Russia 2, Canada 0

So Россия wins. 2-0. (Россия is MUCH better than “CCCP,” donchya think?) Wow. What a game! Great skating, very physical, excellent goal tending. Nabokov, of the Sharks, played brilliantly in getting the shut-out and the win. Brodeur was simply excellent and it’s a shame he has to lose this game. Brodeur had NO chance on Ovechkin’s goal, and the set-up pass from Kozlov to Ovechkin will be a feature of any Olympic highlight reel yet to be produced. Speaking of Ovechkin, there’s absolutely NO justice in this world if Alexander Ovechkin doesn’t win the Calder Trophy. I know we didn’t get to see Crosby in the Olympics, and that’s too bad. Given the way Team Canada played (dismal power-play, general lack of offense), perhaps Crosby should have been on the team. Oh well, it is what it is, on that count. But Ovechkin has played superbly, and he got the game-winner today.

The last minute theatrics in this game were excellent. Canada pulled its goalie with about a minute left and then Malkin (Russia) gets a game misconduct in front of the Russian net while Canada was swarming in front. It looks like Canada can tie it up at this point, what with a man advantage for the rest of the game, but then Chris Pronger takes a stupid, stupid penalty and Canada’s man advantage is gone. Brodeur returns to the net as the face-off is in the Canadian zone after the penalty. Ten seconds later Kovalev puts it in the net to clinch the game…with 23 seconds left. And the clock runs out. Russia gets Finland next…

Oh my, the Canadian women’s Gold ain’t gonna come near enough to smoothing down the ruffled feathers when Canada goes out in the quarter finals. Ignominy!

And now I get to watch the last period of the Czech Republic vs. Slovakia. The Czechs are ahead, 2-0.