Coming off the biggest win in their nation’s hockey history in over 30 years, the USA will look to go undefeated in the group stage of competition when they square off with the surprising 1-1 Slovenes today.
The game is scheduled to start at 12:30 GMT.
In the UK, the game airs live on BBC’s red button service, while live coverage is available online with bet365.
Preview:
You couldn’t have asked for a better end to a better game than the shootout in the United States-Russia showdown on Saturday. A 2-2 contest was decided on the sticks of 8 shootout attempts, with the Americans coming out on top thanks to the heroics of goaltender Jonathan Quick, and the coming-out party of forward T.J. Oshie.
Oshie, 27, is a member of the St. Louis Blues, and probably one of the more unknown commodities on the team. Prior to the tournament, he was regarded by pundits as likely a #12-14 forward, who would see limited ice time behind a stacked American forward corps. Saturday’s performance, where he went 4-for-6 in the shootout to carry the Americans to victory, has brought him to the forefront of the American hockey consciousness, though. You can be sure that, on the back of his heroics, and the nation-wide fame he has accrued, Oshie is going to a player the opposition keys in on further from here on out.
Goaltender Jonathan Quick was also magnificent in the game, his second consecutive start of the tournament. He has been wonderful in allowing just 3 goals in the first two contests, but it is likely that he will take a seat on Sunday afternoon, in lieu of Vancouver 2010 starter Ryan Miller. As Miller is unlikely to get a start during the knockout phase of the competition, Sunday represents perhaps his only chance to tend goal for the team this Olympics. He is still a more than capable choice for the Americans though, and gives them an excellent chance to win.
The biggest stunner of the group stage of the tournament was surely tiny Slovenia’s 3-1 stunner over 7th ranked Slovakia. Entering the game as heavy, heavy underdogs, the Slovenes rode the hot hands of their captain Anze Kopitar, and their goaltender Robert Kristan, to their first Olympic victory.
As the only NHL’er on the Slovene team, Anze Kopitar was always going to be a focal point of the team’s offense. He has looked wonderful in the two games for his nation too, providing a goal and an assist in heavy minutes, in all situations. That he has been focused in on by the key defensemen for both the Russians and the Slovaks has been of no consequence to the highly-skilled center, and you can expect much of the same against the Americans.
Whereas Kopitar is a known commodity in the hockey world, goaltender Robert Kristan is completely unheralded, and his remarkable performance against the Slovaks served notice that he is a more than capable starting goaltender. He made 27 saves, including some highlight reel ones in the first two period, to give his team a chance at victory. He is surely going to get the start for the Slovenes on Sunday, unless they are going to attempt to rest him in what is going to be an extremely difficult game for them to win.
The Americans are going to be on an emotional high from their win over the Russians on Saturday, so it is altogether possible that they will stumble out of the gate against the Slovenes. It is highly unlikely, however, that the stumble will last the full 60 minutes, so take it for what it is.
The only way the Slovenes stand even the remotest chance of a victory is if Kristan again stands on his head, and Kopitar manages a virtuoso performance up front. Were they to somehow pull out a miraculous regulation time victory over the Americans, they would be the winners of Group A. The odds of them doing that at the beginning of the tournament were absolutely astronomical. Great story, indeed.
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Leigh is, without a doubt, the most over worked writer here at Crunch Sports. A statistician at heart, she can reel off Superbowl plays from decades ago. If we need a deep-dive into the numbers in any sport, we call Leigh first.
