Olympic Ice Hockey

Canada, the two-time defending gold medalists in men's hockey, ended the preliminary round at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with a 4-0 victory over the host nation in a game that aired live Sunday in the United States.  

The victors received goals from Christian Thomas, Eric O'Dell, Maxim Lapierre and Gilbert Brule, as well as a strong performance from former New York Islanders goaltender Kevin Poulin, and wasted little time bouncing back from a 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic.

Although the Czech Republic already clinched the top spot in Group A with its win against Switzerland, Canada finished in the second spot with two victories. The loss marked the third straight in the preliminary round for South Korea following defeats to Switzerland (8-0) and the Czech Republic (2-1).

While the Canadian attack broke through with four goals, Poulin turned away every South Korean chance in front of a raucous and partisan crowd. He wasn't tested nearly as much as his counterpart, Matt Dalton, but he kept his side in the lead for stretches during the second period when it was clinging to a one-goal advantage and lost some of its initial control.

The talent disparity was clear across the ice, though, as Canada was faster to loose pucks, more physical on the boards and able to dictate play in the neutral zone.

As a result, it consistently peppered Dalton (49-19 advantage in shots on goal, per NBC Olympics) and continued creating opportunities in the attacking zone with a commanding 47-18 disparity in faceoffs won, per NBC Olympics.

It was a credit to Dalton that the final score was as close as it was, especially after Canada tallied 18 of the 23 shots on goal in the first period alone even though the host nation had two power plays in the opening 20 minutes.

It was only a matter of time before one of those shots got through, and Thomas broke the scoreless tie with a rocket over the left shoulder of Dalton after receiving a pass in stride as he streaked toward the goal.

As disastrous as the first period was for South Korea, it finally built some extended momentum in the second following a high sticking penalty that sent Mason Rudolph to the penalty box for four minutes.

Josh Clipperton of the Canadian Press noted Hyonho Oh paid the price for his team's golden opportunity:

Four-minute penalty to Canada's Mason Raymond for high-sticking. Looks like South Korea's Hyonho Oh might have lost a tooth. #Pyeongchang2018

— Joshua Clipperton (@JClipperton_CP) February 18, 2018

Poulin shone during the power play with multiple head-turning saves, and South Korea's brief momentum washed away in an instant when a rebound bounced off the back boards and directly on to O'Dell's waiting stick before he buried the second goal of the contest.

The outcome was never truly in doubt from there even when South Korea tested Poulin a few more times down the stretch.

Lapierre extended the lead when he carried the puck nearly the length of the ice on the right side and beat Dalton with a quick flick of his wrist, and Brule put the exclamation mark on the win with a power-play goal in the final two minutes.

While Canada is playing without the current NHL players who helped lead it to gold in the last two Winter Olympics, it looked the part of a medal threat Sunday with the majority of the offense and timely saves from Poulin.

It also has goaltender Ben Scrivens to turn to in the elimination rounds and will provide a stiff test to any of the remaining nations in the tournament.

The United States women's ice hockey team are just two wins away from Winter Olympics glory. They take on Finland in the first of two semi-finals on Monday.

Robb Stauber's team have been impressive in South Korea, picking up two wins in Group A and progressing to the last four automatically as a result. They are set to play the Finns for a second time in the competition, with the U.S. winning the teams' first meeting 3-1 after falling behind.

The other semi-final will see Canada take on the Olympic Athletes from Russia later in the day at the Gangneung Hockey Center.

Here are the latest odds for the tournament, the key viewing details for the United States' upcoming match and a preview of what's poised to be an exciting semi-final encounter.

            

Ice Hockey Odds

Outright Winners

United States: 4-5

Canada: 10-11

Finland: 20-1

OAR: 100-1

Odds are courtesy of Oddschecker and are accurate as of Sunday.

