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The NHL gamers are again within the Winter Olympics for the primary time because the 2014 Sochi video games, and meaning we get our first totally practical best-on-best match in over a decade. It goes to be thrilling, compelling hockey, and all of it begins on Wednesday.
There are three major rooting pursuits I’ve for this match. They are, so as:
- Nobody get harm. This can’t be emphasised sufficient.
- Some type of narrative-driving efficiency from the United States, the place both they show the critics fallacious and Bill Guerin will get to take a victory lap screaming “everybody is dumb except me,” or a 2006-type embarrassment the place they only completely moist the mattress and everyone will get to inform Bill Guerin how everyone is wise apart from him. Simply successful a Bronze or Silver medal could be boring. Go huge or house. Win Gold or get embarrassed. If you win Gold, you win Gold. If you get embarrassed, you would possibly trigger some soul-searching that might result in gold within the subsequent winter Olympics.
- Sidney Crosby win so as to add to his already spectacular legacy.
The Penguins have 4 gamers collaborating within the match this yr with Crosby (Canada), Erik Karlsson (Sweden), Rickard Rakell (Sweden) and Arturs Silovs (Latvia) all in Italy.
So what’s forward for them and their respective groups this week?
The round-robin/group play portion of the match takes place by way of Sunday, and Sweden would be the first staff with a Penguins participant (Rakell and Karlsson) in motion.
Sweden’s first recreation is on Wednesday in opposition to host nation Italy, and nothing about that looks like a good battle. The Italian staff is well the worst staff within the subject and will likely be fortunate to be aggressive in any of their video games.
Rakell opened follow skating on Sweden’s third line subsequent to Mika Zibanejad and Elias Pettersson, whereas Karlsson was on the third-defense pairing alongside Philip Broberg.
I truly like this Sweden staff loads, and would possibly even go so far as to select them to win Gold. There simply will not be a weak point wherever. Their forwards are usually not fairly on the identical degree because the Canadian or American groups, however they’re nonetheless good. They additionally may need the very best defensive lineup from top-to-bottom in all the match, whereas additionally having three strong goaltending choices. You can in all probability discover a weak point for each different staff.
After enjoying Italy on Wednesday, Sweden performs what is perhaps essentially the most anticipated recreation of the preliminary spherical on Friday after they go in opposition to Finland.
They full group play on Saturday in opposition to Slovakia.
Sweden is fairly clearly one of many prime three or 4 gold medal contenders right here, and that ought to make them a favourite within the group. That recreation in opposition to Finland possible determines who will get the highest spot right here.
Next on the checklist is Canada and essentially the most outstanding Penguins participant — Crosby.
Crosby, who was named captain of the Canadian staff, opened follow skating on the third line between Mitch Marner and Mark Stone, which is an totally fascinating trio, and I’m undecided how nicely they mesh with Crosby’s most popular enjoying type of getting quick north-south guys subsequent to him. But Stone and Marner are good two-way gamers, and Stone particularly is a superb defensive presence on his wing. It can also be a positively staggering third-line by way of expertise, indicating simply how good Canada’s ahead depth is and the way good their top-tier gamers are.
Canada opens play on Thursday in opposition to Czechia after which performs Switzerland on Friday earlier than concluding group play on Sunday in opposition to France.
The Swiss have been a infamous thorn within the facet of Canadian Olympic groups through the years, and this Swiss staff is fairly good. So that’s going to be a compelling matchup, and Czechia won’t be a pushover. That is a tricky group for the Canadians, however they need to nonetheless be capable to get by way of it on the prime. There simply is perhaps a few shut video games in there.
Then we’ve got Silovs and Latvia.
Goaltending is the one potential energy of the Latvian staff, and it stays to be seen how a lot Silovs will play, if in any respect. Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins figures to be the No. 1 goalie going into the match.
Latvia opens match play on Thursday in opposition to the United States, earlier than enjoying Germany on Saturday and Denmark on Sunday.
Latvia might be the worst of the 4 groups on this group, and it will in all probability be a light upset to see them win any of their video games.
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