Team America Favored Over Finland In Olympic Hockey Semi-Finals

Sports News - February 25th, 2010 - