Down the Frozen River

Tag: USA

  • February 17 – Day 129 – No collusion here

    Get ready to take in some hockey, because there’s a deluge of 15 games on today’s slate!

    The men’s Olympic action continues this morning at 7:10 a.m. Eastern time when the OAR squares off against Team USA to determine the winner of Group B, not to mention a tilt between Slovenia and Slovakia at the same time.

    Back in North America, there’s a whopping 11 games of NHL action on the schedule. The festivities begin at 1 p.m. when Los Angeles visits Buffalo (NHLN), followed an hour later by a pair of tilts (Anaheim at Minnesota and the New York Rangers at Ottawa [TVAS]). The final matinee featuring Edmonton at Arizona drops the puck at 4 p.m. Three games (Montréal at Vegas [CITY/SN360/TVAS], New Jersey at Tampa Bay and Toronto at Pittsburgh [NHLN/SN]) get underway at the usual 7 p.m. starting time, followed an hour later by Detroit at Nashville and Washington at Chicago at 8:30 p.m. Finally, the last two NHL games of the day (Boston at Vancouver [SN/SN360] and Florida at Calgary [CITY]) find their starts at 10 p.m. All times Eastern.

    Back in South Korea, there’s only four games left to be played in the men’s group stage – two of which will be played tonight. Germany takes on Norway at 10:10 p.m. in Group C action, followed by the Czech Republic vs. Switzerland at 2:40 a.m. in Group A. All times Eastern.

    Some of the games that stuck out to me when the schedule was released include…

    • OAR vs. USA: If the Olympic Athletes from Russia win this game, they could earn an automatic entry into the Olympic quarterfinals. Should they lose, they could fall all the way to fourth in the four-team Group B.
    • Slovenia vs. Slovakia: Those scenarios are dependent on the result of this game, as Slovakia – having beaten the OAR – would clinch the group with a victory and an American loss of any variety.
    • New York at Ottawa: Though these teams look nothing like they did this time last year, tonight is a rematch of the 2017 Eastern Semifinals.
    • Montréal at Vegas: D David Schlemko was a member of the Golden Knights for less than a day before he was shipped to Montréal for a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft.
    • Germany vs. Norway: It’s a battle for third place in Group C!
    • Czech Republic vs. Switzerland: Umm… I wrote this post before Group A’s second games, so I don’t know important or unimportant this game will be. I guess we’ll just hope its a good match!

    Beyond those games at the Olympics, I’m most drawn to the tilt between Anaheim and Minnesota, as the winner of that game will take a major step towards qualifying for the playoffs. However, since no club is officially qualifying or being eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention today, I think we have to take in the important game in Group B!

     

    Before you say it: yes, I know the Russians are officially the “Olympic Athletes from Russia,” meaning the Russian flag shouldn’t be used. However, I am way too scared of the International Olympic Committee to be throwing the Olympic Rings around on this website.

    We ain’t playing that game.

    Anyways, back to the hockey. With a 1-0-1-0 record, Team USA is currently atop Group B – though only by a  slim one-point margin. If they can hold onto that position (easiest done with a regulation victory in this game), the Americans would earn a first-round bye and automatic entry into the quarterfinals.

    Through two games, I’ve been most impressed with the United States’ effort on the defensive end – especially the effort of G Ryan Zapolski. Though his overall form has left more to be desired by this American fan, he’s managed to post a .915 save percentage and 1.99 GAA. Pair that with the group’s second-best defense, which has allowed an average of 23.5 shots against in its first two showings, and the Stars and Stripes have allowed only two goals per game – the (t)best in Group B.

    Speaking of leaving much to be desired, the Americans’ offense has been nothing short of anemic by scoring only two goals apiece in their first showings.

    That being said, F Ryan Donato (the Bruins’ second-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft) has been far and away the most exciting skater Team USA has to offer. His 2-1-3 totals lead the squad, and he owns the distinction of being the only American to score in the USA’s 2-1 victory over Slovakia Thursday night, both on the power play.

    Joining Donato in averaging a point-per-game are F Brian O’Neill (1-1-2 totals) and F Chris Bourque (0-2-2). Bourque was a major part of Donato’s two-goal performance a couple days ago, as he provided the secondary assist on both of the youngster’s markers.

    As for the 1-0-0-1 Olympic Athletes from Russia, it’s a question of which side is going to show up for this morning’s tilt: the team that lost 3-2 in regulation to Slovakia, or the team that dominated Slovenia to a frightening 8-2 victory.

    Considering I wasn’t alone in pegging the OAR – which currently occupies third place in the group – to come away with gold medals at the end of the tournament, I’m sure the Americans are planning on another positive showing from today’s opposition.

    Even factoring in the statistics from their disappointing showing against the Slovaks, the OAR still ranks among the best in Group B. That is no more apparent than when looking at Красная Машина‘s (The Red Machine) offense, which has averaged a group-leading five goals per period.

    If these Olympic Games are a proper representation, it looks like the Minnesota Wild found a steal of a player in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by selecting F Kirill Kaprizov, as he’s posted dominating 4-0-4 totals in only two games played.

