PRE-GAME STUFF
- PRE-GAME: As noted, Team Canada scratches against Norway include Colorado's Matt Duchene, Montreal's PK Subban, and Phoenix's Mike Smith. All are first-time Olympians.
- PRE-GAME: Kelly Hrudey says Tavares looked nervous in the practices alongside Crosby on the powerplay. Gonna guess that won't be a problem once the game gets going.
- PRE-GAME: Team Canada women's hockey team has arrived. They'll play Monday in the semi-final after downing Team USA 3-2 yesterday.
- PRE-GAME: Glenn Healy is between the benches for the game. Thank whomever you pray to that it's not Pierre McGuire. Slightly better, but still not McGuire-awful.
- PRE-GAME: Mike Babcock seems focused. And it sounds like he doesn't give a damn about equal playing time or who plays with whom. It's all about playing well and recording the win!
- PRE-GAME: Canada opened the Vancouver Olympic Games by downing Norway 8-0. Same result? Better? Does Carey Price give up a goal?
- PRE-GAME: Don Cherry calls a 7-1 win for Canada as they work out lines and figure out the big ice. Do you agree with that score?
FIRST PERIOD
- Lars Haugen gets the call for Norway. They finished 10th in Vancouver, and have 13 returning players for the Sochi Olympics.
- Alex Pietrangelo with the first good chance for Canada. Haugen turns it aside. Good start to this game for both teams.
- "West Coast Express" of Getzlaf, Perry, and Marleau on the ice. Ironically, joined on defence by Drew Doughty. Babcock going regional on this line.
- Four minutes in, and the Toews line is being matched against the Zuccarello line for Norway. Patrick Thoresen of the KHL could be dangerous.
- Carey Price looks sharp thus far.
- People seem to be worried if Canada doesn't score in the first period. Americans had one goal in the first period against Slovakia. Just relax, everyone.
- Tollefsen lays out the first big hit on John Tavares. Who had money on Tollefsen with the first big hit? Yeah, me neither.
- Norway with about eight guys on the ice. They take the penalty, sending Canada to their first power play of the Olympics. Call your scorer!
- I know that they are playing on the big ice, but this Canadian power play seems to be struggling with the off-sides. C'mon boys!
- Haugen proving the adage "You goalie is your best penalty-killer" to be true with that save on Crosby. Canada needs to just start putting pucks on net.
- For everyone who is worrying, Canada and Norway played to a 0-0 tie in the first period in Vancouver. Seems to be going as planned here in Sochi.
- Consider yourself lucky that the CBC is in Sochi, fans. Apparently Pierre McGuire is absolutely unbearable with his commentary on NBC right now.
- Full credit to Norway for not backing down from the Canadians. But the size of Canada may wear down the Norwegians over time.
- Norway is collapsing a ton of players around Haugen. Might be time to drive deep, send it back to the point, and let the defencemen tee it up.
- Canada sending more rubber towards Haugen now. He's a good KHL goalie, and he needs to be tested. More shots is the right cure for that donut on the scoreboard.
- Ryan Getzlaf trips up a Norwegian player, and will sit for a couple of minutes or less. And he feel shame. Canada to the first PK of the night!
- Carey Price wants this game. He's made a number of good saves after not seeing a lot of action in the last ten minutes.
- Scoreless first period is a replay of the Canada-Norway game in Vancouver. Canada leads in shots 9-8, and both goalies look solid. Coach's Corner on CBC next!
FIRST INTERMISSION
- Don Cherry says things are fine. I'm gonna go with Grapes.
- Grapes talks Tollefsen. Sounds like he'd like Tollefsen if he were Canadian.
- Cherry watched Russian practices all week?
- Cherry illustrates the four-man Russian blue line. Interesting.
- Grapes gets to talk Bruins hockey as Bergeron gets some airtime.
- Don Cherry says "no panic". Live it, Canada. Stay calm.
- Doughty led Canada in ice-time at 8:07 through the first period.
- Patrick Marleau had three of Canada's nine shots.
- In case you hadn't heard, Sweden's Henrik Zetterberg has been diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back. Sweden has not announced whether he will play in their next game.
- Mats Zuccarello played over eight-and-a-half minutes in the first period for Norway. He was on the ice for the entire Norwegian power play.
SECOND PERIOD
- Kunitz gets a shot on net. Welcome to the Olympics!
- I shouldn't have to remind anyone, but Haugen is a good goalie. I like the traffic Canada is sending to the front of the net now, though.
- No offence to Canada, but I saw that Rick Nash shot coming from a mile away. Canada needs to get Haugen moving. He squares up far too well.
- Canada carrying the play in this period. Far better possession. This should please Mike Babcock as they move forward.
- Shea Weber finds some space on the delayed penalty, and Nashville's defenceman hammered home a beauty! 1-0 CANADA!
- Credit to Jamie Benn on that play for creating and drawing the penalty as well. Keith and Bergeron draw the assists on the first Canadian goal!
- Canada asserting itself in this period.They look much more confident with the puck at this point. Especially the fourth-line!
- Puck rattles off a swollen Norwegian goal post. Haugen and three other defender-netminders kept the puck out as Canada swarmed. Ice is starting to tilt.
- Number of shots taken by Norway in this period? Zero.
- Canadian hockey fan in a black jersey is now working with the Russian cheerleaders. Unfortunately, cheerleading is not a medal event in Sochi.
