Written by Joe Tetreault | 09 February 2010

Their eighth ranking leaves them on the cusp of contention. Their draw is intimidating. Perennial Powerhouses Finland and Sweden - the defending Olympic Gold Medal team - top Group C. And the German squad though ranked 11th in the world cannot be overlooked. Getting to the quarterfinals would mark a chance to sneak up on one of the big guns in the tourney and end their hopes of glory. They are Belarus, and they will not be taken lightly.

Injuries have dimmed the once bright star of Belarus' national team. As eager as they are to again play spoiler as they did in 2002 when they bumped the Swedes from the Olympics during the quarters, they'll have to overcome injuries to key players to do so. Ruslan Salei, Captain of that squad, commented of that big win:

It was amazing the excitement in our country after that; it's obviously going to be difficult to match.

Salei has been limited to one game this season for the Avalanche, leaving Belarus without their former captain.But Salei's injury is hardly the most damaging. Click read more to continue reading about the challenges facing the Belarusian squad in the Olympic men's ice hockey tournament set to begin in one week.

Canadiens winger Andrei Kostitsyn has been out since early January when he went under the knife. The Habs have kept the nature of the injury and the sugery to correct it quiet, but his timetable to return makes his participation in the Olympics highly questionable.

Also sidelined is Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski who broke his wrist and has been out since January 2nd. He's not expected to be available for the tournament.  Andrei's bother Sergei battled an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for 10 games in December and January. He's playing again, but how effective he'll be without his linemates on Belarus' top line is anyone's guess. Since returning he's suited up in eight games, potting a goal with a pair of assists.

Belarus will turn to their wily veteran netminder, Andrei Mezin, and pin their hopes to play spoiler on him. It was his stellar work in net against the Swedes in 2002 that propelled them to their best finish in Olympic history. He stopped forty-four shots holding Sweden to 3 goals and leading Belarus to their improbable victory. Playing for Dynamo Minsk this year in the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) he's posted a 10-19-5 record to go with a 2.64 GAA. All of this adds up to a pile of headaches for head coach Mikhail Zakharov, who took over the squad in November.

Plenty of players in the professional ranks would find themselves tempted to roll over, skate their games and enjoy the conviviality in the Olympic village. But after missing the 2006 Olympics and showing signs of re-establishing themselves with an eighth place finish in the 2009 World Championships, Belarus has something to prove. They need Sergei Kostitsyn to discover a deft scoring touch and for Mezin to stand on his head, as he did at the World Championships last year (4-1 1.72 GAA .948 save percentage), to keep the puck out of the net. The injuries will give them the chance to sneak up on an unexpecting opponent, enabling them to perhaps play spoiler again.

Joe Tetreault blogs about sports, culture, business/technology and current events at TetreaultVision in addition to being the Editor for Bloguin's Olympic Hockey Blog.

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