    Hold on, I want to make sure you caught that. By averaging two goals per game, Kaprizov has single-handedly matched the entirety of Team USA’s offensive effort. If that doesn’t make American Head Coach Tony Granato‘s heart beat a bit faster, he doesn’t deserve his job anymore.

    Another major player in the Russian attack is F Nikita Gusev, who’s matched Kaprizov’s four goals with four assists of his own – three of which were apples on Kaprizov markers. In total, a whopping nine OAR skaters are averaging a point per game, including the likes of F Ilya Kovalchuk (2-1-3 totals), Columbus’ sixth-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft D Vladislav Gavrikov (1-1-2) and F Pavel Datsyuk (0-2-2).

    Allowing an average of only 2.5 goals against per game, the Red Machine is just as strong in its defensive end, as its 17 shots allowed per game is far and away the best performance of the group. That’s allowed G Vasili Koshechkin a pretty easy tournament so far, as even though his .852 save percentage is far from impressive, it’s been good enough for him to post a 2.43 GAA.

    The last time Team USA and the Russians squared off was on May 16 in group play of the 2017 IIHF World Championship in Cologne, Germany. The Americans won that game 5-3, thanks in large part to a two-goal game – including the game-winner – by F Kevin Hayes.

    Perhaps the most important hint to how this game will end is found in the fact that Hayes, who provided the big goals in the last meeting between these sides, is in Ottawa today instead of PyeongChang. With that in mind, the OAR should be able to pull off the victory this morning.

    However, perhaps the USA’s biggest weapon in this game is its goaltender. As Jokerit’s starter in the KHL, Zapolski has seen many of the OAR’s players. Considering he’s posted a .932 save percentage and 1.73 GAA with his professional club, perhaps he can bring that edge against the skaters he sees on a regular basis.

    In yesterday’s DtFR Game of the Day, Finland’s women’s hockey team dominated Sweden to a 7-2 victory at Kwandong Hockey Centre, setting up a rematch against the United States in the Olympic semifinals.

    Everything was going the Lady Lions’ way from the opening puck drop, as they found their game-winning goal in the first period by entering the first intermission with a 3-0 advantage. F Petra Nieminen (F Venla Hovi) scored the game’s opening goal at the 6:12 mark, followed only 5:20 later by F Riikka Valila (D Isa Rahunen) scoring to set the score at 2-0.

    The game-winning play started with 4:10 remaining in the frame, as that’s when Sweden’s F Maria Lindh was caught tripping a Finn to earn herself a seat in the penalty box. With the five-on-four advantage, Suomi did not disappoint, scoring with only six seconds remaining before Lindh was released. F Susanna Tapani (F Noora Tulus and F Linda Valimaki) was the one to complete the play, beating G Sara Grahn to set to give the Lady Lions a three-goal advantage.

    When play resumed in the second period, Finland’s winning ways continued as it needed only 7:14 of action for F Michelle Karvinen (D Minnamari Tuominen and D Ronja Savolainen) to score what was at the time a third insurance tally. Sweden finally got on the scoreboard at the 8:53 mark when F Emma Nordin (F Erika Grahm and D Annie Svedin) sneaked a shot past G Noora Raty, but Finland once again had a four-goal advantage only 36 later when Valila (Karvinen and Tapani) scored her second goal of the match. The second period ended with a 5-2 score thanks to F Rebecca Stenberg (D Maja Nylen Persson) burying  a shorthanded goal with 48 seconds remaining before the second intermission.

    Any chance of a comeback by the Lady Crowns was demolished in the third period when F Emma Nuutinen (Tulus and Rahunen) and F Sanni Hakala (F Annina Rajahuhta) scored Finland’s final insurance braces, setting the score at the 7-2 final.

    Raty and her defense performed marvelously in this game, as she saved 19-of-21 shots faced (.905 save percentage) for the victory. Meanwhile, Grahn took the loss after saving only eight-of-11 (.727). Following her poor performance in the first period, G Sarah Berglind took over goaltending duties for the final two frames, and she saved 16-of-20 (.8) for no decision.

    Officially listed as the visitor in yesterday’s quarterfinal, the road teams in the DtFR Game of the Day have pulled back within 24 points of the 70-42-17 hosts in the series.

  • Down the Frozen River Podcast #93- One More Than Gretzky

    Down the Frozen River Podcast #93- One More Than Gretzky

    Nick and Connor take a moment to celebrate doing something Wayne Gretzky never did. Also, the Dion Phaneuf trade, 2018 Winter Games reactions and more.

    Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) and/or on Stitcher.

  • February 14 – Day 126 – Valentine’s rivalry

    It’s another busy day in the world of hockey!

    As we’ve done all week, we start today’s activities in Pyeongchang at the Olympics. However, today is a little bit different since it marks the beginning of the men’s tournaments. Both Slovakia vs. the OAR and the USA vs. Slovenia will drop the puck at 7:10 a.m. Eastern time this morning in Group B play.

