USA: A lot of people are writing off the Americans, but I don't see why. Neither does defenseman Jack Johnson. These guys have talent. As mentioned in previous posts, goaltender Ryan Miller is at the top of his game. While Tim Thomas has struggled this season, he's the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. A change in scenery might propel him back to last year's excellence. They have depth on defense. (Ryan Whitney got the call to replace the injured Paul Martin.) This includes both physical, shutdown defenders like Brooks Orpik, as well as powerplay quarterbacks like Brian Rafalski. Offensively, they have the star power to put pucks in the net. Guys like Patrick Kane, Paul Stastny, and Zach Parise know how to score. They have the grinders as well. Ryan Malone falls into this category. They have what it takes to contend in Vancouver. They combine for seven Stanley Cup rings, not including GM Brian Burke, with many more Finals appearances. Most importantly, they are young and fast. Only five players were born before the Miracle On Ice.
Canada: Any hockey fan with a pulse will tell you that the Canadians are intense feeling pressure to win Gold. I'm telling you it's true, but I'm not going deeper than that. You're welcome. There's debate over whether GM Steve Yzerman has selected the best the country has to offer. That's trivial. Find one player on that roster that can't compete at the highest level. The only issue is their age. Nine players are over age thirty, including two defensemen over thirty five. Keep an eye on that.
Russia: The Russians are absolutely stacked on offense. Ilya Kovalchuk on the second line? Only because he's behind a guy named Ovechkin. They will score. And Score. And Score. Will they be able to keep the puck out of their ow net? Evgeni Nabokov has stood on his head this season (.928 SV%), but he has started eighteen games already in 2010. Fatigue may become a factor.
Sweden: The Swedes took Gold in Torino, but this time around I don't see them repeating. They will live and die by the play of Henrik Lundqvist, who backstopped the 2006 team. The two goalies behind him, Jonas Gustavsson and Stefan Liv of the Swedish Elite League, do not have what it takes to lead a team to the podium. This team has some studs, but I don't think they have the depth other countries do. The Sedin twins will tear it up, as will Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Backstrom. However, this team features a lot of players past their prime. Six players on this squad were born before 1975. They will miss the presence of grinder Tomas Holmstrom, who is out with a knee injury.
Finland: This country produces more quality goaltenders than previously thought possible. But none of the three making the trip to Vancouver (Niklas Backstrom, Mikka Kiprusoff, and Antero Nittymaki) have been true standouts in 2009-10. This team has a lot of recognizable names, but few true stars. Don't expect the Silver Medal they earned in Torino.
Czech Republic: As with Finland, a lot of these players will sound familiar, but none of them are elite players. Does Tomas Vokoun still have what it takes to continue the goaltending dominance set forth by Dominik Hasek? I don't think so. Any team with Jaromir Jagr is destined for failure.
At the end of the day, nobody will be able to compete with Canada, as long as they play to their full potential. Sweden will be pushed by the Americans, but we've seen how successful Detroit has been with the European style of hockey. One thing to keep an eye on is that the games will be played on an NHL rink, not one with the typical oversized International dimensions. Chalk up an advantage to any team with a roster full of NHL players. (USA and Canada) The rosters for all teams can be found here.
Prediction:
Gold: Canada
Silver: Russia
Bronze: Sweden
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