Cole Jones, the Olympic Hockey Blog's self-proclaimed fashion correspondent [insert Sean Avery joke here], has taken it upon himself to choose the winner out of each of the tournaments 3 groups, based not on statistical analysis or intelligent debate... but rather based on how much he likes their uniforms. Today, he takes a look at Group B, and decides which team, out of Russia, Slovakia, Latvia, and Czech Republic deserves the Gold Medal in Sweaterology.

If Group A was the best dressed, then Group B is without question the worst dressed. The term "best dressed" brings forth connotations of neatly packaged team identities with bold striping and professional class. In Group B, the term takes on a much more nuanced definition. I'd rather call it "least poorly dressed."

The least poorly dressed in Group B is Russia, and the only real reason I can say that is the crest. Russia's logo is, and has been, one of my favorite parts of Olympic competition since the fall of the Soviet Union. The crest looks intimidating, and the Cyrillic wordmark really hammers home how international of a competition the Olympics really are. The actual jersey design isn't nearly as nice, though. Random patches of color, contrasting armpit stripes, shoulder caps galore. Lucky for Russia, they aren't alone with this affliction in this group, or in this tournament.
Click here to see their white jersey.

Only slightly worse than Russia is the great nation of Latvia. The color scheme of maroon, black, and silver really sets them apart in this tournament, and the crest adds something visually interesting to a tournament with such bland logo marks. Luckily they avoided the armpit coloring that Russia decided on, but they still decided to go with contrasted shoulder caps for some reason. The large intrusive stripe-interrupting LATVIJA wordmark is probably what kept this uniform out of the top spot in the group.
Click here to see their white jersey.

The Czechs avoided both the dreaded armpit coloring and shoulder caps, but decided to base their identity on curly, rounded, super-contrasted waves. Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of the design, but what makes it even less appealing to me is the stark contrast of the sleek stripes with the bulky traditional crest. I love the crest to death, and it brings back memories of the old "Czech-butt" jerseys from Nagano and my younger days, but I've seen rec-league sweaters that looked less patched together.
Click here to see their white jersey.

Closing out the group of ugly is Slovakia. They aren't so much ugly as they are boring and cliched. With a blue sweater that looks like what I'd expect Russia's third jersey to look like, if they had such a thing, the Slovaks are the stereotypical Nike hockey jersey. Nothing we haven't seen before in this Olympics, or previous World Championships, or Torino. Shoulder caps, colored pits, square collars... yawn/puke (Your choice.)
Click here to see their white jersey.

Remember when Nike Swift designs were running rampant online, with people worried that they were a precursor for the Reebok Edge uniforms? Thank you Reebok, for not forcing every NHL team into 2 templates like Nike does. Someone should have told the designers in charge of Group B that just because a panel CAN be a different color than the body of the jersey doesn't mean it HAS to be. Oh well, at least they all have cool crests.

Cole Jones covers the Dallas Stars at The Other 6 Seconds in addition to his work on Bloguin's Olympic Hockey Blog.

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Team USA scored six to best the Norwegians.  Switzerland pushed Canada to a shootout before bowing to Sidney Crosby.  But the first big upset of the games came in the nightcap, when Slovakia topped mighty Russia in another shootout.  Another three matches today as Olympic Hockey action keeps on trucking like a Zamboni before overtime.

After the jump we'll look back at the action from yesterday and preview what you can expect tonight.

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Team USA scored six goals against the Norwegians in Olympic Hockey action from this afternoon.  The clip has a few bumps, but presented for your enjoyment, a half dozen from Team USA

When I sat down to watch this game, I had an idea in my head for how I would write this blog up. I was expecting Canada to dominate this game but boy was I wrong. If you were looking for a blowout, this wasn't the game for you. If you wanted an edge of your seat type of game, this was it. The Swiss played a much more aggressive, confident game then I was expecting from them. They really put the pressure on Canada and were able to earn a point.

This is just an amazing composition.

What this game really came down to was the tremendous goal tending. On Canada's end was Martin Brodeur, with MAF riding the pine. Thankfully, MAF was not needed. Although I did suggest he serve as the goalie for the shootout but that's another blog. On the other end of the ice was Jonas Hiller.

VERSUS

In regulation, Brodeur faced 20 shots and saved 18 (90.0 save percentage) while Hiller stopped 43 of 45 shots (95.6 save percentage). Both goalies had amazing glove saves during regulation. Both goalies played so well the game was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation. OT started and neither team could put one past either goalie. The game was finally decided in a shootout, with Crosby netting the only goal.

