Hiller didn't play in that game.

apologies, lol

Obviously, I bleed for Team Canada.
T
In 1972, school classes stopped when Canada played Russia. We all gathered in the gym, the principal wheeled in the black and white tv, and we watched the game. It was the first Team Canada really.

But God help me. I also LOVE Jaromir Jagr who said in Sochi, "I don't get old, man. I am alive. God help me. We always feel good. We are from the Czech Republic. We are always loose, man. We've got always fun. No pressure. We have to probably win at least four games. No big deal." This guy is priceless.

Yikes what is going on with Russia & Slovakia. The game isn't on tv and I can't find anywhere to stream it.

It's now on NBC Sports, Putin, they're switching over now that the USA has finished beating Slovenia 5-1 to go 3-0 to start the tourney and with 8 win Group A.

So channel 220 if you have DirecTV...

And I'll ask again--

You guys really don't think this team can medal? Not even a bronze?

I think they can do a bronze at least, I'm a believer by this point...they've got something going chemistry-wise, good gritty team, decent scoring, and Quick/Miller have been great.

Russia wins 1-0 with two straight scores and saves in the shootout.

Of course they can medal. They won silver in Vancouver with less talent than this team and a more hostile environment (remember all the trash talking and booing by Canada in 2010). Their defense has really stepped up. The blocked shots vs Russia were exceptional.

I'm eager to see what Canada-Finland.

*what Canada-Finland looks like.

Too bad didn't get to see most of Russia-Slovakia game. In OT it seemed like Slovakia were content to stay back on defense. I wonder if that was their plan the entire game. Gone are the days of Pavol Demitra and his wicked slapshot attack :(

Your disrespect for the Toronto Maple Leafs(the finest team in the history of professional sports)will be Team U.S.A.s downfall, obi.

Phil the Thrill gets a natural hat trick. The first hatty since John Leclair, at the 2002 Olympics.

The first TEAM U.S.A. hatty, that is....

This is, easily, the best Team U.S.A. EVER.

1. How am I disrespecting the Leafs? I cheered for them yesterday...I was drunk and would cheer for anything remotely pro-Team USA or anti-Datsyuk, but still...

2. Yay Kessel! His line's good! Now...

3. If only the other Leafs could play up to his level, you might not have one of the most embarrassing hockey chokes in recent history vs. Boston next time!

"You'd take Quick over Rask? LOL"

YES. A hundred times yes.

Would I take Hiller over Quick?

...I'm impossibly biased in that case...suffice it to say both kick ass and I'd be happy to have either one. :)

"I agree Mapu. Dubious goal. Russia has every right to be angry. USA should not gloat too much about this one.

Fortunately for Russia they might still get a bye."

1. It WAS a dubious call, but
2. I still think the USA can gloat about that one, they played worthy of a win too, they just got lucky on a call, and sometimes, equally-matched teams come down to a call like that and a guy like Oshie having the game of his life, and
3. It now looks doubtful that Russia will get that bye.

His line....Kessel, JVR, and Pavelski.

You're not saying GO LEAFS GO.

Very disrespectful.....

You haven't participated in my "Make your own Dream Team" thread, obi. I thought that would be right up your alley.

If that called happened to USA you'd be claiming that Putin personally intervened to rig the games. Indeed it is interesting how muted the press blather has become as it has become painfully obvious that there was no basis to their incessant complaining.

I must say the KHL really humiliated the NHL with Laco's performance today.

I didn't see the Russia Slovak game, guess it was good

So looks like Canada will play winner of Swiss/Latvia and Finland will play winner of Russia/Norway.

US gets Czech or Slovakia and Sweden gets Slovenia or Austria

Good stuff.

Much more importantly, Canada defeated China in probably the best curling match of all time today. Hopefully this was a preview of the gold medal match. Incredible stuff, and by far more exciting than any hockey game could ever be.

Both sports have their merits, but the Russian lady curling team is gorgeous! Can't say the same for any of the hockey teams.

There have been some awesome finishes this weekend. I caught the women's cross country relay which ended in a three way sprint for the finish, and the US/Sweden women's curling came down to a millimeter's difference on the last game.

Congrats to Slovenia (had to look it up on a map, lol) on moving to its first-ever Quarterfinals with a 4-0 elimination win over Austria! :D

Good for them. They face Sweden next, so the ride's likely over (though the Swedes are a bit banged up, but even so, that'd be one of the biggest upsets ever if Slovenia took them down) but still a great story, always good to see countries begin to establish a hockey presence for themselves.

In other news...

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/vladimir-putin-is-totally-not-upset-about-disallowed-russia-goal-vs--usa-hockey--casually-shames-team-065517190.html

"

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday chimed in on the national debate surrounding his country's disallowed goal against the United States in the Sochi Olympic hockey tournament, saying it was a mistake by the referee. [...]

"Even referees sometimes makes mistakes, here I wouldn't tar anybody with any brush, but I thought that we would win by a big margin," Putin said.

"You and I shouldn't forget that sport isn't only about skill but also about the athletes' courage, and even a good slice of luck." [...]

The disallowed goal featured heavily on Sunday's evening news on the state network Rossiya, where anchorman Dmitry Kiselyov suggested that it was included in the multimillion dollar deal that saw US network NBC lock down broadcasting rights. The Americans didn't purchase a defeat, he claimed. Rossiya is part of the state-owned VGTRK media enterprise."

THEY BOUGHT THE GAME!!!

^Ah, the cry of a sore loser (yeah, it was a..."generous" call, we'll say, but come on...we didn't buy the game...and hey, Russia--if you wanted to win so badly, maybe you should've let Ovechkin shoot AT LEAST *ONCE* in the shootout??? Come on, Russia's biggest star sitting on the bench? That's like the Dream Team having a 1 on 1 contest and Michael Jordan not going once.)

Russia vs. Norway in an hour or so...Russia'll probably win and advance to face the Fins.

Obi, as I said before, if USA lost under similar circumstances, with a Russian referee disallowing the goal, I can only imagine the conspiracy theories and hatred you'd be spewing on here.

Hatred?
Yes.
Conspiracy theories?
No.

I've NEVER been one to say "THE GAME WAS FIXED!" or anything like THAT.

To me, that's just shitty sportsmanship and stupid to boot...

I get being mad at a bad call--there are plenty of bad calls that happened months or years ago that hurt the Ducks or Mets or 49ers and I'm still pissed (that was a clean hit on Drew Brees, damn it!)--but I've NEVER been one to say the game's fixed.

Again, that's just an Occam's Razor fail and poor sportsmanship.

Get mad over bad calls...that's fine...

DON'T ever say "It's fixed." The instances of games actually being fixed are such small minority amongst the innumerable amount of games that are played that...just no...

I'd also note I'm a long-standing anti-conspiracy theory guy on this site...

I can't stand it when people get on their JFK/9-11/Moon landing/Earl of Oxford/Etc. soapboxes and spout their conspiracy theories...

I just can't stand those things PERIOD, so yeah--that, at least, is one charge I'm definitely clear of.

Norway's playing better than I thought they would, I'll give them that...

0-0 after 1 period of play...

Russia had some great chances, but a combination of some close misfires and good defense and poke-checking have Norway still alive here.

1-0 Russia, and now they're really starting to press the Norwegians.