                          

Viewing Information

Date: Monday, February 19

Time: 4:10 a.m. (GMT), 11:10 p.m. (ET, Sunday)

TV Info: Eurosport (UK), NBC Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: Eurosport Player (U.K.), NBC Sports App (U.S.)

               

Team USA Out to Guarantee a Medal

Although the United States are big favourites to progress at Finland's expense, in the previous meeting between the two sides in Pyeongchang, the underdogs did give their illustrious opponents something of a scare.

An early goal from Venla Hovi put Finland in front, and for long spells, they frustrated the United States through a combination of strong defending and excellent goaltending from Noora Raty. However, the favourites found a way back.

Goals from Monique Lamoureux-Morando, Kendall Coyne and Dani Cameranesi got the United States off to a winning start.

They followed that up with a victory over the OAR, a much more comfortable 5-0 win, although they were disappointing in the 2-1 loss to rivals Canada. As USA Today's Dan Wolken noted, the States were extremely wasteful in that encounter:

My goodness, the US team has had some Grade A scoring chances in this game and just hasn't been able to bury anything.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) February 15, 2018

Finland don't have the same kind of class to cause the United States as many problems, but Stauber will want to see his players moving through the gears here ahead of a potential final against the defending champions.

Naturally, confidence will come with goals, and when they do go up against Finland, the coach will want to see his players taking a little more care when in possession of the puck.

They may also benefit from some cooler heads out on the ice. As journalist Alec Gearty shared, there were times when things boiled over against the Canadians:

Let's check on the United States and Canada...#PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/T7xDQZpuM3

— Alec Gearty (@gearty83) February 15, 2018

Against Finland, they will have a lot of possession and create a lot of chances. Patience will be vital to their progression.

If they don't show that composure, Finland are capable of punishing the States. In Hovi, they have a player who can be deadly in attack, while Raty has been one of the best netminders at the competition, something touched upon by Yahoo's Eric Adelson:

Noora Raty, Finland's goalie, wears No. 41 and has faced that many shots tonight. Two goals allowed. Superb performance.

— Eric Adelson (@eric_adelson) February 11, 2018

Even so, the United States will know what to expect from Finland this time around, and with a medal on the line, there should be more intent in their play from the off.

Finland sat on the blue line last time out, although it will important they showcase more attacking intent if they want to progress. However, the more enterprising they are, the easier it will become for their more technically gifted opponents to pick them off.

The United States and Canada's women's ice hockey teams are expected to take the final steps toward a rematch in the gold-medal game in Monday's semifinals.

Canada knocked off the U.S. in pool play to earn the top seed in the elimination round. With that, they face a bit of an easier task in the semifinals in the Olympic Athletes from Russia.

The 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship bronze medalist Finland awaits the U.S. in the semifinals.

All four teams played each other in Group A as part of an odd format in which the top four teams in the world compete in pool play with the two best squads earning automatic berths into the semifinals.

Canada topped Group A with nine points, while the United States took second with six points. Finland placed third by way of its victory over the Olympic Athletes from Russia.

Finland progressed to the semifinals with a victory over Sweden in the quarterfinals, while the Russians dispatched Switzerland.

                  

Monday Ice Hockey Schedule

Women's Semifinal: United States vs. Finland (11:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, event takes place on Monday in Pyeongchang, South Korea)

Women's Semifinal: Canada vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia (7:10 a.m. ET)

                   

United States To Benefit from Offensive Depth

The Americans' game plan against Finland should be similar to the one they implemented for the group-stage meeting between the teams.

In its opening victory of the competition, the U.S. bombarded the Finnish goal with efforts, scoring three goals off 42 shots.

The Americans need a better conversion rate in their semifinal clash in order to boost confidence and send a message to Canada that they are more than a threat to be topping the podium at the conclusion of the gold-medal game.

Although they have looked strong in attack, the Americans haven't received a ton of contributions from Meghan Duggan and Amanda Kessel.

With the potential for two of the biggest games of the past four years ahead, that pair has to step up and either score or provide a heavy presence in front of the net.

