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With the Olympic break over and only a month left in the NHL’s regular season we are heading into the most exciting time of year for hockey fans. Over the next month fans will be treated to hockey at its finest as desperate teams embroiled in tight playoff races battle with an intensity that has been sorely lacking through the first three-quarters of the season. As has been the case every year since the salary cap system was put into place both the Western and Eastern conferences are a logjam, and standings are shuffling on a nightly basis as often the pair of points earned from a victory is enough for a team to leapfrog two, three or four opponents.

As tight as the race is in the middle of the pack there are a few teams that have managed to separate themselves from the pack. In the few weeks leading up to the playoffs I will be doing a feature on the teams I deem to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Now, to be fair, with the parity in the NHL these days any team that qualifies for the post-season has a decent shot at capturing glory. A hot goalie is all that is needed to tip the scales in a tight playoff series, and there is never a shortage of upsets in any given playoff year. That’s what makes playoff hockey so exciting. If the teams that look better on paper won all the time the sport would get very boring very quickly (basketball anyone?). Still when trying to pick favorites those paper comparisons are all the prognosticators have to work with. I, like my fellow pundits, have no crystal ball with which to pick the winners, so I will simply go with the teams with the best odds.

The first team I have decided to feature has enjoyed a quick turnaround over the past few seasons. Finishing in the basement of NHL standings has its advantages, most notably in the form of high draft picks. A few high picks that wind up living up to their potential can reverse a franchise’s fortune in a big hurry and that has been exactly what happened to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Chicago Blackhawks

One of the original six franchises the Chicago Blackhawks have a proud history and have boasted such NHL legends as Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito and Stan Mikita. However, long-suffering fans of the Hawks have been forced to endure a longer Stanley Cup drought than original six brethren the Toronto Maple Leafs. 1992's Stanley Cup finals run provided something for fans to cheer about, but that excitement was quickly snuffed out as Mario Lemieux's Pittsburgh Penguins swept the Hawks 4-0 in the finals, and Chicago has been unable to get back for another shot at the cup.

Not only have they not enjoyed much playoff success since 1992, many of those years the lowly Hawks failed to qualify for the postseason altogether. Attendance dwindled, and interest in the franchise waned with fans turning their attention to Michael Jordan's powerful Chicago Bulls, the Bears, the White Sox and even the Cubs who have endured a far longer drought than the Blackhawks.

However, unlike franchises like the New York Rangers and the aforementioned Toronto Maple Leafs, who in recent years have made a habit of mortgaging the future in an effort to bandage the present, the Blackhawks' management exercised patience, holding on to the high draft picks gained from their woeful finishes and building their team from the ground up. That philosophy paid off as today they boast some of the game's best young talent, including players like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook just to name a few.

Patrick Kane has quickly established himself as one of the slickest forwards in the game, and despite his relatively diminutive size he has been able to use his speed, stickhandling ability, vision and hockey sense to become a huge offensive threat.

Young captain Jonathan Toews has shown a poise and a maturity belying his tender years. Known for his incredible focus, determination, and his ability to deliver clutch performances in key moments, Toews has elicited favorable comparisons to NHL legends like Bryan Trottier, Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic. When Steve Yzerman named Jonathan Toews to the Canadian Olympic mens hockey squad more than a few eyebrows were raised around the country at his inclusion. Toews wasted no time in validating Yzerman's selection and went on to lead Team Canada in points, scoring a key goal in the gold medal game against Team USA and was named the tournament's top forward. Not bad for a 22 year old.

Behind Toews and Kane the Blackhawks have no shortage of secondary scoring with superstar Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd all capable of lighting the lamp on a regular basis.

On the blueline two more Team Canada Olympians lead the way. Duncan Keith leads the NHL in points from the back end, and partner Brent Seabrook has been an absolute rock on the defensive side of the puck, and is certainly no slouch when it comes to offensive creativity either. The Blackhawks' embarrassment of riches at the D position is clearly illustrated by the fact that $7+ million man Brian Campbell can't even crack the top pair on the team.