The Swiss needed a revolving door on their penalty box. They had seven penalties to Canada's one. The Swiss were holding, hooking and delaying the game. But they only let one powerplay goal in. Patrick Marleau had the lone PP goal, with assists coming from Heatly and Weber. The Swiss were able to make a huge kill at the end of the third. The pressure was on with about 30 seconds left and they were able to hold off the Canadians in order to take the game to overtime.

The Swiss were very aggressive throughout the entire game. They were controlling the puck much more then I thought they would. They were showing great confidence, especially Hiller. The Swiss were very aggressive in front of the net. Their d would shoot from the point while the forwards would rush in and try to stuff in the rebound.

During the first, the line of Nash-Crosby-Iginla seemed to be quite active. They were really moving the puck and taking shots. They also had some great speed. In the third Babcock switched up some of the lines, putting Iginla with Richards and Morrow and they really got the hits going. Canada seemed to have another skater on the ice with Brodeur really controlling his rebounds and getting them to areas where his teammates could make plays.

Besides the Canadians power play goal, they had another one during regulation. Dany Heatly started it off in the first. Assists: Marleau and Toews. Marleau got his PP goal early on in the second. The Swiss answered with their own goal by Ivo Ruthemann from Martin Pluss. At the end of the second the Swiss are able to tie it up with a goal from Patrick Von Gunten when Pronger was called for a delayed penalty which allowed the Swiss to get the extra attacker out on the ice. There was no scoring in the third, so on to overtime we go!

Another amazing picture!

In overtime the Swiss continued to put on the pressure but it seemed Canada was dominating. Hiller was really working hard to keep his team in the game. He was even ran over by Nash but was able to keep playing. He was just a little shaken up. There were no goals in overtime, on to the shootout.

The line-up for the shootout:
Hnat Domenichelli
Sidney Crosby
Lemm Romano
Jonathan Toews
Roman Wick
Ryan Getzlaf
Sidney Crosby
Martin Pluss

Only Sidney Crosby was able to score (on his second attempt). After the first six shooters, both teams were able to repeat shooters. The strategy worked for Mike Babcock when he put Crosby in again. The only thing I didn't get (along with others and I didn't hear an explanation) was why Canada shot twice in a row. I don't think it would have made a difference, I just have never seen that before.

Random thoughts:

I actually liked hearing from JR during the first intermission. He really knows what he is talking about and seems comfortable in front of the camera. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more JR-ness. I was expecting something more, more controversial, more outspoken. He just kind of seemed censored.

NBC Complaint! I started out watching the online feed. There was no play-by-play on it. It was kind of weird watching hockey with no play-by-play. It was like being there but you aren't there. It was eerie. I'm not sure why they didn't have the play-by-play online. The US game I watched the other day did.

Another NBC complaint! When I finally found it on tv, they switched channels in the middle of the game with no warning! It looked like they were just going to commercial but instead of returning to the game, it went into some stupid program. I then had to flip through the channels in order to find the game, thus ensuring that I missed part of the first. Why was there no announcement or wording on the screen to alert you to the fact that this program was moving to such-and-such channel? Not good NBC, not good.

While the scoreboard and the box score tell a nice story, for those who watched USA's pummeling of Norway the end result was not indicative of a shaky defensive effort that gave Norway more than a handful of dangerous scoring chances. The Americans out shot the Norwegians 39-12, but a look at the best scoring chances in the game would probably be an even split between the two teams.

There was a lot to be happy about including another solid game for Ryan Miller as he logged multiple saves off odd man rushes. Norway's lone goal of the game came in the second period short handed on an 2-1 rush. With 4 forwards on the USA's powerplay, the Americans got caught in bad position when Jamie Langenbrunner came off the back-line and whiffed on a one timer on the back post. Norway's Maruius Holtet took the rebound off the boards and across the ice and capped the odd man rush with a wrist shot over Miller's right shoulder. The goal cut the US lead to 3-1 and seemed to set the tone for a very competitive second period.

The US dominated the first period out-shooting Norway 15-2, to go along with a 2-0 lead with goals from Phil Kessel and Chris Drury. Patrick Kane had a put-back goal early in the second period that extended the lead to 3-0. The Americans were unable to score in 2 power plays in the second period in addition to giving up the short handed goal.  With new found momentum, Norway was able to put together 7 shots in the period against the US's 8, a vast improvement from a first period dominated by the Americans.

Norway pressed on in the third period, buoyed by a early power play chance. Miller and the defense buckled down a bit as the period winded down and were taken off Defcon 4 alert after a late goal by Ryan Malone. Brian Rafalski added 2 more in the final moments to give the game the look of a blowout.

Overall it was encouraging to see the offense come together with multiple lines scoring goals and much more crisper passing which led to a huge advantage in puck possession as well as shots. Miller could have easily given 2 or 3 goals which would have really changed the complexion of the game.

