gusman
02-24-2010, 11:10 AM
Wed, Feb 24 (Day13), 7:00p PT
What's at stake: A semi-final date against the winner of the Switzerland-U.S. game. Finland defeated the Czech Republic 4-2 in round-robin play during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, en route to a silver medal. The Czechs won bronze. Both teams finished the preliminary round with identical 2-1 records, but the Finns earned the bye directly into the quarter-finals on the basis of goal differential. Both teams lost their final round-robin games on Super Sunday, Finland to arch rival Sweden, the Czechs to Russia.
Who to watch: Finland has the capacity to light it up offensively, even if they were shut out by the Swedes in their final tune-up for the medal round, but goaltending is usually the focal point, with Miikka Kiprusoff, in his Olympic debut, matched against the Czech Republic's Tomas Vokoun, who is having an outstanding tournament as well. Jaromir Jagr v. Teemu Selanne, two of the game's brightest stars from the past two decades, who are in the twilights of their respective careers, is a compelling back story.
What's at stake: A semi-final date against the winner of the Switzerland-U.S. game. Finland defeated the Czech Republic 4-2 in round-robin play during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, en route to a silver medal. The Czechs won bronze. Both teams finished the preliminary round with identical 2-1 records, but the Finns earned the bye directly into the quarter-finals on the basis of goal differential. Both teams lost their final round-robin games on Super Sunday, Finland to arch rival Sweden, the Czechs to Russia.
Who to watch: Finland has the capacity to light it up offensively, even if they were shut out by the Swedes in their final tune-up for the medal round, but goaltending is usually the focal point, with Miikka Kiprusoff, in his Olympic debut, matched against the Czech Republic's Tomas Vokoun, who is having an outstanding tournament as well. Jaromir Jagr v. Teemu Selanne, two of the game's brightest stars from the past two decades, who are in the twilights of their respective careers, is a compelling back story.