The only question mark for this powerful team is at the goaltending position - not exactly the position you want to have a question mark heading into the toughest tournament in professional sports. Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi have been inconsistent all season long, and watching the team play in front of them you get the sense that the players really don't have confidence that either goaltender is capable of turning in that clutch performance that will be so crucial come playoff time.

One of the biggest surprises on the recent trade deadline day was the Blackhawks failure to acquire a goaltender, and should the Hawks flame out early this post-season you can bet there will be plenty of second guessing from media, fans, players and management alike over the club's inability to swing a deal for a bona fide number one tender.

Despite the fact that the Hawks clearly have issues in goal they are still my pick to come out of the Western conference. With their blend of speed, skill, grit, confidence, leadership and youthful enthusiasm it is hard to imagine this team losing to anyone in the Western Conference in a 7 game series. However, they will need either Huet or Niemi to be at least steadily good if they are going to advance further than they did a season ago when they bowed out to the Detroit Red Wings in the semi-finals.

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Now, to be fair, there were really two trade deadline days this year, with a trade freeze also taking place before the 2010 Winter Olympic break. Prior to that deadline there were a couple of blockbuster deals that involved huge names like Ilya Kovalchuk and Dion Phaneuf, so if you add those deals into the mix it starts to look a little better.

Of course, another culprit in the deadline day malaise is the salary cap structure that was implemented following the 2004-05 lockout year. General managers now have a rigid financial structure besides their own team budget that they must operate within. Financially strong teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers used to be able to nab some high priced rentals for the stretch drive to the playoffs, but these days are forced to sit on the sidelines along with their poorer NHL cousins.

Though the day can largely be considered a bust in terms of fan interest there were a few deals of note that went down. Probably the deal with the biggest potential impact down the road was one between the Phoenix Coyotes and the Colorado Avalanche. Wojtek Wolski, one of Colorado's highest scoring players with 47 points in 61 games went to Phoenix in exchange for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. Mueller was a highly touted prospect and scored 22 goals in his rookie season. However, with just 4 goals this season he has been a major disappointment. Colorado is obviously hoping a change of scenery will reignite the talent he showed in the first year of his career. Financial considerations, as they do in just about any deal in this salary cap era, certainly played a role as well. Wolski is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and with the numbers he is putting up would certainly be in line for a large pay raise. It is an unfortunate reality in today's NHL and one that could impact Colorado's playoff push down the stretch.

One of the most interesting trades involved the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames. Not because of the players that were involved in the deal - Steve Staios and Aaron Johnson - but because the two teams, bitter cross-province rivals, actually deigned to become trade partners. Word has it that this is the first time in NHL history the two teams have actually swung a deal.

Beyond that there really wasn't much of note that took place. Other familiar names that moved include Lubomir Vishnovsky, Ryan Whitney, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Raffi Torres.

Perhaps more interesting were the players that didn't move - most notably Ray Whitney and Tomas Kaberle. Kaberle's name seems to be front and center at every trade deadline, yet so far the trigger has never been pulled on a deal. Kaberle has a no trade clause, but according to Leafs' GM Brian Burke, Kaberle let it be known through his agent that there were 3 teams he would be willing to waive it for. Burke kicked the tires, but no deal was there to be made.

So now that the trade deadline has come and gone hockey fans can forget about trade rumors and look forward to the final push to the playoffs. With the incredible parity in the league over the past few years this is a massively entertaining time for hockey fans, with playoff level intensity in play every night. It will be interesting to see which, if any, of today's acquisitions will have an impact on their new team, and perhaps be the reason that team is playing playoff hockey in April instead of hitting the golf course.

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Finnish hockey fans who'd been looking forward to this semi-final men's Olympic hockey game vs. Team USA ever since Finland eliminated the Czech Republic Wednesday night had their day ruined in a hurry. Apparently, no one told the Finns, and specifically goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, that this was a single elimination game with a berth in the gold medal game on the line.

