Tsiouxnami

Start of 2nd. . . weird thing happened. Canada is sent to the box. (Bertuzzi is serving the diving penalty.) No one, including Canada's bench, the announcers, etc. seemed to know that a penalty had been assessed? (Must have been at the end of the 1st, as they had not even dropped the puck to start the 2nd.) The announcers commented on the fact that it was not on their official Olympic computer? Odd. . . . see, there is a conspiracy! On another note, Gagne is expected to return at some point in the game. When asked what the injury was the announcers were told "a lower body thing." Boy, that clears it right up, doesn't it?

End of 1st Canada/Russia game - 0-0. Brodeur has to be strong again today as Russia outplayed Canada that period. Scoring chances were around 8 or 9 to about 2 or 3. Canada better pick up their play as I don't think Brodeur will be able to keep Malkin and Ovechkin off the board the whole game. And I don't think Nabokov will let in the soft goals that Vokoun did yesterday either!

Gagne goes down on a hip check from Darius Kasparaitis. . . leaves ice unable to put any pressure on his right leg. YIKES! Bet the NHL teams are LOVIN' this tourney!!

Miller is a great goaltender, although, I don't feel goaltending was our biggest problem (contrary to what was being said before the tourney started). Finding the back of the net was such a struggle. I just don't get it.

Come on . . . .we came away with something in Nagano. . . . a $1,000 room trashing bill!

I thought I heard that the NHL contract for the Olympics only goes to 2010. I, too, would LOVE to see it go back to college kids playing. I know it would be a tall order, what with the Russian super leagues, etc. But would still be fun to see players play with some heart/pride!!

Hey, they finished with a better record than our "pros" did. AND they did it by knocking off two powerhouse teams!

On another note. . . . some humor here. Perhaps the win by Finland could be overturned. At one point in the game, Sami Salo and Ville Peltonen (both Finnish players) ran into each other. Salo took an awkward spill, landing on his side with his arm extended. They were showing him on the bench, grimmacing in obvious pain. . . shoulder injury. Anyway, they cut away and then went back to him. While the camera was doing a close up on him, a trainer handed him a pill of some kind and some water. He took it. Even the announcers commented on what he could take that wouldn't affect a drug test . . .aspirin??? Anyway. . on that note. . . I think Finland should be tested for doping!! Geez, they are doing it right there on the bench!! 6-0. . . I see a corrulation here!!!

As the Jeopary theme plays in the background. . . . . . . . "What is. . . . . .hmmmm, Alex, that appears to be a trick question!" There really were so many players that just seemed to disappear over the course of this tourney. If those are the best the US has to offer, well. . . . .we are in trouble!

Unfortunately, we can't really even blame the refs here. Yeah, the Hatcher call was a joke, but they didn't score on that penalty. It was the ones prior to that that were costly.

Sorry, momentary lapse here. US goes home with a 4-3 loss to the Finns. It really is too bad, as we shot ourselves in the foot with penalties. We could have beaten them, if we had just stayed out of the box. Finland improves to 6-0 and the US finishes a dismal 1-4-1 for the tourney.

50 seconds left. . . empty net US.

US SCORES - Gionta with 1 second left on the power play!! YES!!! 4:20 left in regulation! COME ON!!

Cole draws a penalty from Koivu. . . .back to 4 on 4 with under 6 minutes to go. US desperately needs a goal!!!

WOW - USA discipline has gone right out the window. Tkachuk takes a STUPID hooking penalty in the offensive zone. Gomez gets a 10 for shooting the puck towards one of the linesmen after that call. Smart hockey men, smart hockey!

US kills off Gionta penalty. Best scoring chance was actually one by Jason Blake on a short handed attempt. 12:30 gone.

Gionta goes for hooking about 10 seconds after Hatcher penalty expires and about 2 seconds after US power play ends. About 10 minutes left to play.

4 on 4, Drury gets hauled down on a short handed breakaway. Could have been a penalty shot, called hook instead. At least gets us back to even strength hockey, as there was still 1:57 left on the Hatcher call. 9 minutes gone in the 3rd.

US gets screwed on a call by the linesman. . . 4 minutes of power play for Finland. Selanne gets cut on a Hatcher follow through on a clearing attempt. (Selanne was down on the ice.) No high stick or anything. Ref lets it go, linesman calls major. . . blood was drawn, but there should have been no call (even announcers are saying this was a bad call. . no penalty). It was one of those unfortunate accidents. UGHHHH!!

Here we go boys, play big or go home. 1 minute gone in 3rd period.

Sweden moves on, Swiss go home. . . . 6-2.

2nd period comes to a close. Finland leading US 4-2. US needs to figure out how to stay out of the box as both Finland goals game on the the power play that period. (And actually, both came at the tail end of 5-on-3's.) They have a bit of a hole to dig themselves out of, and judging by the scoring struggles they have had, it may be too much to ask. GO, USA!!!!

DiPietro comes up huge on an odd-man rush. USA turns it around to a 2-on-1 the other way. . . .of course, no score.

That took all of 30 seconds. . . . . 4-2 Finland. They will still have a man advantage for the next 1:29. (17:20 into 2nd.)

Come ON guys. . . . .50 seconds of 5-on-3. . . Schneider takes a cross checking. We don't need to go down by 2 here.