While most of the focus is on the talented attacking group, the U.S. defense must put in a strong showing as well.

If the Americans hold Finland to around 20 shots and a shutout, it should fly into the gold-medal game with a wealth of defensive momentum, which is needed against a Canadian team with a surplus of attacking options.

                

Poulin Expected to Shine for Canada

No one loves the big stage in women's hockey more than Canada forward Marie-Philip Poulin.

The 26-year-old has scored the game-winning goal in each of the past two gold-medal games, and she will use Monday's game as a tune-up for what could be her third shining moment at the Olympics.

Although the Olympic Athletes from Russia advanced to the semifinals, they are no match for the Poulin-led Canadians on the ice.

With Canada expected to bludgeon the Russian defense with scoring opportunities, a victory should be sealed up by the end of the second period.

Poulin is expected to be front and center in the push for goals as the Canadians look to leave no doubt about their prowess ahead of the final.

Expect the Canadian captain to score at least two goals, striking fear into the Russian defense and also sending a message that the veterans on the Olympic champion's roster are going to carry their young teammates to another title.

                  

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

The Olympic Athletes from Russia scored a 4-0 men's hockey victory over the United States on Saturday to win Group B at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Elsewhere, the Czech Republic edged Canada in a shootout to take control of Group A after two games. Switzerland and Slovenia also picked up victories in the men's tournament.

On the women's side, the Olympic Athletes from Russia and Finland posted dominant triumphs to join the heavily favored Canadians and Americans in the semifinals.

                               

Saturday's Hockey Results

Men (Group Play)

Czech Republic 3, Canada 2 (Friday night in U.S.)

If Thursday's blowout of Switzerland provided optimism Canada could contend for a gold medal without its herd of NHL superstars, Saturday's loss to the Czechs showed it won't be a cakewalk to the latter stages of the event for the typically dominant Canadians.

All four goals scored in the contest came inside the first 21 minutes. It was a defensive battle from that point forward as the sides remained deadlocked until a shootout, which the Czech Republic won with Jan Kovar supplying the winning tally.

Mason Raymond and Rene Bourque scored goals for Canada. Dominik Kubalik and Michal Jordan found the net for the 1998 gold medalists.

                        

Switzerland 8, South Korea 0

It appeared South Korea could exceed expectations after playing the Czechs tough in a 2-1 loss to open group play Thursday. The underdogs from the host nation couldn't keep it nearly as close against the Swiss, who scored five times in the third period.

The game wasn't quite as lopsided as the final score would indicate, though. The Koreans were only outshot 34-25, but they failed to take advantage of five chances on the power play, and it allowed Switzerland to pull away late.

Nevertheless, South Korea could prove a tough out once the knockout stage rolls around given the strong support of the home fans.

Group A play will finish Sunday with the Czech Republic taking on Switzerland and South Korea facing another uphill battle against Canada.

                            

Olympic Athletes from Russia 4, United States 0

The Russian team opened the tournament with a stunning 3-2 regulation loss to Slovakia. The sluggish start is now firmly in the past as the Russians were clicking on all cylinders to blow out the United States.

Ilya Kovalchuk and Nikolai Prokhorkin each scored twice, and the Russian defense stood tall with the Americans struggling to create many legitimate scoring chances throughout the contest.

A goal by Kovalchuk inside the final second of Period 2 to make it 3-0 was a particularly crushing blow for the U.S., as spotlighted by NBCSN:

Ilya Kovalchuk makes it 3-0 OAR with fractions of a second left in the second period. pic.twitter.com/WlwpxLZEux

— NBC Sports Bet (@NBCSportsBet) February 17, 2018

Vasily Koshechkin made 29 saves to earn the shutout.

                   

Slovenia 3, Slovakia 2

After a scoreless first period, Blaz Gregorc and Anze Kuralt scored power-play goals inside the first five minutes of the second to give Slovenia a 2-0 lead. But the Slovaks fought back with tallies by Milos Bubela and Marcel Hascak to force overtime.

