the lowest seeded team in the semis and have become the sentimental favourites after their forward Lubos Bartecko was knocked out of the tournament.

Bartecko suffered a severe concussion from an illegal hit against Norway and is recovering in the athlete's village.

"As a team they play so well," Crosby said of the Slovaks. "They've got guys that don't need a lot of space, a lot of time to make plays. So we're aware of that."

Canada's offence sputtered through the preliminary round but they kicked it into high gear with four first-period goals against Russia. They never let up, handing the Russians their worst defeat in 16 years since losing 5-0 to Finland.

If Canada beats the Slovaks, as expected, they could face either their second biggest rival, USA or the pesky Finnish national team who don't have as much depth as others but always seem to overachieve at marquee tournaments.

Canadian fans can take solace from the fact that Canada also struggled in the preliminary round of the 2002 Salt Lake Games and went on to win gold.

Canada and Slovakia have met just once in Olympic hockey when the Slovaks won 3-1 in an opening round match at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. NHL players weren't allowed to compete until four years later in Nagano.

Forward Eric Staal said Canada needs to put pressure on the Slovak defence and create turnovers if they are to reach Sunday's final.

"We need to focus on our game and be initiating. We want to be on the attack and be worried about our game rather than worried about theirs," Staal said.

"If we are on the forecheck and attack we are going to get our opportunities to score and limit them."

 

SOURCE: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/

 

Lone Canuck Picks Russia

Just about every red-blooded Canadian believes Team Canada can take down Russia in sudden-death Wednesday.

But there’s one Canuck who’s picking Alexander Ovechkin and his buddies.

German defenceman Christian Ehrhoff, who plays for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, is picking the Russians to beat Canada Wednesday in the Olympic quarterfinal.

Minutes after Canada blasted the Germans 8-2 to punch their ticket to that game, Ehrhoff didn’t hesitate when asked who would win.

“Russia,” he said. “They bring skill, but they also play very hard and physical. They have a great goalie and I think they have the complete package to pull it off here.”

Ehrhoff agreed Canada isn’t yet at the level of team play the Russians and Americans have shown so far.

“I was a little surprised. But it can happen in a tournament,” he said. “You’ve got to get together quick as a team and so far the Russians have done that.”

Canada and Russia will renew their storied rivalry with Canada looking for their first win over the Russians in Olympic play since hockey gold at the Games was spelled CCCP.

Canada hasn’t beaten the Russians at the Olympics since 1960 — 50 years to the month — in a medal-round game on Canada’s way to winning silver.

“That’s a big rivalry, we all know it,” said Canada’s Sidney Crosby, who looked to finally find some chemistry with Eric Staal — his fifth winger of the tournament — and Jarome Iginla. “It’s something that everyone was talking about before the Olympics and whether they thought it would happen in the quarterfinals or whenever.

“The fact is we’ve got a big quarterfinal game and the fact that it’s them just adds more to it. I expect it to be a pretty incredible atmosphere.”

The reality Wednesday is either Crosby or Ovechkin — the two leading faces of the NHL — is going home far short of a gold medal.

The Canadians dominated the Germans, but the question remains: is their game good enough to beat the Russians?

Ehrhoff obviously doesn’t think so. But don’t tell that to the GM Place crowd that chanted “We want Russia” after Rick Nash, with the first goal of his 10-game Olympic career, made it 8-1.

Be careful what you wish for, perhaps?

There were some encouraging signs for Canada in the game. Staal, with three assists, seemed to find some chemistry with Iginla and Crosby.

The fourth line of Brenden Morrow, Mike Richards and Jonathan Toews seemed to find its legs and scored a goal. Young defenceman Drew Doughty just continues to get better with each game.

Defenceman Shea Weber was a force with a goal that literally ripped through the net, making it 2-0.

“They’re a great team,” Weber said of the Russians, “but so are we.”

Roberto Luongo will be back in goal for Canada.

“Everybody says he hasn’t won this, hasn’t won that. His bank account shows he’s a pretty good goalie,” said Team Canada coach Mike Babcock, who replaced Martin Brodeur with Luongo for Tuesday’s game. “Every time we play him, he’s this big wall.”

Canada looked better against the Germans.

But a big question looms: was this a genuine uptick in the quality of the Canadians’ game or just a function of the quality of the opponent?

 

SOURCE: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2010Vancouver/

 

Me Love You Luongo Time!

It is his dressing room, his rink and now, his net.

Roberto Luongo will get the start for Canada Tuesday in their sudden-death elimination game against Germany and from here on, signalling what might well be the passing of the Olympic goaltending torch.

Canadian coach Mike Babock made the decision go with Luongo over 37-year-old Martin Brodeur, who had an uneven performance in a 5-3 loss to the USA Sunday in what is likely his last Olympic Games.

“We’re in the winning business,” said Babcock. “To win at any level, you need big saves, momentum-changing saves. We’re looking for Lou to do that for us.”

Babcock said the Team Canada brain trust had come into the tournament open to the idea of making a goaltending switch. You know it’s a decision they wished they hadn’t had to make, but there is no room now for loyalty, for second chances, no time.

“We felt we needed a change and now we’re making it,” he said.

So now Luongo gets to play in his home rink in front of the fans that cheer for him as a Vancouver Canuck and will cheer even more loudly as a member of Team Canada.

“My excitement level is really high right now,” said Luongo. “Possibly the highest it’s ever been.

“I’ve got a lot of experience at the international level. I know what to expect. I know it won’t be easy. The Germans are a good team and they could surprise us. I’m going to put my best game on the ice and, as a team, we’re going to execute.”

The Canadians looked at the goaltending performance of USA’s Ryan Miller Sunday, his butterfly covering much of the net and stopping shots through traffic. Luongo is a big body with a similar style and, like Babcock said, “things hit you.”

Babcock said he didn’t think Brodeur “was shocked,” upon hearing of the change.

“He’s a pro, he’s been through it. He’s won championships. He understands it’s about the team and not the individual and that’s the case now,” said the coach.

Babcock shuffled wingers with centre Sidney Crosby again, putting Eric Staal on the left and Jarome Iginla on the right.

Team Canada executive director Steve Yzerman said his team is not feeling overwhelmed or shocked to be in this position.

“You just can’t go out expecting to go undefeated and win the gold medal in every tournament,” he said. “The country has to understand you’re going to face adversity. We’re not sitting here in total shock saying, ‘how could we be in this situation?’

“The only thing that’s happened is the puck hasn’t gone in the net the last two games. These are good people who want to do well and they want to make Canada proud. They’re trying hard.”

 

SOURCE: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2010Vancouver/

 

Dancing on Solid Gold

There are figure-skating lifers who never thought they’d see the day.

An ice dance gold medal for Canada — heck, anywhere from North America, for that matter — at the Olympics.

But when they dance on ice, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir transcend border wars and old-time judging blocs.

Together on skates, they are brash, bold, beautiful — and now, golden.

Monday night, they blew the roof off medal-starved Pacific Coliseum with a season-high 110.42 points and 221.57 overall. Until this point, the rink had produced one Canadian silver in women’s short track.

And they did it in a way that has been, so far, so un-Canadian.

They grabbed the lead early with their original dance. Then, they never let go, answering American training mates Meryl Davis and Charlie White’s 107.19-point and 215.74 total challenge — and raising the bar even higher.

There was no disastrous fall or crash. No fifth-place finish like so many other Canadian athletes at these Vancouver Games.

They simply turned loose their signature Goose lift, this time Golden, and skated their free dance to Mahler’s Fifth Symphony like the music was written for them (instead of arranged that way by musician Ryner Stoetzer).

They fended off training mates and best buddies in Canton, Mich. — Americans Davis and White — and knocked off controversial Russian world champions Oksana Domnina and Max Shabalin, who fell too far behind the Canadians despite toning down their aboriginal original dance costumes, which had caused such a flap.

The Russians, the Soviets before them, French and Italians — other than Torvill and Dean’s days in the sun — had owned this discipline with an iron fist.

Not anymore.

Now, it belongs to Moir, a small-town boy from a figure skating family in Ilderton, Ont., and Virtue, the big-city girl from London, Ont., another athlete from a strong sports-minded clan. Moir’s mom Alma thought they’d make a good match.

He was nine. She was seven.

They were too shy to speak to each other at first. Boisterous Moir has clearly recovered.

At first, they were the cute kids, the crowd favourites, so small that Virtue could lift Moir during performances.

There were the sleepy-eyed, often snowy, early-morning commutes to Waterloo to train with Paul MacIntosh.

When the travel became too inconvenient, they left their families and switched high schools to be closer to the rink.

And from there, they landed in Canton to train under Russians Marina Zoueva, former coach of two-time Olympic pairs Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, and Igor Shpilband, who learned ice dance from the late Liudmila Pakhomova, the discipline’s first Olympic champ in 1976 with partner Alex Gorshkov.

It’s a victory for finding a best friend, the perfect business partner, early on in life.

“You see a lot of partner-switching in Canadian and U.S. pairs and ice dance,” Skate Canada team leader Mike Slipchuk said, “but there’s something to be said for two great skaters who are with each other from a very young age and they stick together and find a way to make it work.

“They learn each other’s nuances. They develop chemistry over time. Sometimes, it can happen quickly but not all the time. You look at the top couples in the world right now and most of them have been together at least 10 years.”

It was a victory for Skate Canada, which kept its streak of eight straight Games with a medal alive.

A victory for the new scoring system, which is allowing younger teams to break through.

These are not a normal Olympics for figure skating.

An ancient Chinese pair — Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao — came out of retirement to win their nation’s first figure skating gold.

An American man without a quad jump beat the Russian defending Olympic champ who has — and landed — his four-revolution specials.

And now this.

They performed their original dance — the Spanish Flamenco — about as perfectly as two people can.

“We’ve seen where the bar has been placed for that now,” Slipchuk said.