    The NHL will take to the ice at 7 p.m. this evening when Columbus visits Toronto (NHLN/SN/TVAS), followed by Montréal at Colorado (RDS/TSN2) at 9:30 p.m. and Florida at Vancouver (SN) – tonight’s NHL nightcap – half an hour later. All times Eastern.

    We return our attention to South Korea at 10:10 p.m. when Team USA’s women take on Team Canada to determine the winner of Group A, as well as the Finnish men against the Germans in Group C. Lastly, the OAR women will take on Finland to complete the women’s group stage at 2:40 a.m., joined by the Norwegian men playing Sweden at the same time. All times Eastern.

    I’d include a list of the games I definitely have my eye on, but it only includes Olympic play. Of course, the most important game taking place in South Korea tonight is a matchup of the top two teams in the women’s game.

    The weird part about this game is that it matters, and doesn’t matter, all at the same time.

    Team Canada and Team USA have both already clinched their spots in the Olympic Semifinals, meaning they’ve already assured themselves two more games in South Korea (the semifinal and a medal game).

    However, there’s still seeding on the line, as the winner of tonight’s game will square off against the winner of Sweden vs. the third place team from Group A (which will be determined when the OAR and Finland play in the wee hours of the morning), while tonight’s loser will take on the winner of Switzerland vs. the remaining Group A team’s quarterfinal.

    As things currently stand, 2-0-0-0 Team Canada leads Group A based on a superior goal-differential, as both Canada and the USA have allowed only one goal in two games played but the Canadians have scored one more goal.

    No offense has been finer than Canada’s during these Olympic Games. Albeit in only two games played, the Canadians lead the tournament averaging 4.5 goals per game. Three players are averaging at least a point per game, and that group is headlined by forwards Melodie Daoust (3-1-4 totals), Rebecca Johnston (2-2-4) and Marie-Philip Poulin (1-3-4) – all of whom are managing two points per game.

    As made evident of their reflective totals, Daoust and Poulin are continuing the incredible chemistry they’ve displayed throughout their careers playing together on Canada’s top line. However, the standout of the group just might be Johnston, who has been equal part play-maker and goalscorer on the second line.

    Having allowed only 20.5 shots against per game these Olympics (the third-best effort in the group stage) there’s little doubting Canada’s defense. However, the backbone of this corps is still its deep goaltending.

    Both G Ann-Renee Desbiens and G Shannon Szabados have drawn starts so far, with Desbiens technically being the more impressive of the two considering her perfect 18-save shutout against the OAR. However, it would seem likely that Szabados, even with her inferior 22-for-23 (.957 save percentage) performance against Finland, would be the netminder pegged to take on the world’s top-ranked squad.

    Speaking of, 2-0-0-0 Team USA has been just as impressive as Canada even though it sits behind it in the Group B standings. So far, the Americans have played arguably the best defensive game of all eight teams in the tournament, as they’ve matched Canada’s .5 goals against-per-game and allowed a superior 18.5 shots against average.

    Just like Canada, the Americans have employed two goaltenders so far this tournament with much success. G Nicole Hensley has technically been the superior of the two considering her perfect 13-save shutout against the OAR, but it would seem probable that G Maddie Rooney, who posted a 23-for-24 (.958 save percentage) performance against a vastly superior Finnish side.

    And that doesn’t even get us started on the United States’ offense, which currently ranks third by averaging four goals per game with two fixtures remaining to be played in the entirety of the group stage.

    A total of five players are averaging at least a point per game, but none have been better through their first two showings than F Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson. Not only do her three points lead the team, but she’s also scored a team-high two goals.

    One last note on America’s attack involves D Megan Keller – Group A’s lone defensewoman to average a point per game. She may be just the wild card that can give Team USA the edge against their bitter rivals.

    The last time Team Canada and Team USA squared off was at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. November 12, 2017, in the Championship Game of the Four Nations Cup. It was a surprisingly dominant victory by the hosts, as the United States beat Canada 5-1. Hannah Brandt provided the opening and game-winning goals both in the second period.

    In fact, Team USA is riding a five-game winning streak against Team Canada dating back to the 2016 Four Nations Championship Game. Since successfully defending their 2015 title at the same tournament, the Americans have beaten Canada twice at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship and two more times at the ’17 Four Nations Cup.

    Of course, the Americans would willingly give away that winning streak if it meant they could trade in their two silver medals at the last two Olympics for a gold this year, snapping Canada’s run of four-consecutive titles at the quadrennial tournament.

    But, that million dollar question will have to wait until February 22. How will today’s game pan out?

    If this were any other tournament, I’d feel very comfortable picking the Americans to beat Team Canada. However, the Canadians always seem to have Team USA’s numbers when playing under the Olympic Rings. I think America can win this game, but this tilt will have no baring on a potential probable Gold Medal matchup.

    Though they needed a shootout, the New Jersey Devils beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 at Wells Fargo Center in yesterday’s DtFR Game of the Day.

    Almost all the action in this game took place in the second period, but that didn’t happen until after F Travis Konecny‘s (F Claude Giroux and D Shayne Gostisbehere) snap shot at the 1:54 mark of the first frame to give the Flyers an early lead.

