Price is 4-0 with a 0.75 GAA , .963 SV% and one shutout heading into the gold medal game vs. Sweden. Canada was in the same spot four years ago with Roberto Luongo as their backstop, can Price lead them to a gold medal in 2014?
Lundqvist stopped all 19 shots that he faced to post his second shutout of the Olmypics in Sweden's 5-0 quarterfinal win over Slovenia. Lundqvist has won all four of his starts with a 1.25 GAA and .949 SV%. He will need to be at his best on Friday with Tuukka Rask standing across the rink.
Rask stopped 37 of 38 shots in Wednesday's 3-1 quarterfinals win over Russia. After struggling in his first start in Sochi and allowing a couple of soft goals vs. Canada, Rask was spectacular vs. the Russians. He has a 2.33 GAA and .918 SV% in three Olympic starts. Rask will play a huge role in whether or not the Finns get to the Gold Medal game.
Tavares may need surgery, but a final decision won’t be made until Tavares returns to Long Island from Sochi. He is staying with Canada through its final two games of the Olympics to attend the medal ceremony. Tavares, the Islanders captain, leads the team with 66 points. In his four-plus seasons since joining the Islanders as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, Tavares has missed only four games, including one this season with a minor hip injury.
Quick turned aside 21 of 23 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 quarterfinal win over the Czech Republic. He has won all three starts while posting a 1.67 GAA and .935 SV% in Sochi. He will look to backstop Team USA into the Gold Medal game by defeating Carey Price and Team Canada on Friday.
Price was not nearly as busy as Kristers Gudlevskis in Canada's 2-1 win over Latvia on Wednesday. Price stopped 15 of 16 shots while Canada fired 57 at the young Latvian netminder. On Friday Price will face an American team who have tallied 19 goals in four games (4.75 G/PG). He will look to do what Roberto Luongo did to Team USA in 2010's Gold Medal game.
Tavares suffered a knee injury during Wednesday's 2-1 win over Lativa and did not return. There is no word on the severity of the knee injury, but it is expected to keep him sidelined for the remainder of the tournament. His injury means that Matt Duchene will slide into the lineup permanently. The injury did not look good originally and could carry into his season with the Islanders.
Elias missed Tuesday's qualification game against Slovakia with an illness, but will be back in the lineup this afternoon. He will centre the third line with Martin Erat and Jakub Voracek on his wings.
This is a tough loss for the Latvians. Daugavins is one of very few players on this Latvia team with NHL experience. He has recorded two assists in four games in Sochi. Armands Berzins will take his spot.
Gudlevskis gave up five goals on 30 shots in a 5-3 loss to Sweden in his Olympic debut. After Edgars Masalskis made 32 saves on Tuesday, it is surprising to see Latvia give the start to the inexperienced Gudlevskis. It will be a tough task for the Latvian's to upset Canada and advance to the semi-finals.
Rask surrendered two goals on 27 shots in a 2-1 OT loss to the Canadians. Despite making a number of marquee saves, Rask gave up two soft goals which ultimately cost the Finns. He has not been all that sharp in his first two Olympic starts, but will need to bring his A-game today vs. a Russian team loaded with snipers.
Kristan stopped all 30 shots that he faced in Slovenia's improbable 4-0 win over Austria in Tuesday's elimination game. He is 2-0-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .935 SV% in three starts in Sochi. He will need to be at his best on Wednesday if Slovenia is going to pull the crazy upset over Henrik Lundqvist and Team Sweden.
Varlamov stopped all 27 shots that he faced in regulation and OT and both shootout attempts in a 1-0 win over Slovakia in the preliminary round. After Sergei Bobrovsky led the Russians past Norway on Tuesday, they will turn to Varlamov to get them to the semi-finals as they take on Finland later this morning.
Pavelec stopped 29 of 32 shots in Tuesday's 5-3 elimination win over Slovakia. He improved to 2-1-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .923 SV% after being benched in the tournament opener. The Czech did not start the tournament well, but put their scoring woes behind them on Tuesday and will look to upset the Americans on Wednesday and advance to the semi-finals.
Lundqvist surrendered three goals on 23 shots in Sweden's 5-3 win over Latvia on Saturday. Overall 'King Henrik' is 3-0 with a 1.67 GAA and .936 SV% in Sochi. He is Sweden's most important player and they will need him to come up big on Wednesday against an up-start Slovenia team.
In the Czech last round robin game, Pavelec stopped 25 of 26 shots in a 1-0 loss to Switzerland. He finished the preliminary round 1-1 with a 1.50 GAA and .935 SV%. He will get the call in this afternoon's elimination game vs. Slovakia. The winner moves on to face the United States on Wednesday.
Masalskis stopped 38 of 39 shots in the disappointing 1-0 loss to Switzerland in the tournament opener. In his second start he allowed four goals on 39 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic. He should be prepared to face a ton of rubber again this afternoon as he looks to propel Latvia into the quarterfinals.
Hiller stopped all 26 shots that he faced in a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday. He has faced 47 shots in two Olympic starts and he has stopped all 47 shots. He carries his 120 minute shutout streak into this afternoon's knockout game vs. Latvia. He blanked Latvia in a great goaltending duel in the Swiss' first game of the tournament.
Quick gave up two goals on 31 shots in regulation and OT and stopped five of eight shootout attempts in the Americans 3-2 win over Russia in the preliminary round. He has posted a 1.50 GAA and .944 SV% in two Olympic starts. ON Wednesday he will look to push Team USA to a berth in the semi-finals.
Zetterberg, the captain of Team Sweden, pulled out of the Sochi Games last Friday after suffering a herniated disk. The Wings return to action a week from Wednesday. Zetterberg most certainly won't be available -- he is to see a specialist as soon as possible to determine if surgery is needed now or can wait.