- Tollefsen tried to erase Jamie Benn from existence. Both players shook off that hit and are back on their feet.
- If you're not watching TSN2 (and you're probably not), the Russian women's team leads 2-0 over Sweden. Alexei Yashin looks like a genius right now.
- Every time Canada has the puck below the face-off dots, there are four Norwegians standing in the crease. Collapse much?
- Jamie Benn, also of the Canadian "fourth-line", rips a wrist shot high, and Canada lights the lamp once more! 2-0 CANADA!
- FYI: that is Canada's 13th shot this period. Norway has none thus far.
- Patrice Bergeron is looking for a player of the game award after that pass on Benn's goal.
- Bergeron only has World Junior, World Championship, Olympic, and Spengler Cup gold medals at home along with a Stanley Cup ring. The guy is a winner.
- Canada back to the PK. Bergeron is back out there. Canada needs to figure out how to clone this guy for internationl hockey purposes.
- Canada is 2-for-2 on the PK. And back to controlling the game.
- Duncan Keith whistled for holding. No worries about the Lady Byng here.
- Canada will go into the second intermission with the 2-0 lead. Not quite the 8-0 win from Vancouver yet, but we still have 20 minutes to play.
SECOND INTERMISSION
- Crowd here at Boston Pizza has really picked up. Only a few random open seats in the lounge! Head down if you're reading this!
- Canada's Jennifer Jones downed Miriam Ott earlier this morning to push her record in Olympic curling to 5-0! Go Team Canada!
- I'd talk about figure skating, but I'm pretty clueless on the whole thing. All I know is that Patrick Chan made one mistake today in the short program. He's second!
- Other scores from today: the USA downed Slovakia 8-1; Russia beat Slovenia 5-2; Finland beat Austria 8-4. Teemu Selanne left that game with a minor tweak.
- Both Canada goals came off the ice on Haugen's blocker side. Might be a weakness that Canada can exploit in the third period.
- I'm not sure that Jeff Carter is the answer on Crosby's right side yet. They might want to look at changing that up in the coming days.
THIRD PERIOD
- Duncan Keith starts the third period in the penalty box.
- Olimb's pinballed shot on the PP finds room behind Price. 2-1 CANADA.
- Duncan Keith leaves box. Feels shame.
- And a pinching Drew Doughty restores the two-goal lead as he goes backhand high on the blocker side on Haugen! 3-1 CANADA!
- Replays on the Norway goal shows Thoresen making contact with the puck. Might be a scoring change coming up.
- Yes, I've slowed down a bit. Lunch is interfering.
- Glenn Healy talks about the use of Canada's blue line. I made that observation in the first period. Canada needs to use the points on the collapsing defence.
- Luongo looks bored. He's lining up water bottles and sport drinks for Price as he makes his way to the bench. Someone get him an ottoman.
- Crosby and his line gooning it up in front of Haugen. They've been quiet.
- Crowd here at Boston Pizza with good chatter, but relatively quiet. Like the team they're cheering for in Sochi.
- Dirty Norwegian slew-footed Perry. Perry will be fine. Canada to the PP.
- Canada PP strategy: one-timers for Weber. Clean up the rebounds.
- Chris Kunitz with a hit from behind, and he's gonna sit for at least two. First impact of the game for Kunitz.
- Offsetting minors as Norway was whistled for an invisible slash. Canada cannot convert on the power play, though.
- Everyone talks about Bouwmeester's skating. How about his scoring? Otherwise, the figure skating and speed-skating venues are elsewhere.
- Two-and-a-half remaining, and it appears both teams are content with the the 3-1 score. Canada still taking shots, but nothing looks dangerous.
- Glenn Healy: "Canada has continued to execute." Is he watching the same game?
- Bergeron whistled for tripping, and he doesn't even protest. Norway will close out the last 1:39 with a PP unless, of course, they make it interesting.
- Norway calls a timeout. You have to wonder if they are making plans to ask some of the NHLers for autographs or stick exchanges.
- That'll do it, folks! Horn sounds, and Canada escapes with the 3-1 victory in a rather uneventful opening game. Tomorrow, Canada and Austria will battle!
POST-GAME STUFF
- Canada wins 3-1 in a rather uneventful game. I'd imagine Mike Babcock will be happy, but will certainly tell everyone that they have stuff to improve upon for the Austria game.
- Shea Weber, Drew Doughty, and Patrice Bergeron are your three stars in 1-2-3 order. No arguments there.
- In women's hockey, Russia downed Sweden 3-1, and will face Switzerland in the quarterfinal on Saturday. Finland and Sweden will renew rivalries in the Scandinavian quarterfinal.
- Women's quarterfinals will go Saturday. Canadian women won't see action again until Monday in the semi-finals.
- Martin St. Louis finished the game +1 with no points. Just saying.
- Canada was never really in trouble in this game, and Carey Price looked fairly sharp. There's some work to be done, though.
- Bergeron was asked by NBC about playing a different role on the wing by Mike Babcock. His response? "Whatever it takes." That's why this guy wins.
- Shea Weber on what he liked: "We got better as the game went on." Agreed.
- Shea Weber on what he didn't like: "We were too fancy." AGREED!
Huge thanks to Boston Pizza for hosting me today, and we'll be back later this evening for more fun, more great food, and a few good beverages after the show!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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