The Finns were absolutely brutal right out of the gate, and after Miikka Kiprusoff gave up an early goal to Ryan Malone after a failed attempt to play the puck that ended up on the rugged winger's stick, the Finns just seemed to fall apart. The Malone goal was quickly followed up by back to back powerplay goals by Zach Parise and Erik Johnson, prompting a timeout by the Finns to try and settle things down.

The timeout, as it turned out, had absolutely no effect on the beleaguered Finns, and less than 2 minutes later they went down 4-0 on a goal by Patrick Kane. The 4th goal was the final straw for Miikka Kiprusoff, who seemed to pull himself out of the net before his coach could give him the official hook.

Minnesota Wild star goaltender Niklas Backstrom entered the game in relief of Kiprusoff, but didn't fare any better, allowing 2 goals 15 seconds apart to Patrick Kane and Paul Stastny. Less than 13 minutes into the Olympic semi-final hockey game the Finns found themselves facing a mind-boggling 6-0 deficit, and knew their Olympic gold medal dreams were already done.

It wasn't until the game was firmly out of reach that the Finns finally seemed to settle down and play their game. Of course, by then, it was too late. Veteran stars like Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu who almost certainly won't get another shot at gold, were forced to play for pride alone. They managed to stem the tide, and kept the situation from getting any worse, and though it may seem like wasted effort to some, it showed their character, and their dedication to the country. With an eye on the bronze medal game against the loser of tonight's Team Canada / Slovakia game the Finns did their best to build some momentum, and restore some measure of their shattered confidence.

Now, lost in the meltdown by the Finns was the incredible performance by the Americans. They knew they could not take the Finnish team lightly and came out firing on all cylinders. Obviously, never in their wildest imagination could the Americans have dreamed of having a 6-0 lead before the 13 minute mark of the first period, but they showed their incredible talent, commitment, and will to win, and were rewarded for it.

Ryan Miller, who in all likelihood will be named the tournament's top goalie, didn't have to be as spectacular as he usually does in order to post the win, but when the Finns managed to pressure him he turned away every puck that came his way, , snuffing out any distant hope of a Finnish comeback before deferring to back-up Tim Thomas.

Now, Team USA has to wait anxiously for tonight's other semi-final game to see whether or not they will face their nemesis from Canada, whom they beat last Sunday in arguably the best game of the round robin portion of the tournament, or Slovakia, who are playing relaxed and confident, and have already beaten both Russia and Sweden during their impressive Olympic run.

Regardless of which of these teams they face the Americans have given their fans and themselves plenty of confidence with their victory today, and that confidence will serve them well in the gold medal game this Sunday.

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Neither team can claim an edge in momentum. Canada is coming in on a high after destroying Russia 7-3 in the quarter-finals. However, Slovakia is just as pumped after eking out a 4-3 win in the quarters over defending Olympic gold medalist Sweden.

Obviously Team Canada has the advantage of team depth over Slovakia. Every player on their roster is a bona fide NHL star, and even young players like Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and Jonathan Toews have been showing beyond a doubt they belong on this biggest of hockey stages.

However, Slovakia has plenty of game-breaking NHL stars of their own, and Canada will have to deal with the likes of Marian Gaborik, Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara and a rejuvenated Pavol Demitra. In net, a position that has always been an Achilles heel for the Slovaks, they finally have a star-caliber goaltender. Jaroslav Halak has been a huge reason the Montreal Canadiens remain in the playoff hunt in the NHL's Eastern Conference, and he has continued his hot play here at the Olympics.

Slovakia has also enjoyed some great team chemistry during this tournament, something more highly touted teams like Russia and the <Czech Republic were unable to find before they were bounced prematurely from the tournament.

Canada, for their part have finally seemed to find some chemistry of their own, with looking fantastic on a line with Mike Richards and Jonathan Toews. Gritty but gifted playmaker Ryan Getzlaf finally busted out in the quarterfinal game against the Russians, as Brenden Morrow joined he and Anaheim Ducks teammate Corey Perry. Together the trio was absolutely dominant, scoring 4 of Canada's 7 goals and punishing their opposition physically the entire night.

