Final, Team USA 3-2: That’s it, and that’s all.
The Americans win an absolutely thrilling game and exhilarating shootout. The shootout rules are different in international play, which is why T.J. Oshie went so many times in the shootout. He was fantastic, and so, too, was Jonathan Quick.
Here are a handful of links with reaction and analysis to the American win.
USA-Russia game lives up to expectations
U.S. hockey fans wake up early, pack bars to watch game
Video of a Boston bar erupting as Oshie wins it
The Bolshoy Ice dome didn’t display the final score. Go figure.
How the game-winning goal sounded on Russian TV
Shootout:
Round 1: T.J. Oshie scores for USA / Evgeni Malkin misses for Russia
Round 2: James van Riemsdyk stopped for USA / Pavel Datsyuk stopped for Russia
Round 3: Joe Pavelski stopped for USA / Ilya Kovalchuk scores for Russia
Round 4: Ilya Kovalchuk stopped for Russia / T.J. Oshie misses for USA (2-1 Russia)
Round 5: Pavel Datsyuk scores for Russia / T.J. Oshie scores (2-2)
Round 6: Ilya Kovalchuk scores for Russia / T.J. Oshie scores for USA (3-3)
Round 7: Pavel Datsyuk stopped for Russia / T.J. Oshie stopped for USA (3-3)
Round 8: Ilya Kovalchuk stopped for Russia / T.J. Oshie (USA wins 4-3)
End overtime, 2-2: That’s the end of overtime, and no one was able to break through. So it’s heading to overtime.
Overtime, 2:30, 2-2: Patrick Kane had a chance to give the Americans the lead, but Sergei Bobrovsky had other ideas.
Kane had a breakaway all alone, but Bobrovsky made a huge pad save to keep the game going.
Overtime, 1:00, 2-2: The game is back to even strength.
Overtime, 0:01, 2-2: Overtime has begun with the Americans on the power play.
End third period, 2-2: Sixty minutes ain’t enough.
This game is heading to overtime, and the Americans will have 32 seconds of power-play time to begin the extra frame.
Third period, 18:28, 2-2: The Americans are going back on the power play in the final moments of the third.
Yevgeni Medvedev was just called for interference.
Third period, 15:20, 2-2: Russia looked to have regained the lead.
Fedor Tyutin appeared to have given the Russians a lead, but they goal was waved off for some reason. It’s still unclear what the call was.
Third period, 12:44, 2-2: It was probably just a matter of time, but the Russians have broken through on the power play.
Alexander Radulov’s eventful day continues, as he just screened Jonathan Quick, which allowed Pavel Datsyuk to rip home a power-play goal from the right dot.
Third period, 12:26, Team USA 2-1: Once again, the Team USA penalty kill is going to have to come up big.
Dustin Brown was just called for tripping, and the Americans must kill off another penalty.
Third period, 9:27, Team USA 2-1: The Americans have their first lead.
Team USA won a faceoff in the offensive zone from Ryan Kesler, which allowed Patrick Kane to gather the puck along the boards. Joe Pavelski got lost on the left wing, and Kane hit him with an unreal pass that Pavelski one-timed by Sergei Bobrovsky.
Third period, 8:27, 1-1: Team USA is going to get a chance to take the lead on the power play.
Alexander Radulov was just whistled for his second penalty of the game, this one hooking, and the U.S. is going to try for its first lead.
Third period, 5:30, 1-1: The Americans were able to kill the penalty, thanks in large part to a Jonathan Quick glove save on a Evgeni Malkin one-timer from the right faceoff circle.
Third period, 3:14, 1-1: The U.S. penalty kill has to go back to work.
Dustin Brown was just called for interference in the offensive zone and it was a questionable call to say the least.
Third period, 2:00, 1-1: The Americans killed off the Patrick Kane penalty, and the Russians weren’t even able to get a shot on goal.
Third period, 0:01, 1-1: The third period is underway, and the U.S. has to kill off almost an entire power play.
End second period, 1-1: The second period is over. The Russians will essentially have an entire full power play on fresh ice when the third period begins.
Second period, 19:59, 1-1: The Americans are going to be shorthanded to begin the third period.
Patrick Kane was just called for hooking with 0.9 seconds to play in the period.
Second period, 16:34, 1-1: It’s a tie game.
Cam Fowler just crashed the net on the power play, and he’s going to be credited with a power-play goal. James van Riemsdyk found Fowler with a pass though the crease that deflected off of Fowler’s skate and by Sergei Bobrovsky.
Second period, 15:16, Russia 1-0: The Americans are going to get another power play.
Alexander Radulov just inexplicably knocked over Dustin Brown in the neutral zone with the puck deep in the American zone. Radulov gets the interference penalty, and the Americans will try to tie it on the power play.
Second period, 11:00, Russia 1-0: Ryan Kesler is back for the Americans after blocking a shot on the last Russian power play.
Second period, 9:15, Russia 1-0: The Russians are the ones who strike first.
Pavel Datsyuk just sprinted into the neutral zone and into the attacking zone and split the American defense. He walked in on Jonathan Quick and beat the goalie glove side for the game’s first goal.
Second period, 9:04, 0-0: Team USA is starting to do a much better job of breaking it out of the zone, and that’s turning into chances for the U.S.
James van Riemsdyk just ripped a shot from the slot on an American rush, but Sergei Bobrovsky made the save.
Second period, 7:04, 0-0: The Russians got chances on the power play, but they weren’t able to convert.
