Day Eleven (Fifteen): Let the Good Times Roll

Olympic open thread!  The good news just kept right on rolling yesterday.  Both curlers are into the gold medal game, the women's hockey team took gold and Joannie Rochette earned a bronze medal with her performance in the free skate.  A great moment for her in what must be, more generally, a very difficult time.  The last two days have seen Canadians rise to the occasion time and time again and that's always fun to watch. Coming into the day the Canadians now have as many first place finishes as anyone with some very good opportunities to take a few more.  Cheryl Bernard is up first playing for the gold medal against the Swedes.  Later on, there are a bunch of short-track events.  The Canadian men have had disappointing results to this point, but could make up for it with a big night tonight.

And then there's the hockey.  The Finns and Americans will duel in the first game this afternoon.  I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm pulling for the Americans.  A Canadian gold medal victory will just feel all the more complete if they can avenge their only loss of the tournament and I doubt the Finland is an easier game for Canada in the final anyway.  And there's Canada-Slovakia.  It isn't quite the storied rivalry of Canada-Russia but the game today is a biggie.  The only Slovakians with 20 GP this season in the NHL under 30 are Marian Gaborik, Tomas Kopecky, Andrej Meszaros, Andrej Sekera, Marek Svatos, Milan Jurcina and Boris Valabik.  That's it.  Seven guys and, aside from Gaborik, not much to hang your hat on.  This is their last semi-relastic shot at Olympic glory for the forseeable future.  And they know it.  I don't often put a lot of emphasis on the psychological aspect of the game but if ever there was a team ready to play above their heads because of "desire," this is that team. 

Schedule:

Finland v. United States 1:00 p.m. MST

Canada v. Slovakia 7:30 p.m. MST