On the top line look for Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, and Eric Staal to do some damage tonight. Though they were relatively quiet against the Russians there is far too much talent there to remain silent for long.

Though he is known as a meticulous tweaker Mike Babcock seems to have finally found his line combinations, and look for these three lines, along with the San Jose Sharks trio of Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau to stay together from here on out. For those feeling sorry for Canada's 13th forward, Patrice Bergeron save your sympathy. Canada's Swiss army knife certainly won't be tied to the bench. He'll see plenty of spot duty taking key face-offs and killing penalties.

So who will win tonight's game between Canada and Slovakia? Sorry Slovakia fans - your team has enjoyed a great run - but the ride comes to an abrupt end tonight. Canada is simply too deep, too talented, too determined, and have a huge home ice advantage. You might have caught them napping early in the tournament, but they are rolling now, and nothing is going to get in their way of a berth into the gold medal game this Sunday. Barring a miracle by the Finns, who currently trail the Americans 6-0 early in the second period of their semi-final, that game will be a highly anticipated rematch between Team Canada and Team USA. Canada certainly doesn't need any extra motivation, but you know should the Americans win they the Canadian players will be highly motivated to get another shot at the team that beat them last Sunday.

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Well, it isn't the way many old time hockey fans would have pictured it - Canada and Russia won't be battling for the Olympic gold medal when they take to the ice tomorrow night at 4:30 PST in Vancouver - but it will still be a game for the ages, and like they did for the Canada vs USA game Sunday fans across the nation will be glued to their TV sets to watch this battle of hockey titans.

After disappointing results in the round robin portion of the Olympic men's hockey tournament that saw them eke out a shootout win over Switzerland and lose in regulation time to Team USA, Canada was forced to take the long road to Olympic glory. That road began tonight against Germany, and though the match-up on paper was lopsided in Canada's favor, Canadian fans were understandably nervous after the nail-biter against Switzerland early in the tournament.

Canada laid those fears to rest, proving beyond a doubt that they had learned from their mistake of not taking their supposedly weaker opponent seriously. From the initial puck drop they were focused, they were determined, and they were hungry. Most importantly, when they had golden chances to score they capitalized on them against San Jose Sharks goalie Thomas Greiss, something they failed to do against Jonas Hiller and Ryan Miller.

Mike Babcock again switched up the lines, still trying to find a good combination with Sidney Crosby. Tonight Jarome Iginla was back on the wing with Crosby, while Rick Nash was off in favor of Eric Staal. Nash moved onto a line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and looked motivated to score all night, driving the net hard, creating chances and even drawing a penalty shot.

Iginla seemed fired up to be back on the Crosby line, and he potted two more goals to take over the team lead with 5. Shea Weber finally got the first goal by a Team Canada defenseman, though it nearly went unnoticed after Weber blasted the puck so hard it actually went right through the net. It wasn't until a stoppage in play that the goal was finally discovered on video replay.

The Canadians continued to pour on the offensive pressure and Thomas Greiss had to make several nice saves to keep the score in single digits. By the time the dust settled the final score was Canada 8, Germany 2.

Mike Babcock's line juggling aside the big change for Team Canada came in goal. Martin Brodeur, who had started the previous two games for Canada was relegated to a backup role, giving way to local star Roberto Luongo. Vancouver fans obviously approved the switch and a chorus of "Loos" could be heard every time Luongo touched the puck. Luongo looked focused and confident between the pipes, and the two goals that beat him were certainly not his fault - particularly the last goal which came on a 2 on 0 late in the third period. Luongo stopped the initial shot, but was helpless to stop the rebound as it was bunted in off the shaft of the trailing player's stick.

So, with Germany disposed of, their offense starting to click, and Luongo looking like a lock to start the game tomorrow the Canadians must swiftly adjust their sights on to the powerful Russian squad. Obviously the key to victory over the Russians will be finding a way to shut down their powerful offense. With a squad full of snipers like Alexander Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Evgeni Malkin just to name a few, Roberto Luongo and Canada's 7 defensemen will have their hands full keeping goals out of the Canadian cage.