Nobody could break the deadlock despite an entertaining back-and-forth extra period, so the game concluded with a shootout, which Slovenia won 2-1 for the bonus point.

Now the Group B teams will await their knockout stage assignments. The Russian team will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the United States, Slovenia and Slovakia must play in the qualification round for a chance to reach the final eight.

                         

Women (Quarterfinals)

Olympic Athletes from Russia 6, Switzerland 2 (Friday night in U.S.)

Lara Stalder actually gave Switzerland a 2-1 lead with just over eight minutes left in the second period, but the Russians answered with five unanswered goals to reach the semifinals.

Anna Shokhina led the offensive charge for the Russians with two goals and two assists. The OAR ended up lighting the lamp six times despite just 21 shots on goal.

The Russians advance to face Canada for a berth in the gold-medal game. The Canadians cruised to a 5-0 victory in a meeting between the teams during pool play.

                 

Finland 7, Sweden 2

Petra Nieminen scored just over six minutes into the game and Finland never looked back en route to a romp over their Nordic rivals from Sweden.

It was an impressive display from the Finnish squad, which peppered 31 shots on the Swedish goal and successfully killed off both penalties called against them.

Finland's win sets up a clash with Team USA in the semifinals. It's another group-play rematch, with the Americans earning the 3-1 victory, though the Finns held an early 1-0 lead. Saturday's blowout win suggests the United States is in for a serious challenge Monday (Sunday night at 11 p.m. ET in the U.S.).

The Olympic Athletes from Russia imposed their will in a 4-0 men's hockey win over the United States in Group B play at the 2018 Winter Olympics on Saturday. 

After taking a 1-0 lead at the end of the first 20 minutes, the Russian athletes put the game away with two goals in the second period. Ilya Kovalchuk delivered the big blow, scoring with 0.2 seconds remaining before intermission that increased Team USA's deficit to 3-0.

In two games since being upset by Slovakia in the opening game, the Olympic Athletes from Russia have outscored Slovenia and the United States by a combined score of 12-2.  

Team USA has looked sluggish throughout group play. The Americans blew a 2-0 lead in the opener against Slovenia, allowing three goals between the third period and overtime to start the Olympics on a sour note. 

Ryan Donato was able to get things going against Slovakia, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win to save the United States from losing its first two Olympic games for the first time since 1984. 

Saturday's showing against the Russian athletes was a lopsided affair. USA goalie Ryan Zapolski was a virtual unknown coming into the Olympics, but head coach Tony Granato has gone all-in on the 31-year-old. 

"If your goalie's nice and calm and confident and relaxed back there, your team plays like his personality in a lot of different situations," Granato told reporters about Zapolski prior to the Olympics. "That's one of the other things that we really liked from a staff perspective as we watched him all year is his calmness. He's deserved this opportunity to make this team."

Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press noted the dilemma Granato was facing once the Russian athletes took a 4-0 lead in the third period:

Tough spot for U.S. coach Tony Granato. Ryan Zapolski is his GUY in goal. Drop-off to Brandon Maxwell and David Leggio. And neither guy has played. Probably has to go back to Zapolski in qualification.

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) February 17, 2018

There was no miracle to be found for the United States against the Russians this time around, though the NHL on NBC Sports attempted to bring some of Herb Brooks' magic into this game:

#TeamUSA could really use a Herb Brooks speech rn pic.twitter.com/gdCUBs2lRN

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) February 17, 2018

Kovalchuk was the offensive hero of the game for the Olympic Athletes from Russia. He scored two goals in a span of two minutes between the end of the second period and start of the third.

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski offered this amusing take about Kovalchuk seemingly in response to the Brooks GIF:

The Ghost of Herb Brooks was about to enter the USA locker room for an intermission speech until he saw that Kovalchuk goal and was like, 'nah, I'm good' and floated off. That's according to the AP.