It is the gold standard.

Made in Canada.

 

SOURCE: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2010Vancouver/

 

Can't A Da?

The path to the gold-medal game for Canada's men's Olympic hockey team is suddenly littered with obstacles.

Next up: Germany on Tuesday in a qualification-round game, a victory needed just to qualify for the quarter-finals.

After that: A probable match-up with formidable Russia, the team that eliminated them from medal contention in the quarter-finals of the 2006 Olympics in Turin and appears to be getting better every game.

Canada lost its first game of the men's tournament Sunday, but it came at a critical time. The Vancouver Canucks' Ryan Kesler, normally a home-town hero in these parts, sealed a 5-3 victory for the United States by scoring an empty-net goal with 45 seconds remaining. Kesler's goal put an end to a furious last-gasp push by the Canadian team for the tying goal - and put a punctuation mark on an entertaining, but ultimately frustrating loss in a wild, giddy and tense arena, Canada Hockey Place.

In the glass-half-full version of events, Canada did many things well. They swarmed the net around U.S. goaltender Ryan Miller, who held a decisive edge over his Canadian counterpart, Martin Brodeur. They held their own in the speed department against an American team that had been trumpeting its edge there.

Physically, they punished the U.S. team, with Rick Nash leading the way in dishing out major open-ice hits.

The only problem was that their work in the face-off circle wasn't good - the Americans were better by a two-to-one margin in the first two periods; and the goals - so hard to come by four years ago in Turin - seem to be a struggle again.

That 19-6 edge in first-period shots for Canada was indicative of the play, but as all the players know, engineering a scoring chance is one thing, finishing them off is something else again.

Against the Americans, Canada managed three goals - by Eric Staal, on a tip-in; by Dany Heatley, on a jam from the side of the net; and then a final tally by Sidney Crosby with just 3:09 to go to draw the Canadians within a goal and provide them with a little hope.

On their next shift, Crosby's line absolutely hemmed the Americans in the zone and did everything but punch in the tying goal. But in the same way Jonas Hiller had a magical outing for the Swiss a couple of nights ago, it was Miller's time yesterday.

He stopped 42 out of 45 shots that he faced, and held the team in there at different moments when the ice seemed tilted Canada's way.

Even the U.S. coach Ron Wilson acknowledged afterwards how well his goaltender played - and much of a difference he made to the outcome.

"In fairness, Canada out-chanced us two-to-one for most of the game and our goalie played excellent," said Wilson. "We've still got a long ways to go here. There are some great teams out there. Personally, I think Canada is the best team - and Russia is right behind them with all the skill they have up front."

If that's correct and if Canada can avoid a stumble against the Germans, they may get a chance to test out Wilson's hypothesis.

Miller was gracious in the aftermath of his exceptional performance. Asked about winning the goaltending battle, he answered: "I'm just trying to build my resume. Marty's the best."

But Marty might be on the bench for Tuesday's game. Mike Babcock, the Canadian coach, said he wouldn't make a decision on his starter in goal until he reviewed the tape of yesterday's loss.

"We've chosen a longer route to where we want to go," said Babcock. "I thought we played real well at times. I thought Miller was excellent for them. In the end, we didn't have enough to get it done."

Brian Rafalski, who plays for Babcock in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, was the dominant offensive player in the game. In addition to scoring twice, Rafalski set up the eventual game winner, a deflection by former New Jersey Devils' teammate Jamie Langenbrunner that skipped past Brodeur.

It was the first power-play goal surrendered by Canada in the tournament and it came at the end of a seven-minute sequence in which Eric Staal, Crosby and Cory Perry took consecutive penalties. Eventually, the slip in their discipline cost them.

Crosby had a curious night of it. He finished the game minus-3, but had some great moments along the way.

"It is probably not what we wanted coming in," said Crosby, of having to play an extra game in the qualifying round, "but that's where we are. When you get to this point in the tournament, it's not going to be easy. The fact that we have to play an extra game isn't a terrible thing. We'll be ready for it."

With the victory, the U.S. clinched top spot in Group A with a 3-0-0 record and pending the outcome of the Sweden-Finland game, will either be seeded No. 1 or 2 for the playoff round.

"Emotionally, we need to make sure we don't get too high," said Miller. "We want to keep battling, keep playing, and there's going to be some tough teams ahead. We might even have these guys again."

A rematch between Canada and the U.S. would not happen until the semi-finals at the earliest. It was a litany repeated in every corner of the mixed zone and by both coaches over and over. From here on in, every game is an elimination game; the margin of error has disappeared.

"Just like every team in the tournament, we're playing for survival," said Babcock. "We understand what we're up against."