Russia has followed a similar track to Canada, starting out slow before finally finding some chemistry against the Czech Republic. Malkin moved over to center a line with Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, and the line was a dominant force against the Czechs - just ask Jaromir Jagr. Limiting opportunities for those 3 superstars will be easier said than done, but is absolutely necessary if Canada is to pull out a victory in the quarterfinals.

Expecting Luongo to pitch a shutout against this explosive squad is unrealistic to say the least, so Canada is going to have to build on the offensive momentum they found in the Germany game. Sidney Crosby's line will obviously be key, but they will need more from Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and continued improvement by Rick Nash and Eric Staal if they want to outscore the Russians.

Scoring goals should be less of a problem against the Russians than it was against Team USA. Evgeny Nabokov is a great goaltender, but not on par with Ryan Miller, and he has a history of being very average in big games. Just look at the San Jose Sharks playoff record compared to their regular season record over the past 5 years for evidence of that. If Nabby can't elevate his game Canada's forwards may feast on him, and a Russian defense that is pretty porous beyond their top three.

Whatever the outcome, you can bet this game will be one of the highlights of the entire Olympics, and will rival the Canada/USA game in intensity and fan interest. It is just a shame it had to come in the quarter-finals as when the final whistle blows tomorrow night one of these two great hockey nations will have to clean out their lockers far too early.

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It has been widely speculated that Luongo would get his shot to carry the load after a sub-par performance by Martin Brodeur against Team USA last night. The Vancouver Canucks star goalie won't be going in cold, as coach Mike Babcock started Luongo in game one against Norway. At the time the move raised some eyebrows, but now it is looking like a very wise decision. With a game under his belt, Luongo should enter the game with less nervousness having already experienced the madhouse atmosphere once.

Luongo should also have a chance to build some confidence and gain some momentum before he faces the big guns. Germany will no doubt provide Canada with a tough game, but Luongo won't be forced to face shooters of the caliber he would have to if Canada was facing Russia, Sweden or even Slovakia right off the hop.

Ultimately, as shocking as it is that Martin Brodeur, one of the biggest goaltending legends of all time, will likely watch the remainder of this tournament from the bench, I think Babcock and his coaching staff made the appropriate call here. Some might suggest he caved in to the enormous pressure in Vancouver to put Luongo in, but I don't believe that factored into his decision one iota, and he made the decision strictly on the criteria of what was best for Team Canada.

It's no secret that Luongo wanted this enormous responsibility. This is his chance to establish his legacy as one of hockey's true greats. If he can carry Canada to victory over Germany and Russia and ultimately to an Olympic gold medal he will enter Canadian hockey lore as a national hero and the savior of the Olympics.

No pressure Roberto...

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Here in Canada we are a nation in mourning today. No, Team Canada wasn't eliminated from the Olympic men's ice hockey tournament, but as we watched Corey Perry casually skate back for the puck and Ryan Kesler smack the puck into the empty net a collective groan went through the nation as we realized our bitter rivals from across the border had beaten us.

The gold medal game is still a week away, but yesterday's game was just as important to Canadians, who wanted a dominant performance over an established hockey power heading into the elimination round. In a lot of ways Team Canada delivered, and perhaps deserved a better fate, but ultimately the game was decided the way games often are at any level of hockey: by goaltending.

Quite simply, Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur was badly outplayed by his Team USA counterpart Ryan Miller in yesterday's game. Now, I'm not among those who are criticizing Brodeur's play as horrible. He made a couple of mental mistakes, and had some bad puck luck. However, his play could certainly be described as average, and average simply isn't good enough in a single game elimination tournament like this one.

Miller, on the other hand, was brilliant, making a plethora of incredible saves as the Canadians swarmed Team USA's net. When the final buzzer sounded, Team Canada had outshot the American team by a 2 to 1 margin, yet it was the American squad celebrating victory. Miller wasn't the only reason for the victory, but he certainly played a large role, something required of a goaltender if a team is going to capture a medal in this tournament.

