Well, it's finally here. Four years after Sidney Crosby's "Golden Goal" sunk the Americans in Vancouver its finally time for Alex Ovechin and his Russian comrades to take aim at the medal Vladimir Putin apparently wants more than any other at these Sochi winter Olympics, Gold in Mens Hockey. In so many ways it is the pinnical of the sport. Perhaps not in terms of sheer prestige, behind the NHL's Stanley cup but as far as quality hockey, the knockout round of the Olympic tournament is tough to beat and it's something ive been waiting for ever since Crosby buried that puck 5-hole on USA goalie Ryan Miller four years ago.
The first thing you need to know about these Sochi Olympics however, is just how banged up the elite teams in this tournament are. Defending champions Canada come to Russia minus Steven Stamkos, the 24 year Tampa Bay Lightning goal scorer was likely to play alongside Crosby on the Canadians top line and his loss is perhaps only a smaller one than an injury to Captain Crosby, or perhaps Chicago Balckhawks star Jonathon Toews would have been. The host's perhaps had they're chances improved by injury when KHL forward Igor Eronko went down, allowing better known and in all honesty, better player Alex Semin to be added. However their frist day of practice has been disrupted with the news that captain and Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsuyk hasnt yet fully recovered from a left knee injury that as seen him play only twice since January first, meaning he missed their first session together in Sochi. This isnt even the worst of it, or even nearly the wirst of it. Finland have probably seen their medal hopes go up in smoke with the news that captain Miku Koivu and fellow centre Valpari Fillpula are both out of the tournament, Sweden will be without star Henrik Sedin due to broken ribs, as well as winger Johan Franzen, Slovakia, a continually popular pick for a medal, are hurting from the loss of one of the NHL's true game breakers in Marian Gaborik, alongside potentially theyre best defencmen Lubomir Visnovsky of the New York Islanders. The Czech Republic have also seen their depth at centre take a hit by loosing Vladimir Sobatka. Wow, get all that? Yep its easy to argue that 5 of the best 6 teams in this tournament wont be taking full strength roster's due to inury, possibly all six if USA's Max Paccioretty fails to shake off a hit he took Saturday night which placed his Olympic ambitions into question. All in all this will have to have some effect on the overall quality of the tournament, as well as give excuses to the teams who did reach their full potential, which is a shame. It also makes predicting the tournament very tricky, but here goes, some big, bold and quite possibly inaccurate predictions about the hockey tournament at Sochi 2014.
Team Sweden will not medal
Perhaps no team disappointed me more with their initial roster than the Swede's. If you'd of asked me a few weeks into the NHL season who my pick for gold was in Sochi, then on the big European style rinks i would of been quite comfortable with the choice of Sweden. The Sedin twins were back on fire under new coach John Torterella in Vancouver, Nicholas Backstrom was more than playing his part in Alex Ovechkin being on pace for a 60 goal season in Washington and Gabirel Landeskog was helping put the young Colorado Avalanche into a play off place in the Western Conference of the NHL. However, broken ribs mean Henrik Sedin will miss the games with fellow veteran Johan Franzen also out of Sochi. Next they inexplicably left Tampa Bay defencmen Victor Headman off their roster, along with fellow defender Adam Larsson of the New Jersey Devil's and failed to capitalise on recent resurgence at the international level both at junior and senior teams by overlooking these two younger players in favor of the older Henrik Tallinder and Jonny Oduya. Good players no dought, and a lot can be said of experience at such a big tournament but its clearly time for the Swede's to turn this team over to theyre young guns. Erik Karlsson is an elite defencmen in the NHL at 24, Gabriel Landeskog perhaps its best leader under 26 and combined with the likes of Nick Hjalmerson and the aforementioned Larsson and Hedman a new era of Swedish superstar was ready to take them forward. However managment appears to have played it safe with the its roster selection and that lack of urgency could well cost them a medal.
Martin St. Louis will be Canada's best player, gold or not.
Gasps and cries of despair went out all across the hockey world when Tampa Bay Lightning centre Steven Stamkos went down with a broken leg in late November. Yes a number of people were concerned for his clubs play off chances, but most people immediately thought of the impact it may have on Canada's chances of retaining their gold medal at the Olympics. Yet more shock rang out when he was still named to the Canadian line up a little over a month later, while his team mate, Martin St. Louis was not. 37 year old St. Louis was an incredibly harshly overlooked when selecting the original roster. He is, to this day, the reigning Art Ross trophy winner as the leagues top point scorer from the previous season, and will slot in comfortably onto a top line alongside Crosby in for the downed Stamkos. failing that, should Canada coach Mike Babcock decide the diminutive St. Louis, listed at only 5 ft 7, is too much a risk in any particularly physical games, he's a perfect player to sit on the end of the bench, use his experience to be a player/coach and be used at the optimum moments, namely power plays and offensive zone starts. St Louis had a point to prove the minute he was not selected in the first 25 man roster, since then he's been nothing but sensational in keeping The Lightning in the play off race without Stamkos. He seemed largely peev'ed when giving a press conference after being named to the team as his 24 year old lines mates replacement but a St Louis with a chip on his shoulder is nothing but good news for Canada.
