20. Who will get the nod in net for Russia?
Will it be the 'Yotes Ilya Bryzgalov or the Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov? It's not a bad problem to have for the Russian Coaching Staff, as both are great tenders enjoying excellent seasons. I'd guess they'll give Nabokov a shot as the number one because of his age and experience.
19. Will Peter Forsberg be healthy and affective?
The 36-year old injury-prone Swede has put up solid numbers playing with Modo in the SEL, but will his ankle be able to hold up in a grueling, high intensity atmosphere? If he's healthy, he's still a gamebreaker in my books. We are talking about a guy who took a year off and then came back and led the NHL playoffs in scoring...despite not playing in the Finals. When the going gets tough, Forsberg gets going.
18. How big an affect will the recently-added Johan Franzen have for the Swedes?
A big one. Tomas Holmstrom's injury will certainly hurt Sweden's power play, but there's no denying Franzen is a superior player. His goal scoring will fit in well on a line with the Sedins or on the wing with his Wings' teammate Henrik Zetterberg.
17. Who will skate alongside Sidney Crosby and Rick Nash on Canada's top line?
There's plenty of candidates - Jarome Iginla, Eric Staal, Corey Perry (if Ryan Getzlaf can't go, especially), Patrice Bergeron (great success alongside Crosby and Perry in the '05 WJC), and various others. My guess would be that Iginla starts the tournament alongside "Sid the Kid."
16. Why the heck is the USA versus Canada game on MSNBC and not NBC?
Ouch...wait for it, it gets worse...ice dancing will be on NBC during that time slot. The NHL's own carrier is relegating this great rivalry to one of its affiliate stations. For a great breakdown of the situation, check out this Puck Daddy article.
15. Will Jaromir Jagr still be a force?
Jagr is still putting up quality numbers in the KHL, but he hasn't graced an NHL ice surface in almost two years, now. He's been the Czech's go-to-guy for a long time, and even though younger players have emerged, he'll still need to have an excellent tournament to give the Czech's a chance at gold.
14. Are the Czech's the dark horse?
They certainly aren't getting a lot of press, but if you take a look at the Czech's roster, it's pretty darn good. Their forwards are solid, their defensemen can really move the puck, and Tomas Vokoun is a vastly underrated goalie who is very capable of getting hot at the right times.
13. What affect will the NHL-size ice surface have on the tournament?
This will be the first Olympics to feature the smaller NHL-dimensions. It's easy to assume, "this helps the Canadians and Americans," but the Czechs, Russians, Swedes, and Finns feature rosters full of NHL players, and even the few guys who aren't current NHLers have nearly all played in North America before. I think it helps the Americans the most, as they will try to play a very physical, agitating game. For the Canadians, if Martin Brodeur gets the nod in net, he'll be allowed to roam free of the trapezoid and play the puck a lot more than under current NHL rules. That could be a big help to the Canadians as they try to slow down their opponents' forecheck.
12. Will Canada go with a checking line?
With a lot of two-way forwards on Canada's roster, they could feasibly go without a checking line. But, I doubt they decide to go that route. Expect some combination of Jonathon Toews, Brendan Morrow, Patrice Bergeron, Jarome Iginla, and Mike Richards (has gone head-to-head with Alex Ovechkin in international play before) to make up a shut-down trio for the Red and White.
11. Can the Swiss cause some problems?
On paper, they don't look too imposing. But they are well-coached, and Canadians won't soon forget the Swiss/Canadian upset back in '06. Mark Streit and Jonas Hiller will have to be at their best for the Swiss to make any major moves.
10. How will the officiating hold up?
With International officiating, it's hard to say how consistent the stripes will be from not only one game to the next, but in individual games, themselves. Expect to see a decent amount of penalties for "hitting too hard" and "being mean."