Brodeur's mediocre performance leaves Team Canada coach Mike Babcock in an unenviable position heading into Tuesday's game against Germany. Does he give Brodeur, a 3 time Stanley Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, and the winningest goalie in NHL history a chance to redeem himself? Or does he turn to Roberto Luongo, hometown hero, and a phenomenal goalie in his own right?

Team Canada coach Pat Quinn faced a similar choice back in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City when starting goaltender Curtis Joseph had a mediocre game against Team Sweden. Quinn made the decision to change things up and threw Brodeur in for the next game. Brodeur won the game, and then continued the rest of the way, back-stopping Canada to a gold medal. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and it might be Brodeur who is forced to watch his countryman pick up the torch and run with it.

Naturally, with the Olympics being held in Vancouver, the same city where Roberto Luongo plays his NHL hockey for the hometown Canucks, the cries are loud to have Luongo replace Brodeur. Luongo was solid, if largely untested, in Canada's opening game against Norway, pitching the shutout as Canada romped to an 8-0 victory. However, the pressure has increased a hundred-fold since that opening game, and Luongo certainly doesn't have the experience in high pressure situations that Brodeur does.

The question is a tricky one for Mike Babcock and his coaching staff, and no matter which goalie they choose they'll be second guessed relentlessly should Canada get bounced from the tournament before reaching the gold medal game on Sunday. Such an occurrence would be absolutely crushing to the nation, though it is a very real possibility as Canada has a tough road just to reach the game. Tomorrow they will play a German squad who would love nothing more to play giant killer. On paper it looks like an easy victory for Canada, but that is what we thought about the game against Switzerland as well. Assuming Canada beats the Germans they would have to face the offensive explosive Russian team the following night. Russia is loaded with stars like Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Datsyuk and Semin and is Canada's oldest hockey enemy.

Ultimately to claim gold Team Canada will have to win 4 games in 6 nights against some of the greatest hockey teams in the world. With their loss to the U.S. has certainly left them in a deep hole and it is going to take a hot goaltender to get them out of it.

In my opinion Luongo should get the call for Tuesday's game against Germany, and if he turns in a great performance tomorrow he should be the man down the stretch for Canada. If he is shaky, but Canada still manages to win then Babcock can always go back to Brodeur for the quarterfinal game against the Russians.

It is frequently said that great teams need to face adversity before they become champions. If that is true then Canada has certainly endured enough to motivate them going forward. Come Sunday we will know whether or not it was enough to bring home the gold.

Hockey Hermit Poll:

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Today, in the round robin Olympic men's hockey game between the Czech Republic and Russia Jaromir Jagr found out firsthand just how much punch the Great 8 packs. Ovechkin absolutely crushed the Czech star at center ice, laying out Jagr, and causing a turnover that led to a Russian 2 on 1 and an eventual goal by linemate Evgeni Malkin.

Missed the hit? Check out the footage of the Ovechkin hit on Jagr below:

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Ever since the Olympic men's hockey schedule was released this is the day that hockey fans throughout North America have been waiting for. Though Canada vs. Russia might be a more traditional rivalry, over the past decade and a half Canada vs. USA has really heated up in both men's and women's hockey. Obviously the close geographical proximity of the two nations is a huge factor, but so is the USA's rapid rise as a hockey power. In 1980 the USA's Olypmic gold medal in men's ice hockey was dubbed "a miracle". Now, 30 years later they have to be considered a strong medal contender in every international event they enter.

Canadians are naturally protective of the pastime they consider their national sport, and take pride at being the best in the world at it. Having the USA, which is already so dominant in so many other sports like basketball, baseball and football, take that title away would be a bitter pill to swallow indeed.

So as you can see there is more on the line here than seeding going into this match-up. The psyches of two nations are intertwined in the outcome of this game, and you can bet fans from both nations (though especially Canada) will be cheering each goal and save as if this were the gold medal game.