    In total, a whopping six goals were struck in the middle 20 minutes – three by each side. The first marker was struck at the 4:06 mark, and it belonged to F Taylor Hall (D Sami Vatanen) to level the game at 1-1. However, Philadelphia reclaimed the lead only 43 seconds later when C Scott Laughton (W Michael Raffl and D Andrew MacDonald) buried a wrist shot. A D Radko Gudas (F Valtteri Filppula and RW Dale Weise) slap shot with 9:24 remaining in the period gave the Flyers a 3-1 advantage, but it lasted only 2:41 before D John Moore (C Travis Zajac and W Jesper Bratt) pulled Jersey back within a goal.

    Only one power play goal was struck in the contest, and it belonged to Giroux (W Jakub Voracek and Gostisbehere) with 4:01 remaining in the period. With Zajac in the box for cross-checking F Jordan Weal, Giroux buried a snapper to return a two-goal advantage to Philly. It didn’t last long though, as C Nico Hischier (Bratt) scored only 10 seconds later to set the score at 4-3.

    The third period was a fairly defensive affair, as only a combined 19 shots were fired by both club. Only one tickled the twine, and it belonged to Hall (Hischier and Zajac) with only 1:21 remaining in regulation. A former fan of orange, Hall took advantage of the six-on-five advantage to level the game with a wrister.

    After all those goals in regulation, it’s beyond a surprise that neither club could find an overtime game-winner during the five minutes of three-on-three play. However, the tie remained, meaning the game advanced into the shootout. As host, Head Coach Dave Hakstol had the option of shooting first or second…

    1. Like most do, Hakstol elected to shoot first, sending Weal to center ice. Unfortunately, the forward didn’t make good on the decision, as his wrister was saved by G Keith Kinkaid.
    2. However, a saved shot is better than a miss. That’s exactly what W Kyle Palmieri did, leaving the shootout tied at 0-0 through the first round.
    3. Konecny was tapped to turn the tide for Philly in the second round, but his attempt met the same fate as Weal’s: saved by Kinkaid.
    4. The opportunity to score the first goal of the shootout fell next to W Drew Stafford, and he didn’t disappoint. He beat G Michal Neuvirth to force a miss-and-lose situation for the Flyers in the third round.
    5. In such situations, there’s few Flyers better to call upon than Voracek. However, he couldn’t answer the bell yesterday, as Kinkaid saved all three shootout shots he faced.

    Kinkaid earned the victory after saving 31-of-35 shots faced (.886 save percentage), leaving the shootout loss to Neuvirth, who saved 32-of-36 (.889).

    That’s three straight wins for visitors in the DtFR Game of the Day series, pulling them within 22 points of the 68-41-17 hosts.

  • Down the Frozen River Podcast #92- Our Canada Wins Gold

    Down the Frozen River Podcast #92- Our Canada Wins Gold

    After NHLers were not allowed to participate in the 2018 Winter Games and due to the success of last week’s episode, Nick and Connor decided to create rosters with NHL players anyway for Team Canada. Also discussed, Alexandre Burrows, Max Domi and the New York Rangers plan for the future.

    Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) and/or on Stitcher.

  • Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games

    We’ve talked a lot in DtFR Podcasts about who is – and maybe even more about who isn’t – going to the XXIII Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. However, we haven’t had too many discussions yet about the tournament itself.

    What nations are going to be there? What is the format of the tournaments? What time will those games be? Will the United States get those games broadcast live? And, most importantly, who’s taking gold?

    Let’s tackle those questions one at a time.

    What nations are going to be at the Olympics this year?

    In total, there will be 14 nations represented between the two tournaments – though that number does come with a catch.

    Starting with the women’s tournament (which drops the first puck February 10 at 2:40 a.m. Eastern time), there will be two groups of four sides apiece competing to qualify for six spots in the knockout tournament.

    Group A consists of:

    • Canada
    • Finland
    • Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR)
    • United States of America

    One of these things is not like the others, so now sounds like as good a time as any to discuss one of our “wildcard” nations.

    With a press release on December 5, 2017, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the Russian Olympic Committee for the 2018 Games for “the systematic manipulation of the anti-doping system” during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

    While that is a hefty charge, the IOC did offer an avenue for clean Russian athletes to compete. Every Russian who passes the IOC’s drug tests is eligible to compete for the Olympic Rings instead of for the Russian Federation, meaning any medals won by Russian athletes will not count towards Russia’s all-time medal counts. No Russian flags will be raised, nor will the State Anthem of the Russian Federation be heard, but at least those athletes will still have an opportunity to compete.

    Group B consists of:

    • Japan
    • Korea
    • Sweden
    • Switzerland

    Ooh, our other “wildcard!” It’s hidden a bit better than the Russian situation, but there’s a hint in one team’s name.

    You probably noticed there was no specification associated with Korea. That’s because North Korea and South Korea are fielding a unified team of 35 players (the standard 23 from South Korea with an additional dozen from North Korea) in the women’s hockey tournament.

    This is a weird and highly politicized (Politics at the Olympics? *insert sarcastic ‘No!’ here*) decision that was finalized only 24 days before Korea’s first game, and that crunched timeline may yield unfortunate results on the ice. Steve Mollman of Quartz provides some excellent information about the politics of the situation, but the only rule Head Coach Sarah Murray, a dual-citizen of Canada and the USA, must follow is three North Korean players must be active for each game.

    Meanwhile, the men’s tournament is a bit larger and features three groups of four teams for a total of 12 nations.

    Group A consists of:

    • Canada
    • Czech Republic
    • South Korea
    • Switzerland

    …Group B:

    • Olympic Athletes from Russia
    • Slovakia
    • Slovenia
    • United States

    …and Group C (the group I’m affectionately calling “The Euro Cup.” Original, I know):

    • Finland
    • Germany
    • Norway
    • Sweden

    All 12 squads will qualify for the knockout stage, but there is a major reward for each nation that wins its group: an automatic entry into the quarterfinals. The best second-place team will also earn a bye in the playoff round that will feature the remaining eight teams.

    What is the format of each tournament?

    Like many international sporting events, both the men’s and women’s Olympic hockey tournaments will begin with a group stage.

    Each team in a given group will play one game against the other three teams in its section. For example, the unified Korean team in the women’s tournament will play Switzerland (February 10 at 7:10 a.m. Eastern time), Sweden (February 12 at 7:10 a.m. Eastern time) and Japan (February 14 at 2:40 a.m. Eastern time).

    Standings will be tabulated in a way similar to the NHL, however there are a few differences: wins count for three points, while overtime and shootout wins only count for two. Overtime and shootout losses will still count for one point, and a regulation loss is… well, a major bummer.

    Okay, we’ve completed the group stage. How does this turn into a knockout tournament?

    This is the phase where things start to look a bit different between the men’s and women’s tournaments. Let’s start with the women’s competition, which will begin its knockout stage on February 16 at 10:10 p.m. Eastern time.

    Did you notice how stacked Group A is? The IOC and IIHF did that intentionally, but they also paved the way for those teams into the tournament as all four will qualify for at least the quarterfinals. The top two teams from the group (A1 and A2) will receive automatic bids into the semifinals, while the remaining sides will square off against the winner and runner-up of Group B (A3 versus B2 and A4 versus B1) in the quarters. B3 and B4 will continue play, but the best they’ll be able to finish in the consolation tournament is fifth place.

    The winner of A3vB2 will take on A1 in the semis, and A2 will square off against the victor of A4vB1. Once those tilts are done, it will boil down to the Gold Medal game, which is scheduled for February 21 at 11:10 p.m. Eastern time. The Bronze Medal match is slated for February 21 at 2:40 a.m. Eastern time.

    As stated before, the group stage in the men’s tournament has no bearing on which nations advance into the knockout – all 12 teams will do just that. However, playoff matchups are dependent on success in the group stage.

    Once group play is complete, all 12 teams will be pooled into one table with the three group winners listed 1-3, the runners-up 4-6 and so on, so forth. Within those four trios, they’ll be ordered by the number of points they earned in the group stage. Should there be a tie in points, it will be decided by goal-differential, then goals for, then – hopefully it doesn’t come to this one – the superior 2017 IIHF ranking.

    I won’t bore you with the seeding process, but the first round of the men’s knockout tournament will begin February 19 at 10:10 p.m. Eastern time. The top four teams from the group stage enter during the quarterfinals, which are scheduled for February 20 at 10:10 p.m. Eastern time, followed by the semifinals three days later. Bronze medals will be awarded after the game at 7:10 a.m. Eastern time on February 24, followed by the Gold Medal tilt at 11:10 p.m. Eastern time that night.

    What time are these games happening, and are they being televised?

    To our readers not from the United States, the broadcasting part of this section doesn’t apply to you. Then again, most of you probably don’t want puck drops listed in Eastern time anyway, so thanks for reading this far if you’re still here!

    Since the women’s tournament begins first, let’s start with their schedule. Remember, OAR means Olympic Athletes from Russia.