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) February 17, 2018

The Russian athletes also got a stellar showing from goalie Vasily Koshechkin. He stopped all 29 shots from the United States after allowing five goals in the past two games. 

By bouncing back after that opening-game loss, the Russian squad won Group B with a total of six points and earned an automatic bye into the quarterfinal round. 

Team USA will be forced to play in a qualification playoff game on Tuesday to keep its hopes of earning an Olympic medal for the first time since 2010 alive. 

The United States men's hockey team will try and build on a 2-1 win over Slovakia when it returns to the ice Saturday for a daunting showdown with the Olympic Athletes from Russia. 

The clash, which will air live Saturday morning in the United States, is tabbed for 9:10 p.m. in Pyeongchang, South Korea. 

The U.S. is currently perched atop Group B with four points (one win and one overtime loss), while the Olympic Athletes from Russia own three points by virtue of a dominant performance versus Slovenia. Their opener was a narrow 3-2 loss to Slovakia. 

Here's a look at when and where you can catch the action in the United States. 

Date: Saturday, Feb. 17

Time: 7:10 a.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com

Odds to win tournament: Olympic Athletes from Russia +105 (bet $100 to win $105); United States +1000 (via OddsShark as of Feb. 6)

    

Preview and Pick

As the odds indicate, the United States' medal hopes weren't exactly high entering play in Pyeongchang. 

However, the Americans' performance through the first two games of group play suggests they may be a tougher out than previously thought. 

Although the U.S. blew a 2-0 third-period lead and fell to Slovenia in its opener, the Red, White and Blue responded with a quality performance versus Slovakia buoyed by a pair of goals from Ryan Donato. 

"The experience we gained from losing that lead in Game 1 was, we had to play differently tonight," head coach Tony Granato said after the win, per the Los Angeles Times' David Wharton. "We had to stay on the attack a little more."

Against the OAR, the U.S. will have to channel that same approach. 

The Olympic Athletes from Russia have tied Finland with an Olympic-high 10 goals to this point in group play, and they've done so thanks to the one-two punch of Ilya Kovalchuk and Kirill Kaprizov.

Kaprizov leads all scorers with four goals through three games, while Kovalchuk—a two-time NHL All-Star—has found the back of the net twice.

That firepower will be tough to tame, but the U.S. should remain confident based on the way netminder Ryan Zapolski has performed to this point in the competition. 

Through two games, Zapolski has posted a save percentage of 91.5 and made 43 saves—which is tied for second among all goalies behind Norway's Lars Haugen. 

Conversely, OAR goaltender Vasili Koshechkin has allowed four goals on 27 shots for a save percentage just north of 85.0. 

Those figures should give the Americans hope, to be sure.

However, the OAR's relentless offense could pose problems for a U.S. defense that has struggled to piece together a complete 60 minutes. 

Prediction: OAR 4, USA 3 (OT)

Following a busy Thursday, the spotlight was on the men's ice hockey event Friday at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with four games throughout the morning.

Coming off the team's 3-2 overtime defeat to Slovenia, the United States faced off with Slovakia. The Olympic Athletes from Russia were also in action as they looked to rebound from their loss to Slovenia.

Over in Group C, Finland met Norway, while Sweden and Germany took the ice against one another to bring the day to a close.

Below is a brief overview for Friday's games.

    

Men's Ice Hockey Tournament

United States beats Slovakia, 2-1

Ryan Donato was the hero for the United States, as the Harvard Crimson star scored twice to help the United States earn a 2-1 victory over Slovakia. Donato's goal on 42 minutes, 51 seconds was the decisive tally in the game.

NBC Olympics shared a replay of the goal, which came with the U.S. on a power play:

Dangle. Celly. @donatoryan puts @usahockey in front in the 3rd! #WinterOlympics https://t.co/zLZMW4PPYO pic.twitter.com/SWEQkYSWLi

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2018

In its first game, the United States led 2-0 entering the third period before Slovenia scored twice and sent the game into overtime. Coach Tony Granato thought the loss aided the U.S. this time around.

