U.S.A. and Canada set to start in Sochi

Image courtesy of TQN.com

TEAM U.S.A.

U.S.A. was one goal away from winning their first gold medal in men's Olympic ice hockey since the team that pulled off the Miracle on Ice in 1980. Thanks to the magnificent goaltending of Ryan Miller and a team that blended some skill with a lot of heart and determination, the United States nearly pulled off a spectacular run to capture the gold. Several names are back from the 2010 team, but they come back with more experience and a hunger to avenge the loss at the hands from their neighbors up north.

In net, Miller returns as does Jonathan Quick, who was also on the 2010 team, but didn't start. On defense, Ryan Suter and Brooks Orpik are the only blue liners to return, as Suter will lead the defensive corps and Orpik will see much less ice time than he did in Vancouver. As for the remainder of the defense, it's not too ridiculous to say that the eight d-men on this year's team are better than the defense from 2010. In exchange for the slow stay-at-home defensemen in Tim Gleason and Ryan Whitney, U.S.A. has brought quicker defensemen like Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan McDonagh, and John Carlson. Justin Faulk and Paul Martin might be the most questionable players on defense, but it seems as though at least one, if not both of them, will be sitting out during the games.

On offense, it's nearly the same team, but the few veterans that aren't on the team from 2010 have been replaced with players who can provide better offensive production. Instead of Chris Drury and Jamie Langenbrunner, America will have James van Riemsdyk and Max Pacioretty up front. T.J. Oshie has also been added to the roster, while Derek Stepan and Blake Wheeler seem likely to sit out during the games.

As for the games, U.S.A. will only have one "easy" game in the opening round. Slovenia, who the Americans face on Sunday morning at 7:30am, has one NHL player in Anze Kopitar, so U.S.A. shouldn't have a problem recording at least one win. However, Slovakia features Zdeno Chara, Marian Hossa, Andrej Meszaros, and Andrej Sekera with Jaroslav Halak in net, who has shown he can single-handedly shut down the opposition with his play in the 2010 NHL postseason for the Montreal Canadiens. The United States' second game is against Russia on Saturday morning at 7:30am, which should be their toughest game of the week. Not only will they be taking on the host nation, but they'll need to prevent Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin from scoring while trying to beat either Semyon Varlamov and Sergei Bobrovsky at the same time.

USA PROJECTED LINES

James van Riemsdyk – Joe Pavelski – Phil Kessel
Zach Parise – David Backes – Ryan Callahan
Max Pacioretty – Ryan Kesler – Patrick Kane
Dustin Brown – Paul Stastny – TJ Oshie

Ryan Suter – Kevin Shattenkirk
Ryan McDonagh – John Carlson
Brooks Orpik – Paul Martin
Cam Fowler – Justin Faulk

Jonathan Quick
Ryan Miller
Jimmy Howard

Extras: Derek Stepan and Blake Wheeler

TEAM CANADA

Canada will look to become the first nation to win back-to-back gold medals in men's Olympic ice hockey since the Soviet Union did it with wins in 1984 and 1988, as they send yet another stacked team to the international tournament. The mixture of forwards who have both speed and size, a defense that features several Norris Trophy winners and possible future winners, and a goaltending trio that is one of the best in the Olympics has several nations worrying about Canada. On top of their athleticism, speed, and strength, Canada will also have chemistry, as several players will be on a line or pairing that features one of their teammates from their NHL team.

Roberto Luongo will be back for Canada after he helped the team capture gold in Vancouver, while Carey Price and Mike Smith take the place of Martin Brodeur and Marc-Andre Fleury. Smith isn't in the conversation to be the team's starter, as it will come down to Luongo or Price.

On the blue line, the names may not grab your attention the way Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer did, but it still boasts several amazing defenders. The pairing of Duncan Keith and Shea Weber isn't fair for anybody to play against, while reigning Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban is currently expected to sit out the first few games due to the skill on Canada's back end.

Similar to the defense, Canada's offense this year may not pack the same punch with names like Jarome Iginla and Joe Thornton, but Canada is hoping that chemistry can pay off. With Sidney Crosby centering a line featuring Chris Kunitz, Ryan Getzlaf centering a line featuring Corey Perry, and Jonathan Toews centering a line that features Patrick Sharp, several players will know a lot about a player on their line and be playing with a linemate that is most likely better than their linemate from their NHL team. Without a doubt, this is a tournament that is Canada's to lose.

As for their games in the opening round, Canada's only bump in the road will be their final game on Sunday against Finland, as they take on Kimmo Timonen and company at 12:00pm. Canada's first game is against Norway, who is led by Mats Zuccarello as well as former Flyers Patrick Thoresen and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. After Canada presumably trounces them, they will take on Austria, who will be led by Michael Raffl, Thomas Vanek, and Michael Grabner, which should be another rather easy win for them.

CANADA PROJECTED LINEUPS

Chris Kunitz – Sidney Crosby – Jeff Carter
Patrick Marleau – Ryan Getzlaf – Corey Perry
Patrick Sharp – Jonathan Toews – Rick Nash
Jamie Benn – John Tavares – Patrice Bergeron

Duncan Keith – Shea Weber
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Drew Doughty
Jay Bouwmeester – Alex Pietrangelo
Dan Hamhuis – P.K. Subban

Carey Price
Roberto Luongo
Mike Smith

Extras: Martin St. Louis and Matt Duchene