Men’s Ice Hockey Semi-Finals
Its setting up to be a big, brash, all American final in the men’s ice hockey this week with the USA and Canada both in separate semi-finals. America plays Finland on the 26th at the UBC Thunderbird arena and Canada plays Slovakia there the next day. Canada have already played Slovakia in the women’s game in an 18-0 annihilation, will this result be repeated in the men’s game? Slovakia have gained entrance after narrow victory in the last 16 and the quarter finals, beating both Finland and Sweden 4-3 and therefore having the worst odds of progression to the final with odds of 33/4 with expect.com.
Despite having lost to the USA in the preliminary round Canada are favourites to win the gold with odds of 8/15 being given by both betfred and Coral. The USA has odds of 7/2 with bet365, Finland 8/1 and Slovakia 20/1 all with bet365. America beat the Canadians in a 5-3 upset and pundits are wondering whether the feat can be repeated.
Ice Hockey, of course, is Canada’s national sport, the cold conditions required for play found all across the second biggest country in the world. From the arctic tundra in the north to the forests of the south ice hockey is played by all ages. For the Canadians this is the only event that matters. If they can beat Slovakia and close rivals America or Finland should an upset occur then the Olympics will be seen as a huge success. This is the winter equivalent of the 100m sprint in the regular Olympics, the one event that everyone watches avidly. And while Ice Hockey is only really cared about by two countries for those two countries it means everything. So should it be an all-American affair expect flared tempers, aggression, speed and precision. All the things that make the sport what it is. It will be the last event to be played at the Winter Olympics 2010, Canada wants this one to be remembered.
All odds correct at time of writing and are subject to change
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