Will the Boys from Switz Give Team USA Fitz?

As I sit...okay, as I lounge lavishly in my cozy boudroir typing this blog entry, the Canadian Hockey Nationals are in the process of taking out their frustrations on the overmatched Germans, who (Photo Courtesy of Mark Humphrey, AP) have struggled to score goals -- 3 in 3 games, 2 in which they were denied any -- throughout the preliminary round of Olympic games. So far, Thomas Greiss, the German netminder who backs up Russian star Evgeny Nabakov for the San Jose Sharks, is doing his best Ryan Miller impersonation stopping all but one of the 30 or so shots already fired towards the cage of the white-clad, black-helmeted German squad. By the way, does anyone else think the "home" unis for Germany resemble the wrapper of a Fifth Avenue candy bar? But alas, it is only a matter of time before the Germans are ousted from the qualification round of these Olympic Games. Meanwhile, the American hockey heroes try to forget about how great they played Sunday night against Canada and redirect their focus on the plucky band of upstarts from the nation of Switzerland.

Can the Americans remain resolute and avoid a huge psychological let-down in the wake of such an intense and emotional game? Will they evade the trap of looking ahead to the semi-finals of the Olympic tournament and a potential show-down with either the feisty Finns or a formidable Czech Republic team, who has already bested neighbor Slovakia and battled favorite Russia to the bitter end in a hard-fought, nip-tuck contest of wills? In my humble opinion, they will be ready. They will not stumble just yet. This team isn't so supremely talented to fall prey to their own hubris and arrogance (petulance should not be confused with arrogance in the case of Patrick Kane or Ryan Kesler) and they seem to possess the requisite level of gritty determination to mitigate any overconfidence that creeps into their locker room.

The good news? Two full days to rest and prepare for their next opponent. Also fortuitous for the U.S. Team is the fact that they get to play a team, the Swiss, with whom they should be very familiar after disposing of them in the first game of Round Robin play one week ago today. The bad news? The Swiss National Team. It works both ways. The Swiss have competed valiantly all tournament long and even came within a shoot-out save and goal of upsetting the mighty Canadians before the Americans had the chance to enjoy the honor of doing so.

Switzerland is a team that cannot be taken lightly. In the first contest with the U.S., they limited the Americans to 24 shots on goal. And they made things quite interesting in the 3rd period as the U.S. went into a protective shell to guard a 3-goal lead that eventually was cut to 2 and nearly 1 in a couple of near-miss instances. But the Americans perservered and in the process, probably learned a lot about themselves. They know how staunch of an opponent the Swiss can be and they know how stingy Jonas Hiller can be when it comes to allowing goals. Knowing is perhaps more than half the battle. And execution is made easier when you know the danger that lurks behind the curtain.

At least that's what I like to believe. Go U.S.A!!! Poke holes in them Swissies!!

Team USA Swats Away a Pesky "Hnat" in Olympic Tournament-Opening Win over Swiss

Anyone remember, or care to remember, this slick-skating Swiss hero, who once dazzled the Thrashers' faithful with 15 goals scored during the 2000-'01 season? Well, he's back. And he's skating and checking in earnest for the Swiss Nationals in hopes of wrecking the medal-winning dreams of some nation's powerhouse hockey juggernaut, namely the United States of America. Yeah, we've got a bad-ass hockey team too!!

Well, earlier this evening, on the strength of markers by young and supremely talented Bobby Ryan, strong-skating monster David Backes (also quite young) and savvy and crafty veteran Ryan Malone, who jammed a loose puck through the wickets of rising NHL star Jonas Hiller of the Anaheim Ducks (pictured here and below in my last blog entry...coincidence? I think not.), the Stars & Stripes downed Switzerland 3 to 1 in the opening game of the widely anticipated men's hockey tournament at the Canadia-hosted Olympics.

N-H-Hiller (word play!) is definitely capable of stealing a game or two for the Swiss against a superior opponent. So while the 3 to 1 defeat of the lovable nation of neutrals may not appear to be all that hope-engendering for a US medal quest, keep in mind the Swiss ices a fairly experienced national team which benefits from the sprinkling-in of NHL talent at key positions such as Hiller, powerplay QB and blueline vet Mark Streit (of the NY Islanders) and of course, their emotional leader and former Thrasher wunderkind, Hnat Domenichelli!! All jokes aside, Hnat was quite "gnat-like" and played quite well against the Americans. But alas, US netminder Ryan Miller, lord and savior of the Buffalo Super-Slug Nation, was keen to the task and thwarted the pesky Domenichelli and his mates at nearly every pass.

Next up for the young, upstart Yanks? The Norwegians, who were felled by the nation of Canadia on home ice 8 to 0, on Thursday afternoon. In betwixt the pipes will be Timmy Thomas of the Boston Bruins. Bruins and Sabres players on the same team? Playing for the same cause? What compelling drama we have to look forward to as the Olympic fortnight unfolds. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, enjoy this picture featuring several iterations of the new official mascot of the Norway (copyright Mortimer Peacock for the use of the article "the"). Awwwwwwwww! Shit. Son. From Swiss gnats to gnarly hounds from Scandanavia! Onward ho!