 

SOURCE: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/

 

How to be a Douchebag

After all the feedback I got from my recent instruction manual on how to troll, (read: none) I've decided to add a second chapter. I imagine from the title you're expecting a hilarious send-up where I create the ultimate douchebag using parts from existing douchebags we all know and love. For example, maybe the hairstyle of 'the situation' with Perez Hilton's sense of humour and the attitude of Liam Gallagher - and a touch of Bono's sense of self righteousness thrown in for good measure. Actually, that sounds like a WAY better post then what I actually have planned -- but I'll leave that to the experts. You see, mine will differ in that I doubt it will be very funny and I plan to suggest that it call all be summed up in one person. In short? Be this guy:

This my friends is Dale Begg-Smith, the Australian freestyle skier. In fact, this picture was taken shortly after he won a silver medal - doesn't he look happy? So - do you want to be a douchebag? Just follow these handy steps as Dale here as done and you too can be soon on your way ...

TURN YOUR BACK ON FRIENDS: This is key. A true douchebag has no friends, or at least no longer has a need for them once he has gotten what he has needed from them. For example, Begg-Smith was skiing for his native Canada as a teenager when his coaches told him he was spending too much time on his fledgling business, and not enough time in training. He subsequently quit the Canadian ski program because it clashed with his business interests and moved to Australia at age 16. He then chose to ski for Australia. Born and trained in Canada, currently competing in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics for Australia. That's fine - he is an Australian citizen and lives in ... let me just look here ... Vancouver?!! OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! the guy still lives in Vancouver?! BC?! CANADA?! Now I'm not going to call him a traitor - but you are certainly welcome to if you wish.

BE ARROGANT: No one should be surprised, really. The guy does what he wants, when he wants and offers no apologies. This jerk displayed zero emotion upon winning gold four years ago in Turin, Italy, on behalf of his adopted country. Down Under, they call him the Ice Man. "He's very clinical," said a teammate recently. "You know he doesn't really have emotions like normal people. He's cold-blooded." He is considered a recluse by many, and has repeatedly refused to communicate with non-Australian media, Canadian media in particular. After his 2006 gold medal win, Begg-Smith became irritated when questions were asked about his business. According to Canadian press reports he said: "I don't know why we're talking about the company. I just won Olympic gold." You sure did jackass - now what about this business again? Let's have a look shall we ...

BE RICH: Yep - he's rich alright. Like Lamborghini and kiss-my-ass rich. Sadly this is the hardest part of becoming a douchebag but also the most important. Poor douchebags just cannot accumulate enough hatred from others. You need to make them resent you because you've succeeded where others have failed, despite them being better then you in every conceivable way. Of course, it's even better if you can make your fortune in a way that can truly inspire hatred in others. Let's just have a look at how he got his money. Oh, I see. He is founder and president of AdsCPM Network, a firm notorious for using "driveby downloads," security exploits, and other cheap tricks to install spyware (including keyloggers and browser hijackers) on unsuspecting Internet users' computers. Please, go on. The companies that he is involved with are some of the most annoying aspects of the web: pop-up ads and spyware. Holy shit do I wish I was making this up. So how much did he make? Begg-Smith won't talk about his businesses, apart from explaining his wealth to an inquiring reporter a few years ago by saying, "Well, I drive a $300,000 car." He doesn't like to talk about it you say?

BE A SORE LOSER: The picture above says it all. While both the Canadian and US skiers celebrated their medals like any normal person would, Douchey McDouchebag here looked like someone just urinated down the back of his speedsuit. Sulking like a 16-year-old whose daddy bought her the wrong colour of SUV. Actually, the picture does not quite say it all - you may be surprised to learn that some Australian officials believe their skier should have won and challenged the event's scoring.

In closing, I believe that Begg-Smith is the anti-Olympian: rich, disconnected and nakedly self-interested. After all, it takes a certain kind of soul to market spamware - and be a total jerk in every other aspect of you like. At least as far as I can tell. Wow - I feel better just getting all of that off my chest - and I hope you aspiring douchebags have learned something as well.

In true Canadian style - I should state for the record that I actually do not know this guy. This list of his accomplishments have been gleaned from existing sources on the internet and is fairness I did stumble across a couple of people that stated he was actually a nice guy in real life along the way. Still - this could have been a home-coming of sorts for him and he threw it away for a spyware and pop-up ad company. In closing, I'm delighted that you a lost and the fact it was to a Canadian makes it all the sweeter. Alright - back to the Olympics - CHEERS!

Oh, and GO CANADA!

SOURCE: Canucklehead.ca

Disappointed with Win?

For all those years growing up in Cole Harbour, N.S., Sidney Crosby dreamed of a moment just like this one - scoring a goal, in the shootout, to win a game for Canada at the Olympics.

But in the dream, said Crosby, "I score on the first shot."

No matter. The script reads better this way.

In a wildly entertaining game played in front of a full house at Canada Hockey Place that came down to the fourth round of shooters - and permitted coach Mike Babcock to use Crosby a second time - Canada escaped with a narrow 3-2 victory over the Swiss, setting up a game on Sunday against the Americans, with top spot in Group A up for grabs.

Playing against heavily favoured Canadians in an intimidating and potentially hostile environment, on the smaller and more unfamiliar NHL ice surface, Switzerland almost rode the acrobatic goaltending of Jonas Hiller to a monumental upset.