"The experience we gained from losing that lead in Game 1 was, we had to play differently tonight," Granato said, per the Los Angeles Times' David Wharton. "We had to stay on the attack a little more."

Goaltender Ryan Zapolski was also pivotal in the win. He made 21 total saves, the most important of which came in the second period with the game tied 1-1. With Slovakia on the power play, Zapolski got a pad to a pair of close-range shots by Tomas Surovy.

        

Olympic Athletes from Russia beat Slovenia, 8-2

The other Group B game included none of the same drama, as the Russian team scored twice in the first period and didn't look back en route to an 8-2 win.

CSKA Moscow forward Kirill Kaprizov had a hat trick for the Russian team, and former NHL stalwart Ilya Kovalchuk chipped in with a pair of goals.

As if the goal total didn't properly highlight the distance between the two teams, the Russian athletes registered 34 shots on goal, compared to 15 for Slovenia. It was quite the turnaround for the Russian team, which mustered 22 shots and allowed 19 in its previous loss to Slovakia.

      

Finland beats Norway, 5-1

Finland exploded for three goals in the final period as it cruised past Norway 5-1 to claim first place in Group C on goal differential.

Norway took a 1-0 lead at the 6:29 mark of the first period with a goal from Patrick Thoresen, but Eeli Tolvanen tied the game on the power play 10 minutes later. Tolvanen then broke the deadlock in the second period before Veli-Matti Savinainen, Sami Lepisto and Sakari Manninen each added a goal in the third.

The Nashville Predators selected Tolvanen with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft. After Friday, many fans are already excited about the 18-year-old making the jump from the USHL to the NHL:

Look, I'm not trying to go all Finnish Fanboy here, but Tolvanen just scored on a breakaway with the sweetest little deke and backhand flip, five hole. Ridiculous -- pretty sure he's going to lead Preds in playoff scoring.

— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) February 16, 2018

My lord... Tolvanen with two more goals so far with Team Finland... damn I can't wait to see him in Pred colors.

— Paul McCann (@PredPAPaul) February 16, 2018

        

Sweden beats Germany, 1-0

A first-period goal from Viktor Stalberg was enough for Sweden to hang on to a 1-0 win over Germany, thus helping the Swedes keep pace with Finland through two games of the group stage.

Jhonas Enroth made 28 saves to blank Germany but rode his luck on numerous occasions. Dominik Kahun hit the post in the first period, which was the first of five German shots that deflected off the post over the course of the game.

While Sweden walked away victorious, coach Rikard Gronborg is likely to face questions about Rasmus Dahlin's lack of playing time. The 17-year-old was on the ice for a total of 4:36, which was the lowest for any Sweden player who appeared in the game.  

The United States women's hockey team earned a valuable few days of rest by finishing second in Group A.

Although the conclusion of pool play didn't produce the result the Americans wanted, they are still in a terrific position to advance to the gold-medal game.

Robb Stauber's team dropped into the second seed for the semifinal round after falling 2-1 to Canada Wednesday night.

Following a four-day break, the Americans are set to take the ice Monday against the winner of the quarterfinal game between Sweden and Finland.

                     

Date: Monday, February 19

Time: TBD

Live stream: NBCOlympics.com

Odds to win tournament (according to OddsShark): United States -120 (bet $120 to win $100)

                    

Focus Shifts to Earning Rematch with Canada

The United States came up short in the first meeting of the women's hockey giants at the Olympics, but despite the defeat, the Americans left the ice with a positive mindset.

The Americans pointed to their 45 shots on goal as something they can build on leading up to a potential rematch with Canada in the gold-medal game.

