Latvia - A tough team that pushed the Czech's to the limit in the playoff round. Look for them to be the Switzerland of the 2014 games
Germany - Proving the theory that just because you have multiple NHL'ers on your squad, that won't necessarily equate to success (Germany plays hard-nosed hockey but came away without even a win for the Deutschland)
Norway - Played hard in their first Olympics since their automatic birth for being the host country in 1994 in Lillehammer. There's a lot of playoff teams that could use a finisher like Norwegian forward Paul Vikingstad (which begs the question, is the last name "Vikingstad" the American equivalent of "Smith" in Norway?).
Belarus - A very impressive performance by a team with only two NHL players. G Andrei Mezin played well between the pipes and the Belarusians should be just as competitive next time around.
Switzerland - This team will be a fixture in Olympic hockey for years to come. They play their system-style very well, played the gold medal participants tough in all meetings, and have a young goalie that can backstop their next three Olympics in Jonas Hiller.
Czech Republic - This team could be in a transitional phase in the 2014 games. Expect a lot of overhauling on the Czech team. They did play tough in every game in Vancouver, but they are heading in the wrong direction from the 1998 gold medal win.
Russia - My pick to win the gold in the 2014 games in Sochi. No member of Russia is happy with the way they exited the tournament and have a chance to redeem themselves on home soil. More of a defensive-minded blueline would help a team that has more than enough offense up front.
Sweden - The 2006 gold medalists cruised through their first three games but ran in to a momentum-laden Slovakian team that was clicking on all cylinders. They will return in 2014 as a medal favorite.
Slovakia - A dark horse team that displayed why they need to be talked about as one of the top hockey countries in the world. Gaborik, Hossa and Halak are three great cornerstones to build around in four years.
Finland - This team should consider themselves lucky to medal after poor performances against Sweden, a tight one against the Czechs, and an embarrassing loss to the US. They showed resolve in their comeback Bronze Medal win against Slovakia. Even though their losing top players Teemu Selanne (the all-time Olympic leading scorer), OlIi Jokinen, and Saku Koivu - Finland always finds a way to be in the hunt for a medal.
USA - If you asked any true USA hockey fan that they would win the silver in these Olympics, they might have thought you were a little crazy. The United States did USA Hockey proud and have taken a big step in the right direction. This is a young team that accomplished a lot, have nothing to hang their heads about, and can expect to play in more games like they did today.
Canada - No team has ever played under the pressure and scrutiny that Team Canada's hockey team did in these Olympics (see Team Russia in 2014). After a minor goaltending controversy, Roberto Luongo finished the Olympics undefeated as we saw a changing of the guard in goalie for Canada. Sidney Crosby is the youngest captain in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup and now has a gold medal, something Wayne Gretzky doesn't (as a player, at least). Crosby is truly "The Next One" and the face of Canadian hockey. Instead of giving in to turmoil, Canada bounced back and showed once again why they are the best hockey country in the world.
A full recap of today's Canada 3-2 overtime gold medal victory over the United States from Chris Carrano coming tonight. FTS continues it's NHL coverage tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment