Analyzing the Frontrunners: Top 4 Seeds

#1 USA

Well, who better to start with than the #1 seed. Team USA pulled off their own tiny miracle on ice yesterday, stunning a heavily favored and star powered Canadian team. Patrick Kane, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ryan Kesler and Brian Rafalski outplayed the likes of Sidney Crosby, Jerome Iginla, Rick Nash, and Scott Neidermayer for 60 minutes and never trailed. Ryan Miller's performance heavily overshadowed the mediocre performance at best that Martin Brodeur put in, and though the result was in doubt until the final 50 seconds, Team USA prevailed.

We always knew this team was good, but the sheer firepower of Canada, Russia, and Sweden almost made the Americans an afterthought. It was supposed to be all on Miller, and they would only be able to medal if he put in the performance of his life. Well, that talk is no more. The US has been the most complete and effective team in this tournament so far, with a special combo of grit, goaltending, natural scoring ability, and smart play and positioning, as well as a healthy mix of veterans and young studs.

Miller has been sensational and hasn't looked at all off his game. The roleplayers, especially Chris Drury, have been doing there job and more. Bobby Ryan, Kesler, Parise, Kessel, and Kane have been tearing it up, getting scoring chance after scoring chance and playing a hard, intimidating physical game. The defense is rock solid with Jack and Erik Johnson playing smart hockey, rarely out of position. Brian Rafalski is having the tournament of his life.

The US got a great draw by being the number 1 seed. They play the winner of Belarus and Switzerland at 3 PM ET on Wednesday, and if they advance (and they will), by the time they get to the semis either Canada or Russia will be out of the tournament. If they win the quarters they will face either the Czechs, Latvia, or Finland, who are all beatable. Do that, you've got a gold medal game.

This team is very good. They've earned this seed. And now, they have confidence. They havn't been beaten yet. The last US team that won a gold medal in the Olympics didn't lose a game. Lets hope for a repeat.

#2 SWEDEN

If there's one team I'm scared to meet in the Gold Metal game, its these guys. Their offense is clicking, with, among others, the Sedins, Foppa, and the ever dangerous and underrated pivot Nicklas Backstrom. They have Nick Lidstrom, perhaps the best defenseman of his generation, anchoring the blueline. They also happen to have the best goalie in the world. Henrik Lundqvist has allowed no goals in three games this tournament. Thats scary.

The Swedes have been quietly doing work, knocking off a very good Finland team last night in dominating fashion. They will play the winner of Slovakia and Norway (so Slovakia), and while that should be a good game the Swedes shouldn't have a problem. They will face with Russia or Canada in the Semi's which should be an incredible game either way. Who else wants to see an Ovechkin Backstrom showdown? Or see if Fedorov can recreate his high glove snipe on Lundqvist? Or see Douglas Murray lay out Sid? Lots of possibilities, and chances are we will see the Swedes take on one of those teams.

With their slick offense, well rounded defense, and top-of-the-class goaltending, no one would be surprised to see the Swedes cruise to the gold medal game. I guarantee the Americans will be watching what happens on this side of the bracket very closely.

#3 RUSSIA

How can you not bet the over on an offense that contains Ovechkin, Datsyuk, Semin, Malkin, and Kovalchuk, as well as two of the better goalies in the game in Nabokov and Bryzgalov? The Russians looked out of it for many stretches during the round robin play, but thats why you got a guy like Ovechkin on your squad. When he's not scoring goals, guarantee he will find a way to help your team. In the game against the Czechs, a close and hotly contested game, he changed the tide and sucked the life out of the Czechs and their superstar by absolutely destroying Jaromir Jagr open ice, which directly led to a Malkin goal off a slick backhanded pass from Semin.

Not much to say about this team; their assets are obvious, their flaws just as much so. They need to stay in games and they need to want to win more than the other team. They need to play smart defense and try not to win games by themselves as star players so often try to do.

Chances are they will play Canada in the quarters, and you better bet this team wants to take down the hometown boys. Ovechkin will be headhunting for Canada's favorite son, and the Canadian questions in net are not the best thing to have when playing possibly the most explosive offense ever assembled in hockey history. And Ovie is hungry. That's enough to strike fear into any opponent.

#4 FINLAND

Often overlooked, the Finns could have locked up a number one seed by beating the hated Swedes last night. They're a good team with a lot of potential and a skilled group of forwards backed up by a very formidable goaltender in Miikka Kiprusoff. Their offense is led by the veteran Teemu Selanne and cemented by very effective offensive players in Mikko Koivu and Olli Jokinen. Their defense is their weak point and they will be without Joni Pitkanen who is serving a one game suspension for a hit to the head.

All and all I don't see the Finns going far and if theres big potential for an upset by the Czechs (assuming they beat Latvia). Even if they make it far, I just don't think the Finnish defense can hold up against the big guns of the offensive powerhouses, as Sweden demonstrated last night. Teemu's sheer will and a sensational performance from Kippy could get them a good way, but I don't see them finishing particularly high. Look for the Czechs to capitalize.

What Slovakia's Win Means for the Tournament.

Plain and simple the Slovaks are for real. The Russians, on the other hand, may not be. I was convinced five days ago that the Russians were a lock for the gold medal game. After watching them play twice I am rethinking my position. Their problems start with the roster, but they do not end there; the disparity in the level of talent between the NHL and KHL is too obvious. Former NHL stars like Viktor Kozlov and Sergei Fedorov seem overwhelmed playing against this level of talent. Kozlov, who made a career in the NHL with his elusive stick handling skills and a lightning quick release looked as though he had never even heard of hockey let alone played it before tonight. It would not be too outrageous to think that the quality of play in the KHL has lessened the ability of these former NHL stars.

The KHL players were not the only aspects of Russia's performance that I would deem atrocious. The coaching by Bykov was so pitiful that it would have made Bruce Cassidy look like Scotty Bowman. The Russians will go as far as Ovechkin, Semin, Malkin, Kovy, Datsyuk, Volchenkov, and all the other NHL players will take them. Bykov has to stop trying to please the Russian Hockey brass by giving the KHL players more minutes than they deserve. In overtime Kozlov and Fedorov had no need to be on the ice when players like Ovechkin, Semin, Malkin, Kovy, and Datsyuk were sitting on the bench.

My final point of contention with Bykov tonight was having Ovechkin shoot 3 times in the shootout. Ovechkin is a great goal scorer but it is no mystery that he has his struggles in shootout/penalty shot situations. He scored on the first shot and I have no qualms with giving him a second shot. He failed miserably on the second attempt but was nonetheless rewarded with a third chance two rounds later, which he missed again. Bykov should try Datsyuk next time. I hear he is pretty good.

As for the Slovaks, they are so skilled and so fast that it is becomes very hard to overlook their chances of advancing far into this tournament. No, they do not have the depth of Canada, Sweden, or Russia but they do have 7 or 8 top tier forwards and arguably the games best defenseman in Zdeno Chara. If they can score at the rate they are capable of and get consistent goaltending from Halak then Slovakia might just be able to turn some heads in Vancouver.