Hiller was brilliant stopping 43 of 45 shots in regulation, as Canada held a wide edge in shots and in the play, but were frustrated at every turn by the plucky and improving Swiss. The score was tied 2-2 after regulation and when five minutes of overtime settled nothing, it came down to a shootout.

Hiller foiled the first three Canadian shooters - Crosby, Jonathan Toews and Ryan Getzlaf - before Crosby finally buried the winning goal on his second try.

At the other end, Martin Brodeur was flawless, in turning aside all four Swiss shooters, and will get the start against the Americans Sunday.

According to Canadian coach Mike Babcock, his shootout strategy in using Crosby twice was rooted in pure basic NHL regular-season statistics.

"It was really complicated," said Babcock. "We had all the numbers down. Sid was the best, Toews was second and Getzlaf was third. We went in order. Then we said on the bench, ‘do we go with (Rick) Nash because he's fourth or do we go back to the guy who scores every time?' We just thought he'd had a look at him once; and he'd get him the second time."

The victory earned Canada two of a possible three points in the new playoff format adopted for the 2010 tournament, in which a regulation win is worth three points and an overtime or shootout win is two. As a result, the United States leads Group A with six points on two regulation victories. Coupled with its victory over Norway in the opener, Canada is second with five points. A victory in regulation over the Americans Sunday guarantees first place in the group and an automatic berth in the quarter-finals.

Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau scored for Canada in regulation, as Canada opened up a two-goal lead early in the second period. Ivo Ruthemann closed the gap to within one and then the Swiss scored the tying goal with 10 seconds to go in the second period - on a shot by Patrick von Gunten that deflected in off Marleau's skate - to give the visitors hope and setting the stage for a fabulous finish.

No loss at this early stage of the tournament is critical, but the Swiss signalled that they are here to play for a medal and that they're not prepared to go down without a fight.

Hiller, the Anaheim Ducks' goaltender that made J.S. Giguere expendable, is a tall, fluid lefthander that many of the Western Conference-based players on Team Canada see frequently.

"It may take until tomorrow to realize what we did today," said Hiller. "It was definitely one of the best games I've ever seen played by the Swiss national team."

Of facing Crosby twice in the shootout, Hiller added: "I was happy with the first save; he got me on the second one. I'm a little sad now; I wish I would have stopped it."

In the third period, when the Swiss started to trade chances with the Canadians, Hiller made a brilliant series of saves on his Ducks' teammates Corey Perry and Getzlaf, the latter coming on a stabbing glove save.

Switzerland was known primarily for its trapping defensive style, but it went for broke in the third period, sensing the chance for a major upset.

"I thought the team showed a lot of courage and character to get back in the game in the second period," said Ralph Krueger, the Winnipeg-born Swiss coach.

Babcock, meanwhile, acknowledged that the Swiss "really tested us tonight.

"We tightened up, they got faster and we didn't execute the way we probably should have. In the end, as a coach you want to win every game and play well every game. But in every championship I've ever been involved with your team has to go through adversity. That's what we had here today. We were able to survive it."

 

SOURCE: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/

 

Canadians Looking to Avoid Swiss Miss

Mark Streit has got things figured out from the Swiss standpoint.

“It’s going to be tougher than four years ago, because they remember what happened.” said the Swiss defenceman of facing Team Canada Thursday afternoon in the second game of the Olympic tournament. “They have a better team this year.”

Four years ago to the day, the Swiss — backed by the goaltending of Martin Gerber — defeated Canada 2-0 at the Winter Games in Turin. After easy victories over the host Italians and then the Germans, the loss to the Swiss was the first tangible evidence of the fatal flaws that would send Canada to a seventh-place finish in defence of their gold medal.

Now, Team Canada would like to atone.

Though that loss was probably more about what was wrong with the Canadians than what was right with the Swiss — not to take anything away from them — does Thursday’s game represent a chance for payback for the Canadians, somewhat?

“Yeah, no question. We don’t forget things like that,” said Canadian forward Dany Heatley, who had two goals in Canada’s 8-0 win over Norway Tuesday. “It’d be nice to beat them pretty good (Thursday).”

Canadian defenceman Chris Pronger, who has played for Team Canada in the last four Olympics, wasn’t quite willing to say the loss to the Swiss completely derailed Canada four years ago.

“That’s probably overstating it. I’m sure it didn’t help. You can look at a lot of different things over the course of that Olympics, nitpick, point and do all the rest of that. At the end of the day, for all intents and purposes, it was a cluster (bleep). Can you use that? (The loss) was disappointing and not the way we wanted our Olympics to go. Hopefully we can learn from the mistakes and pitfalls of ’06,” he said.

Judging by Tuesday’s performance, Pronger is starting to believe they have.

Scoring goals was a problem four years ago, but the Canadians shook off some early game jitters — coach Mike Babcock said he could feel the tension on the bench — and led by Jarome Iginla’s hat-trick got some offensive confidence at the expense of the Norwegians.

