U.S. Squeaks By Swiss, Canada Destroys Russia

What was more surprising: the U.S. narrowly escaping disaster against Switzerland 2-0 or Canada embarrassing Russia 7-3? Neither in my book.

The biggest shock from yesterday was Slovakia upsetting defending gold-medalist Sweden 4-3. When I saw the result on the ticker this morning I let out an audible gasp. Not only was the result a bombshell, the aftershock is as well. Now Canada gets a decidedly easier matchup in the semifinals. Instead of facing powerhouse Sweden, the host country gets unheralded Slovakia. And with the way Canada’s playing right now, it might as well be a free pass to Sunday’s final.

Despite getting only one shot past Jonas Hiller, the U.S. thoroughly outplayed the Swiss in every facet of the game. Quite frankly, I thought they played a very good game. It looks like they’ve figured out their line combos, and the defense is playing well. Thumps up to the Brooks Orpik-Jack Johnson tandem. Ryan Miller has clearly been the story for the team, however. If he can continue to play the way he has, a gold medal is a distinct possibility.

First, the U.S. must get past Finland, a 2-0 winner over the Czechs in the quarterfinals. I stayed up to watch the first two periods of the game and didn’t see a goal. Obviously, Finland got a pair in the third. Here’s what I know about Finland: they have Teemu Selanne, the all-time leading scorer in Olympic history; they are the most experienced team in the tournament; they’re the defending silver medalist; Miikka Kiprusoff is a hell of a goalie; they have two sets of brothers (Koivu and Ruutu); and a lot of their players have cool first names. In all seriousness, they’re an experienced squad with a ton of skill and great goaltending. It won’t be easy for the U.S.

I don’t even know where to begin with Canada-Russia. I was expecting a good game; instead I got the equivalent of Canada-Norway, so it was disappointing from a hockey fan’s perspective. As a Pens’ fan, you had to be happy for Crosby. As a Pens’ fan, you had to feel a little bad for Malkin and Gonchar, even if you delighted in seeing Ovechkin lose. Perhaps the U.S. did Canada a favor by beating them. Perhaps we awoke the sleeping giant.

Check back for semifinal coverage. Will the stars align for a North American final? I’m salivating at the thought.