    2018 Women’s Tournament
    Date/Time in PyeongChang Date/Time (EST) Group/
    Round    		 Matchup USA Live Broadcast
    February 10 at 4:40 p.m. February 10 at 2:40 a.m. B Japan v Sweden
    February 10 at 9:10 p.m. February 10 at 7:10 a.m. B Switzerland v Korea USA
    February 11 at 4:40 p.m. February 11 at 2:40 a.m. A Finland v USA NBC Sports Network
    February 11 at 9:10 p.m. February 11 at 7:10 a.m. A Canada v OAR
    February 12 at 4:40 p.m. February 12 at 2:40 a.m. B Switzerland v Japan NBC Sports Network
    February 12 at 9:10 p.m. February 12 at 7:10 a.m. B Sweden v Korea NBC Sports Network
    February 13 at 4:40 p.m. February 13 at 2:40 a.m. A Canada v Finland NBC Sports Network
    February 13 at 9:10 p.m. February 13 at 7:10 a.m. A USA v OAR NBC Sports Network
    February 14 at 12:10 p.m. February 13 at 10:10 pm B Sweden v Switzerland NBC Sports Network
    February 14 at 4:40 p.m. February 14 at 2:40 a.m. B Korea v Japan USA
    February 15 at 12:10 p.m. February 14 at 10:10 pm A USA v Canada NBC Sports Network
    February 15 at 4:40 p.m. February 15 at 2:40 a.m. A OAR v Finland USA
    February 17 at 12:10 p.m. February 16 at 10:10 pm QF Quarterfinals CNBC
    February 17 at 4:40 p.m. February 17 at 2:40 a.m. QF Quarterfinals USA
    February 18 at 12:10 p.m. February 17 at 10:10 pm CONS Classification (5-8 place)
    February 18 at 4:40 p.m. February 18 at 2:40 a.m. CONS Classification (5-8 place)
    February 19 at 1:10 p.m. February 18 at 11:10 pm SF Semifinals NBC Sports Network
    February 19 at 9:10 p.m. February 19 at 7:10 a.m. SF Semifinals NBC Sports Network
    February 20 at 12:10 p.m. February 19 at 10:10 pm CONS Classification (7-8 place)
    February 20 at 4:40 p.m. February 20 at 2:40 a.m. CONS Classification (5-6 place)
    February 21 at 4:40 p.m. February 21 at 2:40 a.m. BMG Bronze Medal Game USA
    February 22 at 1:10 p.m. February 21 at 11:10 pm GMG Gold Medal Game NBC Sports Network

    And now, the men’s tournament:

    2018 men’s Tournament
    Date/Time in PyeongChang Date/Time (EST) Group/
    Round    		 Matchup USA Live Broadcast
    February 14 at 9:10 p.m. February 14 at 7:10 a.m. B Slovakia v OAR USA
    February 14 at 9:10 p.m. February 14 at 7:10 a.m. B USA v Slovenia NBC Sports Network
    February 15 at 12:10 p.m. February 14 at 10:10 pm C Finland v Germany CNBC
    February 15 at 4:40 p.m. February 15 at 2:40 a.m. C Norway v Sweden NBC Sports Network
    February 15 at 9:10 p.m. February 15 at 7:10 a.m. A Czech Republic v South Korea USA
    February 15 at 9:10 p.m. February 15 at 7:10 a.m. A Switzerland v Canada NBC Sports Network
    February 16 at 12:10 p.m. February 15 at 10:10 pm B USA v Slovakia CNBC
    February 16 at 4:40 p.m. February 16 at 2:40 a.m. B OAR v Slovenia NBC Sports Network
    February 16 at 9:10 p.m. February 16 at 7:10 a.m. C Finland v Norway USA
    February 16 at 9:10 p.m. February 16 at 7:10 a.m. C Sweden v Germany NBC Sports Network
    February 17 at 12:10 p.m. February 16 at 10:10 p.m. A Canada v Czech Republic NBC Sports Network
    February 17 at 4:40 p.m. February 17 at 2:40 a.m. A South Korea v Switzerland NBC Sports Network
    February 17 at 9:10 p.m. February 17 at 7:10 a.m. B OAR v USA NBC Sports Network
    February 17 at 9:10 p.m. February 17 at 7:10 a.m. B Slovenia v Slovakia USA
    February 18 at 12:10 p.m. February 17 at 10:10 pm C Germany v Norway NBC Sports Network
    February 18 at 4:40 p.m. February 18 at 2:40 a.m. A Czech Republic v Switzerland NBC Sports Network
    February 18 at 9:10 p.m. February 18 at 7:10 a.m. A Canada v South Korea USA
    February 18 at 9:10 p.m. February 18 at 7:10 a.m. C Sweden v Finland NBC Sports Network
    February 20 at 12:10 p.m. February 19 at 10:10 pm Q Qualifications NBC Sports Network
    February 20 at 4:40 p.m. February 20 at 2:40 a.m. Q Qualifications NBC Sports Network
    February 20 at 9:10 p.m. February 20 at 7:10 a.m. Q Qualifications USA
    February 20 at 9:10 p.m. February 20 at 7:10 a.m. Q Qualifications NBC Sports Network
    February 21 at 12:10 p.m. February 20 at 10:10 pm QF Quarterfinals CNBC
    February 21 at 4:40 p.m. February 21 at 2:40 a.m. QF Quarterfinals NBC Sports Network
    February 21 at 9:10 p.m. February 21 at 7:10 a.m. QF Quarterfinals NBC Sports Network
    February 21 at 9:10 p.m. February 21 at 7:10 a.m. QF Quarterfinals USA
    February 23 at 4:40 p.m. February 23 at 2:40 a.m. SF Semifinals NBC Sports Network
    February 23 at 9:10 p.m. February 23 at 7:10 a.m. SF Semifinals NBC Sports Network
    February 24 at 9:10 p.m. February 24 at 7:10 a.m. BMG Bronze Medal Game NBC Sports Network
    February 25 at 1:10 p.m. February 24 at 11:10 pm GMG Gold Medal Game NBC Sports Network

    A master schedule is available at the bottom of this article, but there’s one question left to answer first.

    So, who’s going for the gold?

    Ah, perhaps the most important question of them all.

    As we’ve been doing this whole time, we’ll stick with tradition and predict the women’s tournament first.

    Just examining the format of the tournament, the IIHF and the IOC are simply begging for another Gold Medal Game between Canada and the United States, the world’s top-two ranked women’s teams.

    There’s obviously potential for either team to stumble in a group that features the four best squads in the world and be forced to play in the quarterfinals, but I just don’t see it happening. Should my prediction prove correct, the world’s best teams would square off in a third-straight Olympic Final, with Canada playing for its fifth-consecutive gold.

    As for the men’s tournament, it’s been well reported that the NHL keeping its players at home will play a major role in determining which nations are taking home hardware.

    In my opinion, that leaves the door wide open for the Olympic Athletes from Russia, especially since they’re playing in what I believe to be the weakest group of the bunch. The OAR boasts players such as F Pavel Datsyuk, C Mikhail Grigorenko, W Ilya Kovalchuk, D Alexey Marchenko, D Nikita Nesterov and F Vadim Shipachyov – all of whom have NHL experience. Tack on the fact that they all play in the second-best league in the world, and they’re more than prepared for every challenge that can come their way in Pyeongchang.

    Of course, we all saw what happened the last time the Russians were favorites to win the Olympics. Should this team crumble like 2014’s squad (even though F T.J. Oshie will be preoccupied playing with the best Russian player in the world, W Alex Ovechkin), I’m leaning towards the winner of the mini Euro Cup taking full advantage. All four of those teams are in the top-10 of the current IIHF World Rankings, with Sweden and Finland respectively leading the way as numbers 3 and 4.

    But don’t leave the predicting work to me. Here’s what all of us here at Down the Frozen River – and even our old pal Frank Fanelli, now of Student Union Sports – think is going to happen:

    Down the Frozen River’s Olympic Picks
    Cap’n Colby Connor Frank Jordan Nick Pete
    Women’s Tournament
    Gold Canada Canada Canada USA USA USA USA
    Silver USA USA USA Canada Canada Canada Canada
    Bronze Finland Sweden Finland Sweden Sweden Finland Sweden
    Fourth Sweden Japan OAR Finland Finland Sweden Finland
    Men’s Tournament
    Gold Sweden Sweden OAR Sweden OAR Sweden Sweden
    Silver Canada USA Finland USA Canada OAR OAR
    Bronze Finland Canada Sweden Canada USA Canada Canada
    Fourth OAR OAR Canada Finland Sweden USA USA

    It seems I’m not alone in my prediction of a Canada-USA Gold Medal match in the women’s tournament! All seven of us have the two squaring off in the final, with a slim majority believing Captain Meghan Duggan and co. can lead Team USA to its first gold since 1998.

    As for the women’s Bronze Medal game, we’re leaning towards a Scandinavian country taking home some hardware – with most of us favoring Sweden over Finland. However, Colby and I think underdogs are going to make it to the semifinals before falling, as I’m pegging the fourth-ranked Olympic Athletes from Russia to end up in fourth and Colby’s picking ninth-ranked Japan.

    In the men’s tournament, it seems Sweden is the nearly consensus favorite to come away with the medals that match its tri-crowned sweaters. However, who Captain Joel Lundqvist‘s – yes, the twin brother of the Rangers’ G Henrik Lundqvist – team beats in that Gold Medal game is anyone’s guess, as we’ve picked four different teams to take home silver.

    We seem to be in a bit more agreement about the winner of the bronze medal, as four of us have pegged Captain Chris Kelly‘s Team Canada to come home with its third-consecutive medal.

    While we may all have our own rooting interests, I think we can all agree that this should be a fun and exciting two weeks of hockey.