Forward Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson kept it simple, as she told USA Hockey's Harry Thompson all her team needs to do is finish more scoring opportunities:

"We have to find a way to bury those. It's as simple as that. We did a lot of things well today, and we'll take the positives out of this game and fix some things that we can fix. We had opportunities to tie this game, we just need to find a way to get more than one puck in the net if we're getting 45 shots on goal."

Despite conceding twice, the Americans put in one of their best defensive performances against the Canadians, as they only let up 23 shots on goal. Unfortunately, two of those went past goalie Maddie Rooney.

You can't say the U.S. gained a ton of confidence from the loss because it came against the team's most hated rival, but a moral victory of sorts was earned because the Americans had so many opportunities.

It all comes down to focusing on the semifinal opponent to earn the gold-medal clash.

Although they have lost three of the past four Olympic finals to Canada, the United States has come out on top in the past three IIHF Women's World Championships, with the past two wins over the Canadians coming in overtime.

While they are different competitions, it is worth noting this group of Americans has experience winning against Canada on the second-largest stage in the sport.

                      

Balanced Attack Should Propel Americans Into Gold-Medal Game

In the two games prior to the Canada loss, the Americans overwhelmed opponents with an attack that struck in a variety of ways.

The opening victory over Finland saw Monique Lamoureux-Morando Kendall Coyne and Dani Cameranesi find the back of the net in a 3-1 victory.

In the 5-0 win over the Olympic Athletes from Russia, Lamoureux-Davidson was the only player to record multiple goals, while Gigi Marvin, Hannah Brandt and Kacey Bellamy scored a goal each.

Coyne was the lone scorer in the defeat to Canada, while 10 different players fired off three or more shots.

It's a good thing for the Americans they don't have to rely on one scorer, but they also need someone to take command and net the meaningful goals in the elimination round like Marie-Philip Poulin has for Canada in each of the two most recent gold-medal games.

There are a number of candidates to fill that role, including Coyne, but it's time for Meghan Duggan and Amanda Kessel to step up.

The perfect opportunity for the pair of American leaders to get in the scoring column comes in the semifinals against either a Sweden team they can dominate or a Finland side they defeated in pool play.

Regardless of the opponent, the United States should come out firing from the first second with recording a lopsided victory in mind.

                     

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

The United States men's hockey team sits in a position it never could have imagined after its opening-game defeat to Slovenia.

The Americans go into Saturday's clash with the Olympic Athletes from Russia with the opportunity to win their group and set themselves up in an ideal situation for the elimination round.

While the men are still jockeying for position in pool play, the women's ice hockey tournament has reached the knockout phase.

A clash between Scandinavian neighbors with a spot in the medal round on the line headlines the pair of women's games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Saturday.

                   

Saturday Ice Hockey Schedule

Men's Group A: South Korea vs. Switzerland (2:40 a.m. ET) 

Women's Quarterfinals: Finland vs. Sweden (2:40 a.m. ET)

Men's Group B: Olympic Athletes from Russia vs. United States (7:10 a.m. ET)

Men's Group B: Slovenia vs. Slovakia (7:10 a.m. ET)

Men's Group C: Germany vs. Norway (10:10 p.m. ET)*

Women's Classification Round: Korea vs. TBD (10:10 p.m. ET)*

 *Indicates game occurs Sunday, February 18, in Pyeongchang.

All games can be live-streamed on NBCOlympics.com.

                

Americans Attempting to Top Group B

What was thought of as an unlikely achievement following the shocking loss to Slovenia is attainable for the United States Saturday.

The Americans have the opportunity to win Group B and earn a bye into the quarterfinals with a victory over the Olympic Athletes from Russia thanks to head-to-head triumphs over the Russians and Slovakia.

The squad, comprising primarily college and AHL players, recovered from the disappointing overtime defeat to Slovenia with a 2-1 victory over Slovakia Thursday night.

Harvard's Ryan Donato scored the game-winning goal in the third period for the Americans to give them four points from two games.