Pronger said he expected the Swiss — who played the Americans tough, losing 3-1 in their opener — to play a similar game.

“They’re just sitting back and forcing you to make mistakes. The trap we can’t fall into is turning the puck over, just get it in, play our way and eventually we’re going to get to them at some point,” said Pronger.

“We’re certainly not going to take them lightly. You can’t look at anybody as easy pickings.”

 

SOURCE: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2010Vancouver/

 

Norway? No Way!

It unfolded in familiar and predictable fashion.

Canada had a nervous beginning, broke the ice with a second-period power-play goal by Jarome Iginla, and then eventually went on to rout Norway 8-0 Tuesday night in the opening game of the men's Olympic hockey tournament.

Norway, ranked No. 11 in the world, gave Canada a game of it the last time they met internationally at the 2008 world hockey championships, but this was a completely different challenge.

Canada iced a who's who of its NHL stars and even if it took about 20 minutes or so to get in sync, by the end, they were firing on all cylinders.

Iginla was particularly prominent, scoring three times. That Iginla, Nash and Crosby were on the ice together by the end something of a surprise, given that they didn't get much going as a line during the August orientation camp and Patrice Bergeron began the game in that spot.

It didn't last though - and Iginla, a two-time NHL goal-scoring champion and a prominent contributor to the 2002 gold-medal win, filled in admirably in that spot, as if he and Crosby had been waiting a long time to get together. Whatever chemistry might have been missing back in August looked as if it was developing in a hurry last night.

"I thought the chemistry was good in camp," said Nash afterwards. "People just have to remember it was the first time we ever skated together. As we get practicing tomorrow and then into another game, it's just going to get better and better. Towards the end, we started to figure each other's game out."

Not that Norway represented the Grade-A challenge that say the Americans will next Sunday or the Russians might down the road, but it was an important first step on many levels, beginning with the fact that Canada kept the pressure on all the way to the end. The format of the tournament is such that goal-differential could become a factor in the playoff seeding.

"With the different tie-breakers and things, goals matter," said defenceman Chris Pronger. "I don't think you want to completely bury a team, but we're certainly not going to stop shooting the puck, or stop going to the net. We don't want to create any bad habits for our team. They can creep in pretty quickly if you let your foot off the gas pedal."

Coach Mike Babcock used the game as a means to test out different line combinations and defence pairings - and their collective unfamiliarity with one another was clear at different moments early on.

Many times, the players stopped to converse in the face-off circles during stoppages in play to direct traffic out there.

"There are different face-off plays that every team has," explained Nash. "When you get with different players, you want to make sure you're on the same page. In between periods and on the bench, you're always talking, trying to figure things out."

It was Iginla, on a second-period power play with Norway's Mads Hansen in the penalty box, who set the rout in motion and purged the nerves. In short order, Dany Heatley and Mike Richards made it 3-0 and from there, Canada won going away.

"It's tough when you only have one practice to get into the game," said Perry. "It was an hour yesterday to figure out your line-mates. The first period was a feeling-out process and in the second and third period, away we went."

The turning point, if there can be such a thing in an eight-goal victory, probably during a 48-second span of the second period, when Norway held a two-man advantage and was behind by just two. But with Jonathan Toews and Scott Niedermayer leading the way, the Norwegians didn't muster a significant scoring chance. Just as Eric Staal stepped out of the penalty box, Richards banged in a loose puck at the side of the net.

Ryan Getzlaf's power-play goal, early in the third, drove Grotnes out of the net. He was replaced by Andre Lysenstoen, who gave up the remaining goals.

 

SOURCE: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/

 

It's Puck Dropping Time!

Wayne Gretzky may have lit the flame, but it is Russia's Alexander Ovechkin and Canada's Sidney Crosby who are expected to ignite these Winter Games - if all goes as hoped, in the gold medal game that will close out the Olympics.

"It's exciting," says goaltender Roberto Luongo, who will start today in Canada's first test - though 'test' is a bit of a stretch - against 11th-ranked Norway.

"We've been waiting for this for a long time - and not only me and my teammates, but the whole city."

The whole city indeed. The opening ceremonies were four days ago, but for legions of Team Canada-clad fans that have fill the streets and bars of Vancouver, the XXI Olympic Games will only begin once the puck drops and the men's hockey tournament gets under way.

These games, says Team Canada coach Mike Babcock, "could be the best hockey event of all time."

While Canada opens against Norway, the United States will take on Switzerland earlier in the day and Russia will meet Latvia in the evening.

It will mark Canada's 20th opening match in Olympic hockey, with only one loss - a 5-2 defeat by Sweden eight years ago in Salt Lake City. But it was at those Winter Games that the "Lucky Loonie" buried at centre ice is believed to have helped inspire the Canadian players to produce gold in both men's and women's hockey.

There is no loonie buried at Canada Hockey Place. Face-offs will be held where the bellybutton would be on the large Inukshuk symbol painted at centre ice.

"Nobody understands the pressures these guys are under," Gretzky said back in 2002.

