OLYMPIC HOCKEY PREVIEW 2010

Here's just a quick preview of the way I expect things to shake out these Next two weeks.



TEAM CANADA

Canada brings perhaps one of the most talented and well balanced rosters ever into Vancouver this year. They are so loaded with scoring power, defensive skill, and 3 of the best goaltenders in the business. They also did a good job balancing youth like Sidney Crosby and Jonathon Toews with experienced players like Chris Pronger and Joe Thornton. Most of Canada expects gold from this team, especially on their home ice.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Sidney Crosby- the most talented and well rounded player in the entire Olympics and should be Canada's driving force

Rick Nash- brings an amazing skill set to Vancouver, with an incredible ability to score and help teammates

Dany Heatley- found his scoring touch of recent, and should put points on the board for

Chris Pronger- no denying Pronger's skills in indimidation, experience, and puck movement

Martin Brodeur- holds NHL shutout record, and with a few slight exceptions, is in prime form so far this year.


MY PREDICTION: GOLD

TEAM RUSSIA Russia has all of the offensive firepower to hang with and perhaps surpass the likes of Canada and Sweden. Their only flaw is that they are slightly top heavy, and their defense may not be as strong as Canada. They do have enough to get by and be a major factor in every game they play. Expect them to be a serious contender.


PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Evgeni Malkin- getting hot at just the right time, and should lead Russia's attack

Alex Ovechkin- character issues asside, Ovechkin is one of the most gifted players ever with an unreal wrist shot

Ilya Kovalchuk- expect him to do what he does best, which is put the puck in the net

Anton Volchenkov- one of the best fundamental defensemen and the best Russia has to offer

Evgeni Nabokov- by far Russia's best goalie and should get the majority of starts for team Russia



MY PREDICTION: SILVER




TEAM SWEDEN

After taking gold in Torino, Sweden is back to contend once again. They should be a quiet contender, and stay under the radar which will mostly be covered with Canada, Russia, and the United States. Sweden has a powerful lineup this year, and should once again contend for a medal.


PLAYERS TO WATCH:



Sedin twins- grouped together because of how well they compliment each other. Look for this dynamic duo to make some noise


Peter Forsberg- biggest X factor of this years Olympics because nobody knows how good he can still be

Henrik Zetterberg- anchored Detroit's attack for years now and should be a factor in Sweden's powerplay

Nicklas Lidstrom- most experienced defenseman on the team, and his play has not slowed down yet

Henrik Lundqvist- top goaltender for Sweden who should see the majority of time



MY PREDICTION: BRONZE




TEAM USA
Team USA is a young group of guys without much experience, but with a lot of talent. They probably do not have the experience to medal, but their raw talent should give them the ability contend. If they play well together as a team, however, they can compensate for that lack of experience and be a serious medal threat.


PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Zach Parise- probably the USA's best scorer and if he stays healthy he should be a major player in their sucess

Patrick Kane- one of the top young talents for the USA and should be used frequently in all situations

Brooks Orpik- shutdown defenseman and intimidating presence not only on the blue line but everywhere he moves to on the ice

Ryan Miller- top USA goalie and likely the only one equipped to deal with the Olympic pressure



MY PREDICTION: 4th



OTHER COUNTRIES IN CONTENTION

Belarus

Czech Republic Finland
Germany
Latvia Norway Slovakia Switzerland