The game-winner came from close range near the right side of the net, as NBC Olympics shared via Twitter:

Dangle. Celly. @donatoryan puts @usahockey in front in the 3rd! #WinterOlympics https://t.co/zLZMW4PPYO pic.twitter.com/SWEQkYSWLi

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2018

Thursday's win over Slovakia, who upset the Russians in their opener, handed the Americans confidence heading into their most important clash of the competition to date.

By using Slovakia's blueprint, the Americans should be able to challenge the Russian squad, which is laced with former NHL players.

If the Americans pressure the puck and score early Saturday, their path to the medal rounds gets easier, as a win would lead to an automatic spot in the quarterfinals.

                      

Sweden, Finland Face Off in Women's Quarterfinals

Nordic rivals Sweden and Finland face off Saturday morning in the second of the two women's quarterfinals in Pyeongchang.

Finland is the more battle-tested team of the two after it went through Group A alongside semifinalists Canada and the United States.

The Finns lost to the two world powers by a combined score of 7-2, but they bounced back with a 5-1 win over the Olympic Athletes from Russia to finish third in Group A.

Sweden experienced a fantastic start in Group B, recording triumphs against Japan and the unified Korean team, but it failed to pass its biggest test. Switzerland beat Leif Boork's team 2-1, landing the Swedes in a knockout-round matchup with Finland.

Finland carried lofty goals into the tournament after a third-placed finish at the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship, and it will be one step closer to achieving a medal in Pyeongchang if it advances to the semifinals.

The Finns have the two of the best players on either roster in goalie Noora Raty and blueliner Jenni Hiirikoski, and they will be expected to limit the Swedes' scoring opportunities Saturday.

Sweden was able to get pressure on the net against Switzerland in its toughest game of pool play, as it fired off 34 shots, but only one of them beat Swiss goalie Florence Schelling.

If Sweden pulls off an upset, it will capitalize on offensive pressure led by Pernilla Winberg, who is one of the most dynamic forwards in the women's game.

                 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

The Russian men's ice hockey team bounced back from a shock opening defeat to Slovakia by thrashing Slovenia 8-2 at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Friday.

The Gangneung Hockey Centre was treated to an ice hockey clinic by the Russians as they took the lead late in the first period and never let up.

Kirill Kaprizov, 20, had a hat-trick, and veteran Ilya Kovalchuk scored two in an inspired performance from the 34-year-old.

Sergei Mozyakin, Ilya Kablukov and Alexander Barabanov were the other Russian scorers against a Slovenia side who were helpless to stop their overwhelming opponents. 

Their only consolations were captain Jan Mursak's goal in the second period that came when Slovenia were already trailing 5-0 and Ziga Pance's late finish. 

Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press summed up the Russian outfit's total dominance following their eighth goal:

This isn't fair anymore. Kirill Kaprizov scores and "Team Olympic Athlete From Russia" is up 8-1 on Slovenia, has 31 shots to 8.

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) February 16, 2018

The first period was relatively tight and looked as though it may end goalless until Slovenia lost a man to the penalty box with barely two minutes remaining.

OAR took advantage of their power play to go ahead through a Mozyakin rocket before Kovalchuk doubled  their lead 22 seconds later, firing home via a deflection.

The Russians came out pumped up for the second period and produced 20 minutes of incredible quality to put the game out of sight.

A deft finish from Barabanov finished a fine move for the Russian athletes' third six minutes into the second period. 

Some pure class from Kovalchuk then set up Kablukov for the fourth as he breezed through the Slovenia defence before putting it on a plate.

A tight-angle, first-time finish from Kaprizov made it 5-0 as he netted the third Russian goal in just over four minutes, before Mursak pulled one back.

Perhaps the goal of the game came from Kovalchuk, who slapped a bullet shot high into the net for 6-1 after superb one-touch hockey in the build-up.

Kaprizov scored two more early in the third period to complete his treble before the Russian athletes finally let up the intensity. Pance's slap shot earned Slovenia their second goal of the game 32 seconds from time.