Canada, Sweden Going For Gold
Henrik Lundvist and Carey Price will be pivotal in deciding the gold medal, Sunday.
The XXII Olympic Winter Games come to a close Sunday with the gold medal game of the men’s ice hockey tournament.
In a matchup that pits the champions of the last three Olympiads against each other, Canada and Sweden will take to the ice looking to return home as the best of the best.
Face-off at the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi, Russia, is scheduled for 7:00 a.m. ET.
While the fairytale finale between Russia and the United States that so many coveted never materialized, Sunday’s headliner bears all the elements of being a worthy final chapter for what has been an intriguing tournament, not least because of the recent pedigree of both sides.
Canada takes to the ice in Sochi looking to become the first hockey team to win a gold medal in consecutive tournaments since the then-Soviet Union finished first in 1984 (Sarajevo, Yugoslavia) and 1988 (Calgary, Canada).
The Canadians took gold in Salt Lake City in 2002 before repeating the feat in Vancouver in 2010. Each time the team from the United States was forced into second place.
Between these two successes, Sweden emerged as gold medalists in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, defeating Finland in the final to complete an all-European podium finish.
Sweden also won gold at the 1994 games in Lillehammer, Norway. That night, the Swedes defeated Canada 3-2 following a shootout in the gold medal game. Could this be an omen?
In addition to recent pedigree, the fact that Canada and Sweden will contest the gold medal is a fitting finish to how this tournament has played out.
Sweden was the only team to finish the group stage perfect, recording nine-from-nine points in regulation victories over the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Latvia.
Par Mart’s team went on to comfortably beat Slovenia in the quarterfinals before facing a tight semifinal against Nordic rivals, Finland.
The Finns took a second period lead on Olli Jokinen’s goal before Sweden answered with goals from Loui Erikkson and Erik Karlsson to close out the period. A scoreless third period saw Sweden win 2-1 and advance to the gold medal game.
Sweden will now look to live up to its No. 1 IIHF world ranking and topple Canada in the final.
Canada arrives in the final with the stingiest defense in the tournament. The Canadians, thanks in a big part to netminder Carey Price, have allowed just three goals in five games. That defense has seen the side press methodically onwards.
Canada began the tournament with wins over Norway and Austria before being a pivotal clash with Finland to close out the group stages of the competition. Mike Babcock’s side went to and fro with the No. 2 ranked side in the world, eventually winning 2-1 in overtime to win Group B and score a bye to the quarterfinals.
Canada faced a stiff test against the tournament’s biggest surprise, Latvia, a team that failed to win during the group stage before eliminating Switzerland in the playoff round.
A narrow, and hard-fought, victory saw the Canadians advance to Friday’s semifinal with the United States, an encore of the 2010 gold medal game.
In a game that saw 67 combined shots on goal, it was defense that shone brightest as Price blanked all 31 shots hurled towards him. Jamie Benn’s goal early in the second proved to be the difference, as Canada emerged with a 1-0 victory, setting up Sunday’s showdown with Sweden.
So, will Canada’s iron curtain-like defense hold off against the Swedes, or will offense finally take center stage in Sochi?
Olympic Gold Medal Game: Sweden vs. Canada odds for 02/23/2014
Canada (-200) opened as the moneyline favorite over Sweden (+165), despite the latter’s superior world ranking.
Online sportsbook Bovada has a series of lines to choose from, including some favoring the European side.
Canada is 12-3-1 all-time against Sweden, but just 2-3-1 since 1984.
The two nations have not met during the Olympics since the group stages of the 2002 tournament, a game Sweden won 5-2.
The spread opened at 1.5 with Canada (-200) favored to cover ahead of Sweden (+165). Bovada also has a series of different spreads to choose from.
Four of Sweden’s games have been decided by two goals or less, including two by a solitary goal.
Four of Canada’s games have also been decided by two goals or less, with each of the last three being decided by just one. Sweden therefore might be the better choice to cover the spread.
The over/under on the primary line sits at 4.5 goals.
Canada has averaged 2.8 goals per game while Sweden has averaged 3.4 goals, but both of those averages have been boosted by lopsided victories against lesser sides along the way.
Perhaps more telling is the fact that Canada has conceded just 0.6 goals per game, while Sweden has allowed just 1.2 goals. Both semifinals were defensive affairs, and there’s little to suggest Sunday’s gold medal game will be any different.
With the Winter Olympics coming to a close, NHL action resumes this Tuesday (Feb. 25).
