For the second straight Olympics, team Canada's men's hockey team is reigning supreme
after thoroughly dominating Sweden in the gold medal game in Sochi, Russia; winning 3-0. Team Canada last won the gold medal against the U.S. in Vancouver in 2010. They are the first undefeated Olympic champions since the Soviet Union went 7-0 in 1984.
Every so-called expert and analyst (at least on the Canadian side) said this is the best six-man defensive pairings that Canada has ever put on the ice. There have been greats and legends that have patrolled the blue line for Canada at international hockey events such as Bobby Orr, Larry Robinson, Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey. But, say the analysts, this is the first time Canada has iced six defensemen that each had stifling acumen. Carey Price picked up consecutive shutouts in the tournament, including the semi-final and championship game. Canada allowed only three goals the entire tournament, with Price allowing all three in wins against Norway (3-1) and Finland (2-1 OT) in the preliminary round. In the quarter-final game against Latvia, Price allowed the last one he would (2-1). Price then earned back-to-back shutouts in the semi-final against the United States (1-0) and the gold medal final against Sweden (3-0)
Roberto Luongo didn't allow any goals as he earned a shutout in his only game in the tournament against Austria (6-0). Luongo was the starting goalie in Vancouver in 2010, earning gold in his own right.
Canada went undefeated in the tournament, going 3-0 in the round-robin preliminary round defeating Norway, Austria and Finland. It took Canada an extra period to defeat the Finns 2-1. Canadian fans were made to worry a bit in their quarter-final game against Latvia, as their heroes narrowly beat the Latvian squad 2-1. Latvian goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis was insane during the game and only after Shea Weber scored late did Canada shut down the advancing Latvians. Gudlevski made an incredible 55 saves against the Canadian powerhouse team. He is under contract with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League. His NHL rights are owned by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He may be seeing the big city soon on a well-deserved call-up.
A lot of Canadians were up very early to patronize bars throughout the nation. Depending on where one lives, you could have been up at four in the morning to watch the gold medal game. Personally, I have never heard of a bar opening for six or seven a.m. to honor their customer's obsession for the national sport.
That's Canada folks.
And not to be a total sexist,
the Canadian women's team also claimed gold for the fourth Olympics in a row in Sochi with a 3-2 come-from-behind overtime win over their arch-rival Americans, 3-2. a game being described as one of the best comebacks by a Canadian team, women's or men's.
Canada is hockey.