Going into the game against Canada, the defense continues to be a major concern as the amount of odd man rushes given up could sink the US against a team with better goal skaters and finishing ability.

The power play also has yet to gel opening up the game 0-4 in addition to giving up the short handed goal. Luckily the US found the net in their 5th try but still both units were pretty lackluster even against a moderate team like Norway.

At the end of the day it was a good win but with Canada and the medal round on the horizon, you didn't get the feeling this was a team finding its stride. Still though the goaltending and progression of the offense lends itself optimism that the Americans should have a puncher's chance on Sunday.

Cole Jones, the Olympic Hockey Blog's self-proclaimed fashion correspondent [insert Sean Avery joke here], has taken it upon himself to choose the winner out of each of the tournaments 3 groups, based not on statistical analysis or intelligent debate... but rather based on how much he likes their uniforms. Today, he takes a look at Group A, and decides which team, out of Canada, USA, Switzerland, and Norway, deserves the Gold Medal in Sweaterology.

The class of the group is Team Canada, who finally decided to embrace the strength of simplicity in their uniforms. No more black striping and gold piping anywhere to be seen, the Canadians finally got it right with the bold red and with white stripes. The sublimated tribal design on the maple leaf isn't exactly my favorite, but it's hard to notice on television, so I'll ignore it and give them a free pass. When you see these uniforms on the ice, they look like what hockey was meant to look like, without mimicking any established NHL designs. Great decisions by the host nation.
Click here to see their white sweater.

Coming in at a very close 2nd place is Norway. Again, keeping things simple and understated, they use traditional striping in their nation's colors. Generally speaking, I would have preferred they design some kind of patriotic emblem to act as their crest, but something about the simple diagonal NORGE wordmark really works for them. The draw-strings tie it all together (no pun intended) for another strong uniform set that looks traditional, without looking like any other nation.
Click here to see their white sweater.

Third place in Group A is the Americans. My home and native land. When I first saw the USA take the ice against Switzerland, I was pleasantly surprised at how good they looked in the navy blue. When I first saw the graphic, I thought the sublimated design on the sleeves would ruin the whole look, but it didn't. The only thing keeping them from moving higher in these rankings is the inconsistency. They're the only team in this tournament that has an alternate sweater (meaning we brought 3 sweaters for a tournament where we're only guaranteed 4 games). 3 uniforms, 3 different designs. The navy and the vintage alternate are the best of the bunch, with the primary white sweater leaving a lot to be desired. I do like the white helmets though. Leave it to a Texan like myself to remind you that the good guys wear the white cowboy hats.
Click here to see their white sweater... and here to see their OTHER white sweater.

Rounding out the group is Switzerland, who probably would finish first in some of the other groups, but just happened to get stuck in the best dressed group of the tournament. My only real gripes with the Swiss are that the shoulder caps don't extend far enough to look normal (like Canada's whites), and the relatively bland white cross on the chest. I know the white cross has national significance that may not work as well in red, but the white cross on a white jersey just doesn't do much for me, nor does it's soccer-style placement.
Click here to see their white sweater.

When the biggest gripes I have with a group is the boringness of the logo or the inconsistency from home sweater to road sweater, you know the group has good taste. Stay tuned for Group B and Group C, and you'll know just how bad Olympic uniforms can get.

Cole Jones covers the Dallas Stars at The Other 6 Seconds in addition to his work on Bloguin's Olympic Hockey Blog.

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Preliminary Game 8: Canada vs. Switzerland - February 18, 2010 4:30pm PST - Canada Hockey Place

In the last Olympics in Turin, Team Canada were defeated 2-0 by Team Switzerland. Back then their goaltender was Martin Gerber, who was able to hold off the Canadians. That game could be said to have been the start of Team Canada's unravelling in 2006. Team Canada wants to win this one, "No question," said Dany Heatley on Wednesday to media "You don't forget things like that and it would be nice to beat them pretty good."

Full game preview and team analysis after the jump...

Henrik Lunsqvist proved yesterday that the New York Papers are hardly hyperbolic when the call him King Henrik.  Niklas Hagman showed grit and determination in illuminating the lamp with a pair of goals.  And flag bearer Jaromir Jagr flashed the panache that put his name on Lord Stanley's Cup as a teenager almost two decades.

It's your Olympic Hockey Wake-Up Call, with another trio of games on tap today and a troika in the books.  So grab your coffee and live a little, have one of them paczki from Tuesday.  They're still delicious.  We'll have the run down from last night, the look at today and some news from around the rinks, after the jump

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Finland 5, Belarus 1. Steady Fins wear down the outmatched Belarusians.

Sweden 2, Germany 0. Sweden grinds out a win with the help of a controversial goal.