Open Thread: Bronze Medal Game - USA vs. Finland
Both teams come off of devastating losses to their neighbors and rivals. Sweden and Canada are off to the Gold medal game. Finland and USA need to put yesterday's games behind them quickly and get focused today. The bronze medal game is still hugely important, and the difference between 3rd and 4th is massive. This is also big for the US in that it will affect the total Olympic medal count.
Let's hope the boys in red, white, and blue get back to work. Maybe score some goals, eh?
Bronze Medal Game: USA vs. Finland, 10:00 a.m. EST
Tv: NBCSN
All-time hockey medals: USA 2 gold, 8 silver, 1 bronze; Finland 0, 2, 3
USA's lone bronze medal came in 1936.
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:35 AM ^
Kane has had a rough Olympics. I haven't seen that call in years, but we could have really used a goal on the penalty shot. Any goal at all at this point.
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:36 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:37 AM ^
Where is everybody?
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:13 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^
Suomi. Just had to write it.
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:46 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:46 AM ^
USA actually gave a really good effort in the first, including some awesome saves by Quick (and Kessler).
Looks like they really want that bronze. Now we just need to put the puck in the damn net.
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^
That was a pretty awesome goal mouth scramble Finland had in the first. I agre with Doc, though. How did Finland not get credit for any shots on goal there? They had four minimum. It seems to me that the US is dictating play for the most part, they just can't put one in the net.
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^
I meant 4 that Quick had on his own.
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^
Happy for Selanne, but that was not a goal Quick should have given up. This is just a bad week for hockey.
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^
fuckin Finnish Flash
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^
Oh boy, this is getting ugly
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:02 AM ^
So Suter didn't take away the pass or the shot. Solid D there.
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:02 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^
You only needed to leave for 11 seconds
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:17 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^
Another penalty shot miss for Kane..completely had him beat. We are dominating right now, just need a bounce or two to go our way.
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:20 AM ^
I think we used up all of our puck luck against the Czechs.
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:17 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:21 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:44 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:24 AM ^
This is a sweeeet weekend for hockey you guyz
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:26 AM ^
This has been three of the most depressing consecutive days of hockey I can remember. I'm sure there have been worse, but nothing is coming to mind.
February 22nd, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^
Aside from singular crushing defeats ('08 semis, '11 title game) I agree. Women's hockey choking, men's hockey losing to Canada and Finland, Michigan losing at home to Penn State. Bad bad weekend
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^
Well the US finished the 1980 olympics coming from behind in the third against Finland. So there is precendent at least. Still, not looking good.
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:52 AM ^
I don't think they've recovered from the Canada loss and frankly it doesn't look like the bronze means a lot to them.
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:54 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^
Best tournament in all of sports. Going to be another long wait until 2018.
Obviously have to hope for our guys on Sweden to beat Canada tomorrow too.
February 22nd, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^
Go Swedes! Beat the Canucks!
February 22nd, 2014 at 6:15 PM ^
than football.
February 23rd, 2014 at 7:46 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:59 AM ^
That's already pretty much forgotten.
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:58 AM ^
February 22nd, 2014 at 11:58 AM ^
There are like 5.5 million people in Finland. I'm sure hockey is huge there, but how do you compete at this level with that size population?
February 22nd, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^
Hockey is indeed huge in Finland - it's much bigger than soccer, which is unusual for Europe. 5.5 million isn't a huge population base, but the best athletes go into hockey. Most countries are pretty good at whatever their #1 sport is. See: Norway at the biathlon and cross-country skiing, Netherlands at speed skating, Austria at downhill skiing, and so on.
The Finns are a consistent medal contender but can't quite climb the mountain. Since 1988 they've won two silvers and four bronzes.