Alex Ovechkin hit a post early in the man-advantage, and the kill may have come at a cost for the Americans. Ryan Kesler just headed back to the dressing room after blocking a shot.
Second period, 5:01, 0-0: Russia is going back on the power play.
Max Pacioretty just pulled a Russian player down and he’ll get called for the penalty and the Americans are forced to kill off another penalty.
Second period, 4:23, 0-0: The American defensemen are making a habit of jumping into the play, and it’s generating offense.
Kevin Shattenkirk just jumped in with a Phil Kessel and Max Pacioretty with Kessel leaving the puck for Shattenkirk. The St. Louis defenseman blasted a shot form just inside the blue line, but it was right in the stomach of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Second period, 1:45, 0-0: The Americans were not able to get much on the power play to start the second, and the game is back to even strength.
Second period, 0:01, 0-0: The second period is underway with the Americans on the power play.
End first period, 0-0: The Americans went strong after the Russian net in the final seconds of the period, but they weren’t able to get anything by Sergei Bobrovsky.
Team USA will have 1:24 of power-play time on fresh ice to open the second period.
First period, 19:24, 0-0: Ilya Nikulin is going to the penalty box, and the Americans have their first power play.
First period, 15:35, 0-0: Russia just had its best chance of the period, but Jonathan Quick was there.
The American goalie made a big pad save after Alexander Semin made a great centering pass to a charging Evgeni Malkin. It was Semin who won a race to the puck in the corner before getting it to the front of the net fro Malkin.
Big save there for Quick.
First period, 12:30, 0-0: The Americans were able to kill off the penalty to Blake Wheeler, but it wasn’t necessarily easy.
The Russians controlled the play with heavy possession time in the American end, but they weren’t able to get any real dazzling chances. Evgeni Malkin had a near-chance when he was on the left wing and got a pass from across the slot. He looked to have an open net, but he fanned on the one-timer attempt.
First period, 10:28, 0-0: Russia is getting the first power play.
Blake Wheeler just tripped Ilya Kovalchuk in the neutral zone, and the Americans’ PK goes to work.
First period, 6:45, 0-0: Looks like the Americans will have to deal with a good Pavel Datsyuk today.
The Detroit Red Wings forward is battling a lower-body injury, but he’s been really involved so far. He’s already matched his shot total from the Russians’ first game — one — but that shot was turned away by Jonathan Quick.
First period, 4:30, 0-0: New York Rangers captain and American forward Ryan Callahan is wasting no time being a bit of a pest.
He just dropped Evgeni Malkin with a big hit at the USA blue line, and he was playing the primary agitator following a faceoff in the Russian zone following the ensuing rush.
This has been a fantastic pace so far. The teams have already trade a handful of shots, and once again, the Joe Pavelski line with James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel is clicking for America.
First period, 0:01, 0-0: Perhaps the biggest preliminary game in Olympic history is underway.
7:20 a.m.: The Americans are going to use the same lineup that they used in their tournament opener. That means Justin Faulk and Derek Stepan will be scratches, as will third goaltender Jimmy Howard.
The Americans are using the same players, but they are shaking up the D-pairs just a little bit. The forward lines are all the same for Dan Bylsma’s team.
Here are the defensive pairs and line combinations.
Zach Parise — David Backes — Ryan Callahan
James van Riemsdyk — Joe Pavelski — Phil Kessel
Dustin Brown — Ryan Kesler — Patrick Kane
Max Pacioretty — Paul Stastny — T.J. Ohsie
Blake Wheeler
Ryan Suter — Ryan McDonagh
Paul Martin — Brooks Orpik
Cam Folwer — Kevin Shattenkirk
John Carlson
7 a.m.: The two teams have taken the ice in Sochi, and we’re about a half hour away from this highly anticipated matchup.
According to the NBC Sports telecast, Russian president Vladimir Putin is expected to be in attendance for this one. Not to put any more pressure on the Russian team or anything.
6 a.m.: There isn’t a lot on the line in terms of seeding and positioning, and the loser’s tournament life won’t be at risk. But that won’t stop the latest meeting between America and Russia from being a can’t-miss Olympics hockey game.
The two world superpowers will renew their rivalry on the ice Saturday in Sochi when they drop the puck on preliminary round play at the 2014 Winter Olympics. The winner of this game will almost certainly emerge as the Group A winner.
Both clubs enter Saturday’s game with 1-0 records in the tournament after getting off on the right foot in their debuts. The Americans steamrolled Slovakia 7-1 to open their slate, and the host Russians pulled away late for a 5-2 win over Slovenia in their first game.
For the Americans, the matchup with Russia will be a good barometer of where they’re really at. Team USA was flat-out dominant in its opening game agaisnt Slovakia, but those are the same Slovaks that allowed Slovenia to win its first ever Olympic game earlier on Saturday. While the Americans don’t necessarily have the top-six talent that the Russians boast, Dan Bylsma’s bunch does have incredible depth. That dept was on display in the win over Slovakia where 11 of 20 skaters registered at least a point with seven players notching multipoint games.
Russia, meanwhile, will be looking to put on a show for the home crowd. The host team struggled at times with trying to put away the pesky Slovenians, but the Russians ended up having just too much for Slovenia to deal with. One thing to keep an eye on will be the play of Pavel Datysuk. The Detroit Red Wings forward has been dealing with a lower-body injury and was held to just one shot on goal in the team’s first game.
Jonathan Quick will be the Team USA starter after stopping 21 of 22 shots in the win over Slovakia. The Russians will go with Columbus Blue Jackets goalie and reigning Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky.
Puck drop is set for 7:30 a.m. ET