Not so - everyone, at least every Canadian, understands the pressure because we are the ones who apply it. That pressure is woven into every "Crosby," "Iginla," "Niedermayer" and "Brodeur" jersey being worn about the city, in every beer that is ordered in the packed bars, in just about every office and living room across the country.

There will be little, if any, pressure felt as Canada takes to the ice to play Norway - "I don't think they think so much about that against us," Norwegian goaltender Pal Grotnes said yesterday - but it will build over the coming two weeks, particularly as Canada comes up against stronger competitors.

The buzz Monday was palpable as; first, Ovechkin's powerful Russian squad took to the ice for its first practice, followed by Team Canada's first workout.

The most telling image of the Russian hour was not of Ovechkin ripping pucks off the crossbar, or Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk dazzling with passes - all of which happened - but of five young male cleaners pretending to sweep the empty stands while they stared, slack-jawed, at the players flying about the ice.

As for the Canadian practice, there was so much media presence that you would think Patrice Bergeron had won an individual gold medal - which, in a way he did, as the Boston Bruins forward who wasn't even invited to last summer's selection camp was placed on Crosby's line.

Today, even if the opposition is Norway, the madness will begin. Once the puck drops on a real game, the only guaranteed loss is Canadian politeness. The average fan, legendary B.C. journalist Bruce Hutchison wrote more than half a century ago, becomes "something else entirely, his subconscious takes control, he seems to become a ravening beast, screeching for blood, when in fact he has become a Canadian."

And never will the "ravening beast" be so loud as when, and unfortunately if, Crosby's Team Canada comes up against Ovechkin's Team Russia.

"There's a lot of history there," Canada's Jarome Iginla said yesterday. "There's pressure on us, and there's pressure on them."

In the years since the famous 1972 Summit Series, the Russians have transformed from what one player once called "ice robots" to some of the more compelling characters in the game.

It is almost as if there has been "a reversal of the old templates," says Ottawa's Lawrence Martin, author of The Red Machine: The Soviet Quest to Dominate Canada's Game.

While the Canadians have become increasingly system-oriented, the Russians have become more individualistic, none more so than the colourful Ovechkin.

Yet, while their styles may differ wildly, Ovechkin and Crosby are a remarkable match on the ice - each going into the Olympic break tied with 42 goals apiece in the NHL - and their teams the match everyone wishes to see in Vancouver.

Perhaps one day they will even talk about the "Lucky Bellybutton."

 

SOURCE: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/

 

Canada's Golden Boy

Frédéric Bilodeau shot his fist in the air as a score flashed across the jumbo screen at the men's moguls event at Cypress Mountain.

There was one more competitor left to ski - the formidable Guilbaut Colas of France - but he seemed to know already what Canadians would soon discover: his younger brother, Alexandre, had become an Olympic champion.

After the French competitor's run was over, Alexandre Bilodeau jumped in the air and raised his fist, the mirror of his sibling. Later, the 22-year-old's voice caught when asked what it meant to have Frederic in the stands when he become the first Canadian to ever to win Olympic gold at home.

"It's really getting me right now," he said. "My brother has been an inspiration for me. Growing up with a brother that's handicapped, you learn so much."

At home in Montreal, Bilodeau was always lightning quick, a natural athlete who excelled at hockey then devoted himself to freestyle skiing. Frederic, five years older and slowed down by cerebral palsy, did not begrudge but his brother but instead became his biggest supporter.

"It puts everything in perspective. If I have the chance to train, I'll take it. Even if it's raining, I'll take it. He doesn't even have that chance," Bilodeau said. "He has all the right to complain. And he never complains."

Bilodeau, who was last year's World Cup overall champion, had struggled to find the podium going into the Games. The clear favourite was 2006 Olympic champion and World Cup leader Dale Begg-Smith of Australia, but his final run down the 250 metre course was slightly slower than Bilodeau's run, and that made the difference.

"I skied the way I wanted to ski. That's all that I can control," said Begg Smith, who grew up in West Vancouver a short drive from the Olympic venue, but left at age 15 after Canadian freestyle ski officials objected to him pursuing an Internet business he founded with his brother. The business has earned the brothers millions; their defection cost Canada a gold medal in 2006.

The bronze medal went to American Bryon Wilson, who at the start of this season had an outside chance of even making the American Olympic team. The next two spots were taken by two Canadian skiers, part of the strongest group of Quebec freestyle skiers since Jean-Luc Brassard won gold in Lillehammer Games.

Twice before, moguls’ skier Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau of Drummondville, QC, has traveled to Olympic Games only to watch his teammates from the stands.

After his final run was over, the 30-year-old covered his face with both hands then thrust them into the air. He turned and faced the crowd, pointed to the corner of the stands where his family was sitting.

"They bought tickets in 2002. We were watching together in 2006," said Rousseau, who finished 5th. "Can you imagine that?"

Weeks before the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, Rousseau broke his neck in a wild crash during a training session. He was ranked third in the world at the time. Four years later, he again had a firm grip on an Olympic berth, but caught mononucleosis.

