The wait is finally over, as all men’s ice hockey rosters were finalized today while the players took the ice today for their first full practice before their first games take place tomorrow and on Wednesday. We’re here for you to give you a brief preview of what our Sharks may be up to as they get ready to start their own Olympic journeys.
Team USA. Ron Wilson announced last week that Joe Pavelski will center a line with teammates Phil Kessel and Ryan Malone as USA takes on Switzerland. Nothing came up in the news today to indicate any other line combination for Pavs. USA – Switzerland, noon PT and the game is on channel USA.
Team Canada. No surprises there today, as we’ve learned on CTV that the HTML line practiced together and are planning to play as a line. The only question is, how many points will they rack up against poor Norway? What’s more interesting is that Dan Boyle was splitting time with Drew Doughty at the first full Team Canada practice playing alongside Chris Pronger. Are they really competing against each other? Canada is taking on Norway at 4.30pm PT and the game is on CNBC.
Team Russia. Sport Express reports that Vladislav Treatiak, Russia’s GM and also a goalie coach, has not yet made a call on who will start against Latvia in Russia’s first game and that the starter will be named shortly before the game. Coach Zakharkin indicated earlier that Evgeni Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov will share the time during the group stage of the tournament, and that no one will be named a starting goalie until the knockout stage. In other news, Alexei Morozov was named a Captain of Russia, with Ilya Kovalchuk and Alex Ovechkin as his assistants. And since you’re dying to know, Ovechkin practiced on the line with Datsyuk and Semin today. Talk about speed. Russia is taking on Latvia at 9pm PT and the game is on CNBC. UPDATE: Russian TV is reporting that Nabokov will start in the first game.
Team Sweden and Germany. Our friends Douglas Murray and Thomas Greiss will square of against each other in a first Sharks match up in this competition, but the two are not playing until Wednesday. As a result, there aren’t too many news just yet out of those hockey camps. Speaking of Murray, wouldn’t that be something if Murray was paired up with Niklas Kronwall? If our Swedish or German readers have any other news to report out of Camp Sweden or Germany, please add them in your comments. In other news, Mule did make the roster, which increases the chances of Sweden for a repeat of gold, while some Canadians wonder if Murray is even Swedish. Sweden is taking on Germany on Wednesday, 430pm PT on CNBC.
Ivano’s Prediction: HTML lines nets at least one hat trick, while Nabby watches his game with a clip board in his hands. Greiss almost shocks Sweden, and Goc and Murray do reunite on the ice, in an encounter that is not in the favor of our favorite former Sharks blogger.
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