Olympic Blog 

With blogs becoming ever so popular on the Internet, who am I to shy away?  I figure since I won’t be covering the NHL again until Feb 28, I may as well write something.  The interesting Ice Hockey tournament schedule at the Olympics got me to thinking it might be nice to write a little something everyday, as things happen.  Stay tuned because I may make this a permanent part of the Puckin’ Around website before long! 

Wednesday, February 15, 2006  

1:18 AM – The Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey tournament faces off in exactly five hours and 42 minutes.  Canada will play Italy.  Why in God's name is the game on so Early?  I know Italy is a six hour difference from Ottawa, but then again, I don't have to work until 12:30, so maybe it's just as well.  I really feel for the west coasters, who will have to be up at 4:00 AM!!!  They may as well stay up all night for crying out loud.  The Gold Medal Game is an 8:00 AM start on February 26th, 5:00 AM Pacific Time.  No sleeping in that day I guess! 

When Canada and Italy's women’s teams faced off, Canada had three goals on the board before the game was even five minutes old, two of them scored in the first minute and a half!  Final score was 16-0.  While Italy’s men’s team will be looking not to get blown out so bad, I don’t think this one will be even close.  By the way, I really pity Finland's women's team, they get Canada next.  I'm guessing with the Canadians outscoring their opposition 33-1, it's BUH-BYE Finns!  Going to bed now, will talk to y’all in a few hours.

7:41 AM - Canada 1  Italy 0 - 1st Intermission - Not the best start Canada could have hoped for, but they'll take it - so will Italy.  The Italians have been very aggressive on the fore check and are using the International ice to their advantage.  The difference in the game so far is Jarome Iginla's power play goal.  For all the nay sayers, Todd Bertuzzi got an assist on the first goal as he set up the goal perfectly from his office along the corner boards.  Canada has 1:36 of an Italian power play to kill off in the 2nd period.  Dany Heatley elbowed Jason Muzzatti to the ice - goaltender interference - you think?  In the only other game going on right now, Sweden has a handy 7-1 lead over Kazakhstan going into the 3rd.  Later on today, Switzerland plays Finland, Germany has the Czech Republic, Russia takes on Slovakia, and Latvia gets the U.S.A.

7:57 AM - Italy made good on their power play 43 seconds into the 2nd period, but Dany Heatley redeemed himself at the 2 minute mark.  Canada 2 Italy 1.

8:07 AM - Canada 4  Italy 1 - Canada seems to have shaken off the jet lag as Shane Doan has scored and Iginla has another power play goal.  Kazakhstan scored their second goal against Sweden in the third, but it was all for naught - Sweden 7  Kazakhstan 2 - that's now a final.

8:22 AM - Canada 6  Italy 1 - Tampa Bay team mates Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis have blown this game wide open with less than 5 minutes to go in the 2nd.

8:32 AM - Canada 6  Italy 2 - 2nd Intermission - Canada found their legs in the second period, but Italy made it interesting on the power play.  I pity any team who gets into penalty trouble against them going forward.  They keep things simple and should be a handful for any team that isn't ready for them.  Will update you all on the final score later, but for now going back to bed until 11:00.  Luckily I don't work until 12:30!  Go Canada Go!

11:26 AM - Final Score - Canada 7  Italy 2 - The Media are calling it "a lacklustre effort".  In my opinion they're just not giving the Italians enough credit.  For 21 minutes, Italy was by far the better team, they played hard, completed their checks, and had an aggressive fore check and put the power back into power play.  Canada took a period to get their legs, but after that they showed why they're the defending Gold Medal and World Cup champions.  If this was a lacklustre effort, I'd hate to see what happens if Canada actually Loses a game.  Finland has a 5-0 lead over Switzerland in the 3rd period in other hockey action.