    2018 Olympic Hockey Tournament
    Date/Time in PyeongChang Date/Time (EST) Sex Group/
    Round    		 Matchup USA Live Broadcast
    February 10 at 4:40 p.m. February 10 at 2:40 a.m. W B Japan v Sweden
    February 10 at 9:10 p.m. February 10 at 7:10 a.m. W B Switzerland v Korea USA
    February 11 at 4:40 p.m. February 11 at 2:40 a.m. W A Finland v USA NBC Sports Network
    February 11 at 9:10 p.m. February 11 at 7:10 a.m. W A Canada v OAR
    February 12 at 4:40 p.m. February 12 at 2:40 a.m. W B Switzerland v Japan NBC Sports Network
    February 12 at 9:10 p.m. February 12 at 7:10 a.m. W B Sweden v Korea NBC Sports Network
    February 13 at 4:40 p.m. February 13 at 2:40 a.m. W A Canada v Finland NBC Sports Network
    February 13 at 9:10 p.m. February 13 at 7:10 a.m. W A USA v OAR NBC Sports Network
    February 14 at 12:10 p.m. February 13 at 10:10 pm W B Sweden v Switzerland NBC Sports Network
    February 14 at 4:40 p.m. February 14 at 2:40 a.m. W B Korea v Japan USA
    February 14 at 9:10 p.m. February 14 at 7:10 a.m. M B Slovakia v OAR USA
    February 14 at 9:10 p.m. February 14 at 7:10 a.m. M B USA v Slovenia NBC Sports Network
    February 15 at 12:10 p.m. February 14 at 10:10 pm W A USA v Canada NBC Sports Network
    February 15 at 12:10 p.m. February 14 at 10:10 pm M C Finland v Germany CNBC
    February 15 at 4:40 p.m. February 15 at 2:40 a.m. W A OAR v Finland USA
    February 15 at 4:40 p.m. February 15 at 2:40 a.m. M C Norway v Sweden NBC Sports Network
    February 15 at 9:10 p.m. February 15 at 7:10 a.m. M A Czech Republic v South Korea USA
    February 15 at 9:10 p.m. February 15 at 7:10 a.m. M A Switzerland v Canada NBC Sports Network
    February 16 at 12:10 p.m. February 15 at 10:10 pm M B USA v Slovakia CNBC
    February 16 at 4:40 p.m. February 16 at 2:40 a.m. M B OAR v Slovenia NBC Sports Network
    February 16 at 9:10 p.m. February 16 at 7:10 a.m. M C Finland v Norway USA
    February 16 at 9:10 p.m. February 16 at 7:10 a.m. M C Sweden v Germany NBC Sports Network
    February 17 at 12:10 p.m. February 16 at 10:10 pm W QF Quarterfinals CNBC
    February 17 at 12:10 p.m. February 16 at 10:10 p.m. M A Canada v Czech Republic NBC Sports Network
    February 17 at 4:40 p.m. February 17 at 2:40 a.m. W QF Quarterfinals USA
    February 17 at 4:40 p.m. February 17 at 2:40 a.m. M A South Korea v Switzerland NBC Sports Network
    February 17 at 9:10 p.m. February 17 at 7:10 a.m. M B OAR v USA NBC Sports Network
    February 17 at 9:10 p.m. February 17 at 7:10 a.m. M B Slovenia v Slovakia USA
    February 18 at 12:10 p.m. February 17 at 10:10 pm M C Germany v Norway NBC Sports Network
    February 18 at 12:10 p.m. February 17 at 10:10 pm W CONS Classification (5-8 place)
    February 18 at 4:40 p.m. February 18 at 2:40 a.m. M A Czech Republic v Switzerland NBC Sports Network
    February 18 at 4:40 p.m. February 18 at 2:40 a.m. W CONS Classification (5-8 place)
    February 18 at 9:10 p.m. February 18 at 7:10 a.m. M A Canada v South Korea USA
    February 18 at 9:10 p.m. February 18 at 7:10 a.m. M C Sweden v Finland NBC Sports Network
    February 19 at 1:10 p.m. February 18 at 11:10 pm W SF Semifinals NBC Sports Network
    February 19 at 9:10 p.m. February 19 at 7:10 a.m. W SF Semifinals NBC Sports Network
    February 20 at 12:10 p.m. February 19 at 10:10 pm M Q Qualifications NBC Sports Network
    February 20 at 12:10 p.m. February 19 at 10:10 pm W CONS Classification (7-8 place)
    February 20 at 4:40 p.m. February 20 at 2:40 a.m. M Q Qualifications NBC Sports Network
    February 20 at 4:40 p.m. February 20 at 2:40 a.m. W CONS Classification (5-6 place)
    February 20 at 9:10 p.m. February 20 at 7:10 a.m. M Q Qualifications USA
    February 20 at 9:10 p.m. February 20 at 7:10 a.m. M Q Qualifications NBC Sports Network
    February 21 at 12:10 p.m. February 20 at 10:10 pm M QF Quarterfinals CNBC
    February 21 at 4:40 p.m. February 21 at 2:40 a.m. W BMG Bronze Medal Game USA
    February 21 at 4:40 p.m. February 21 at 2:40 a.m. M QF Quarterfinals NBC Sports Network
    February 21 at 9:10 p.m. February 21 at 7:10 a.m. M QF Quarterfinals NBC Sports Network
    February 21 at 9:10 p.m. February 21 at 7:10 a.m. M QF Quarterfinals USA
    February 22 at 1:10 p.m. February 21 at 11:10 pm W GMG Gold Medal Game NBC Sports Network
    February 23 at 4:40 p.m. February 23 at 2:40 a.m. M SF Semifinals NBC Sports Network
    February 23 at 9:10 p.m. February 23 at 7:10 a.m. M SF Semifinals NBC Sports Network
    February 24 at 9:10 p.m. February 24 at 7:10 a.m. M BMG Bronze Medal Game NBC Sports Network
    February 25 at 1:10 p.m. February 24 at 11:10 pm M GMG Gold Medal Game NBC Sports Network
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    Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) and/or on Stitcher.

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    Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) and/or on Stitcher.

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    Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) and/or on Stitcher.

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    Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) and/or on Stitcher.

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    Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) and/or on Stitcher.