Like Rousseau, Vincent Marquis was considered an outside medal hope for Canada. He looked crestfallen after his qualification run, which put him in 13th place going into the finals; a tough spot in a judged sport where the best marks are often saved for the top seeded skiers who race toward the end. He said he wanted to speak to his younger brother, Phil, a development team skier who despite a five-year age gap is his closest confidant - someone to tease or play pick-up games of hockey in hotel rooms during long road trips on the World Cup circuit.

"He's been at my back for so long. So if I can do anything to help him I will." said Phil.

Marquis rocketed down the course in the finals, recording one of the fastest times of the day, pumping his fists and revving up the crowd. He finished just off the podium in 4th place. Maxime Gingras, a rookie Olympian, qualified for the finals in 6th spot but settled for 11th.

 

SOURCE: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/

 

Getzlaf Not Laughing

Team Canada brass will have a conference call this afternoon with the team's medical staff to fully determine the state of Ryan Getzlaf's health.

The Anaheim Ducks forward underwent an MRI yesterday to search for any structural or muscle damage to his left ankle, which the Ducks describe as "sprained."

Anaheim issued the following statement upon receiving the results:

"The test showed no significant ligament or muscle tears, and Getzlaf is day-to-day."

Getzlaf, still listed as Canada's number two centre, made the following statement:

"My ankle feels much better today and I'm relieved the test showed no significant damage. My goal is to return to the ice this week for the Ducks, and I look forward to joining Team Canada for the Olympics on Monday."

Team Canada's Executive Director, Steve Yzerman says he's prepared to take the "day to day" approach with Getzlaf, which means unless additional medical information surfaces that may create further doubt, Getzlaf will hold his spot on the Canadian roster.

His experience as a Stanley Cup champion and a "do anything" attitude are considered key elements to Canada's success.  So, Getzlaf will be given as much time as is needed to recover.

If his ankle requires more time to mend, it's conceivable Canada sits the power forward for a game or two at the start of the tournament...resting him for the heavy lifting as the Olympic pressure mounts.

The belief is Getzlaf may need a few days of rest before he resumes skating, but clearly he is confident his Olympic dream will not be crushed.

Canada has until February 15, the eve of its first game versus Norway to make any final line-up changes.

 

SOURCE: http://www.tsn.ca/

 

Team Canada Looking Good as Games Approach

As hard as it might be to believe, the Olympic men's hockey tournament is practically here. And there have been a few encouraging signs of late for those rooting on Team Canada in Vancouver.

One of the best came via a breakthrough week from Jarome Iginla, who was tops among Canadian Olympians with three goals and seven points in four games. The Calgary Flames captain had been locked in a nasty goal-scoring drought since receiving his third Games invite.

While coach Mike Babcock and executive director Steve Yzerman haven't publicly laid out roles for each player, it wouldn't be surprising if Iginla was given a spot on a scoring line.

The Olympic format calls for all games tied after overtime to be decided in a shootout. Team Canada has lost two of the three shootouts it's played in Olympic competition - getting beaten in the gold-medal game by Sweden in 1994 before losing to the Czech Republic in the semi-finals four years later.

Sidney Crosby leads the NHL in shootout scoring percentage this season, having converted on six of his seven attempts. The Pittsburgh Penguins star had his third game-deciding shootout goal on Sunday afternoon against Detroit.

Other Team Canada players with decent shootout records this season include Jonathan Toews (five goals on eight tries), Rick Nash (four of 10) and Ryan Getzlaf (three of seven).

Marc-Andre Fleury currently has the best record among NHL goalies in the tiebreaker - having stopped 14 of 15 attempts and built a 5-0 record - but he isn’t expected to see much action for Team Canada at the Olympics. Likely starter Martin Brodeur has been similarly strong with a 6-2 record after allowing seven goals on 26 shots.

Crosby also continues to score at a better rate than he has at any other point in his NHL career. Last week, he got goal No. 34 - putting him three be= hind Team Canada teammate Patrick Marleau's league-leading total. Marleau had another two goals in two games last week.

Eric Staal also continued his hot run, putting up three goals and five points in three games. The Carolina Hurricanes captain recently built a five-game goal-scoring streak.

Team Canada's youngest player has also been producing since earning an Olympic invite. Twenty-year-old defenceman Drew Doughty scored two goals and four points in four games for the Los Angeles Kings.

One potential area of concern for Yzerman's management team could be the continued absence of San Jose Sharks defenceman Dan Boyle. An upper-body injury was only expected to keep him out for a few days, but he's now sat out four games.

Boyle has been skating, but doesn't feel 100 per cent yet.

"If I could go, I'd be playing," he told the San Jose Mercury News last week.

The Sharks have seven games remaining before the NHL's Olympic break starts on Feb. 14.

Canada opens the tournament two days later against Norway and hopes to find itself playing well enough that it will be one of the two teams vying for = gold on Feb. 28. It's bound to be a busy month.

 

SOURCE: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2010Vancouver/