On paper Canada looks to have a stronger team, with incredible depth at the goaltending, defense, and forward positions. With Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Rick Nash up front Canada should have no problem putting the puck in the net. However, chemistry plays a big role in team success at a short tournament like this, and in their last game against Switzerland Canada proved they have yet to find that offensive chemistry, scoring only two regulation goals against the Swiss before finally winning the game in a shootout. Granted, they ran in to a red hot goaltender in Jonas Hiller, but with Ryan Miller between the pipes for the Americans their shooters' jobs aren't going to get any easier.

The Americans boast plenty of firepower of their own, with snipers like Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, Phil Kessel and Paul Stastny on their roster. With big bruising forwards like David Backes, Dustin Brown and Ryan Malone, Team USA will definitely make Canada's defensemen pay a physical toll as well. Look for the Americans to get in hard on the forecheck and try and use that physical play to try and turn pucks over and establish a cycle down low. However, they have their work cut out for them, as savvy veterans like Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger aren't likely to crumble under such pressure, and Shea Weber, Drew Doughty, and Duncan Keith can all dish out plenty of physical punishment of their own.

All in all it is a great day to be a Canadian or an American hockey fan. This will be a bitterly contested game, played with the intensity of a game 7 Stanley Cup Finals match. Look for the goaltending to be great, the pace to be high, and the hitting to be constant and brutal. This will be hockey at its purest and its rawest, and the winner will give an entire nation bragging rights (at least until the medal round starts). So relax, grab a beer (or six), settle in and enjoy. I know I will be.

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Canada jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the game on goals by San Jose Sharks linemates Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau. However, after that Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller was absolutely phenomenal, shutting the door, and making one spectacular save after another to allow his teammates to mount a comeback.

The Swiss made the game 2-1 after 20 year old defenseman Drew Doughty turned the puck over at the offensive blueline, allowing the Swiss to counterattack 2 on 1 the other way. Ivo Rutheman elected to keep the puck, and the decision proved to be a wise one as he wired a wicked slapshot over Brodeur's glove. Then, in the last minute, with a delayed penalty coming to Chris Pronger after a retaliatory cross-check the Swiss got a lucky bounce, tying the game as a puck careened off Patrick Marleau's skate and past a helpless Martin Brodeur.

In the third period the Canadians threw everything they had at the Swiss, outshooting them 18-3. However, Hiller continued to prove he was up to the task, putting in a performance similar to the one his countryman Martin Gerber had 4 years ago when he pitched a shutout against Canada in Turin. Hiller's brilliance included consecutive highlight reel stops against Duck teammates Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry late in the third.

Overtime provided little in the way of offensive opportunities, with both teams playing relatively safe, and after 65 minutes the game was still tied and off to a shootout.

Hiller had the advantage of Brodeur in the shootout, being far more familiar with the Canadian players, fellow NHL stars, than Brodeur was with the Swiss. He stopped all 3 Canadian shooters in the first rotation, including Sidney Crosby. On the other side Brodeur was just as good, stymying all three shooters he faced, though he admittedly did get a little lucky as a fortuitous puck bounce saved what looked to be a likely goal.

With international rules in play Canadian coach Mike Babcock was free to choose anyone he wanted to shoot 4th, including one of the first three players that had already shot. He gave Crosby another chance to win the game for his team and Sid the Kid didn't disappoint, snapping a perfectly placed shot low blocker side on Hiller to stake Canada to a 1-0 lead. Now it was up to Brodeur to shut the door at the other end. The 3 time Stanley Cup winner showed his coolness under pressure, getting his glove on a high shot, and giving Canada the win.

Because the win was earned in a shootout rather than in regulation time Canada only earns two points for the victory, rather than the three they would have had if they'd been able to sew the game up in regulation. That could wind up being a very costly point for Canada as it could prevent them from finishing in the top 2 overall, and thus miss out on a bye to the semi-finals.

Of course, there is still Team USA to contend with this coming Sunday. If Canada doesn't play a better game than they did against the Swiss the loss of the single point tonight could be the least of their worries.

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