9. Is Ryan Miller's recent play anything to worry about for the Americans?
Some have suggested Miller looks fatigued and his play has tailed off a bit of late. He has carried a big workload in Buffalo, but he should be in good form in Vancouver - he put forth a great effort against the Sharks last night. Expect Miller to play nearly every minute for the Red, White, and Blue - the only way the Americans take home gold is if Miller plays the best hockey of his life.
8. How will a deep Canadian team distribute ice time?
Every one of Canada's players - especially the defensemen - are used to logging big minutes for their respective NHL clubs. There is almost no drop off from player one to player 22 for the Canadians. Will the top lines up front play 20 minutes a game, or will each line see fairly equal ice? Will the top-four defensemen play big minutes with the other three only seeing 10-15 minutes a game? It will be very interesting to see how that plays out.
7. Are the Finns a legitimate gold medal threat?
They may seem like a long shot, but don't discount the Finns, the silver medalists in '06. They have excellent goaltending and a solid troop of forwards. If they are successful, it means their defense - clearly the weak point of their team - has played well above their heads.
6. Will the Americans' defensive group get torn apart?
On paper, the Americans' defense isn't looking too hot. The injured Paul Martin would've been arguably the number one defensemen for the US team. Mike Komisarek's loss may be addition by subtraction (can you imagine the number of penalties he'd take in international play?), but Ryan Whitney and young defensemen Erik Johnson and Jack Johnson stack up horribly against the top-end talent that will be on display in Vancouver. Tim Gleason, Brooks Orpik, Brian Rafalski and Ryan Suter will need to have big tournaments. Like I said before, Ryan Miller needs to be Jim Craig-like in between the pipes for the Americans to contend for gold.
5. Is Russia's defense strong enough to win a gold medal?
Everyone knows about the absurd amount of firepower the Russians possess up front. The one area that could be deemed a weakness for Russia is their defensive group. After Sergei Gonchar, Andrei Markov, and Anton Volchenkov, they could have some problems. And, you can bet your bottom dollar that if they go up against the Canadians, Americans, or Finns, their defensemen will be taking a beating every time they go back to retrieve a puck in their own end. But, is it good enough to take home gold? Yes.
4. Will Marian Gaborik's laceration cause him to miss any time for the Slovaks?
After leaving Friday's Rangers game early and sitting out today against the Bolts, it's very possible Gaborik - the Slovak's top forward - will miss at least some time in Vancouver. The Slovak's rely very heavily on their top guys - losing Gaborik would be very detrimental to their outside shot of going home with a medal.
3. Speaking of Slovakia, what's up with Marian Hossa's status?
Hossa didn't take part in today's Hawks/Jackets game. Chicago is yet to reveal what Hossa's injury is, but it's clear that it came courtesy of a hit by Atlanta's Colby Armstrong. Like Gabroik, the loss of Hossa would be extraordinarily costly for the Slovakian Club.
2. Who will tend net for Canada?
Martin Broduer or Roberto Luongo - who will it be? The Canadians' first big test should come in their third game against the Americans. Brodeur brings a wealth of experience, superior puck handling skills, and an unrivaled list of achievements. Luongo is younger and playing in a familiar setting - but it is worth noting he was pulled in today's 'Nucks/Wild game. I would assume the Canadians give Brodeur the opportunity to take the number one job, but they could go either way. If Brodeur does have a fault, it's that he allows his fair share of weak goals when pucks are thrown at his feet from bad angles - something you can expect a decent amount of when Canada faces off against Norway and Switzerland.
1. Will Ryan Getzlaf play?
In my mind, Getzlaf is the Canadians' second best forward after Crosby. He was phenomenal in last year's playoffs, helped lead the Ducks to a Stanley Cup in '07, and has a rare combination of size, skill, and smarts. He's going to give it a go tonight as the Ducks faceoff against the Oilers, but it's hard to guess how his wonky ankle will hold up. In a tournament where every game is essentially a playoff game, health is vital. But, they could allow him to rest when the Canadians take on Norway and Switzerland so that he's in better shape as the tournament progresses. We probably won't know if he's in or out until tomorrow night.
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