The USA have taken the wrong roster.
US hockey is coming on strong in the last few years. Their U 18 development squad continues to produce more and more first round NHL draft picks, they won the world junior tournament two years ago, and are seeing their percentage of NHL players gradually incline. Four years ago in Vancouver they were the width of a post away from gold and breaking the hearts of the Canadian nation. They were of course the only team to beat the hosts at the 2010 games, with a convincing win the group stages of the tournament. A big key to the successful Vancouver games were the young players they took. They took two 22 year olds and two 21 year olds, why? Because Phil Kessal and Bobby Ryan, as well as Patrick Kane and Eric Johnson were four of their best twenty five players thats why. Four years later only three of them will return to wear the star spangled jersey and you have to wonder why? Hockey US brass claim theyre building a hockey team, not a all star team, and they'll need role players, third line checkers, so if Bobby Ryan isnt one of theyre best two right wingers, they cant and wont ask him as a skill player to play a third or fourth defensive minded assignment. Admittedly theirs sense to that, but arnet you supposed to take your best players to this tournament? Dustin Brown, Ryan Callahan and Paul Stastny can all take a look at Ryan and feel very lucky to be on this team while he sits at home. Blake Wheeler has 22 goals to lead the Winnipeg Jets and earn himself a spot on the team, that however, ranks him fourth among American right wingers, ahead of him is similarly built and minded Kyle Okposo, another who could easily fill the same type of role on the fourth line. Jason Pomminville also has more goals than Wheeler and is thought of as one of the better two way players in the NHL, while being a linemate of Team USA captain Zach Parise at the Minnesota Wild. On defence there are similarly puzzling picks. While its encouraging to see the likes of Cam Fowler and John Carlson giving chances, what Brooks Orpik and more so Paul Martin still have to bring to the table is anyones guess. Orpik is still a defensive road block, so even if you think he'll struggle for speed on the big ice, he is a shut down specialist who can have his shifts limited, but what does the often injured Martin bring that say Torey Krug of the Boston Bruins dosent? You know, the guy leading ALL American defencemen in plus/minus? If your going to take a two way defencemen like Martin, surely the younger option with the better stats is the better choice? Even Dustin Bfuglien, of the Jets, who is a defensive liability, -17 on the season, has a full 31 points more than Martin. Justin Faulk of the Carolina Hurricanes is another brave choice, but again, giving his relative lack of experience in the NHL, is he a better choice than rookie Seth Jones who's looking every bit the defensive juggernaut everyone thought he would be in Nashville. Wow that turned into a rant!
Ovechkin and the Russians bring the gold home.
If you dont know Alex Ovechkin, you dont watch Hockey, because if you watch hockey, you know Alex Ovechkin. "The great eight" currently leads the NHL in goals (41, next best is Phil Kessell of team USA, 30) and is the reigning NHL MVP and Rocket Richard trophy winner as top goalscorer. After a few years of losing his way and dropping to an average level of play the former number one overall draft choice is back well and truly in the debate for best player in the world, alongside captain Canada Sidney Crosby. Ovechkin's individual awards are almost unrivaled in the NHL rite now, but at 28 years old its time he added either a Stanley cup or Olympic Gold medal (or both) two his honors list. Having already called these Russian Olympics his "biggest moment" its time for him to put his nation on his shoulders, time to step up and be the best player in the world and win at the biggest stage, underlining his brilliance. 4 years ago the Russians were embarrassed by Canada at the quarter final stage and sent home from the games in a shambles, they cant afford that on home ice. The response is to bring less KHL defencmen than in Vancouver as well as a sprinkling of young talent. Dallas Stars rookie Valari Nichuskin is young, big, quick and talented and may play on a line with like-talented forward Viktor Tikhonov of SKA St. Petersburg. This is a Russian team built more to play two ways than in Vancouver, they appear more aware of their flaws, and more willing to play "play off hockey" to get the Gold here. Their top six is simply frightening, easily the most talented, and arguably the best in the whole tournament. If Captain Pavel Datsyuk is fit to play, if only by the second round, this is a team well equipt to go all the way, with a point to prove and a superstar with a chip on his shoulder.
These Olympics are a great chance for Hockey in this country. The time zone make games viewer friendly and the wealth of talent is one never seen on British soil. If you are not a hockey fan i implore you to give the mens competition at these games a chance, itll be physical, intense with plenty of skill on show, theirs a home nation with its reputation on the line and a defending champion who's games as a nation will largely be defined by what happens in this one medal. NHL commissioner Gary Bettmann has hinted strongly that this may be the last time the number one league in the world sends its players to the Olympic games, so who knows when the next time we'll see a pure best on best Ice Hockey competition is, drink it in while you still can.
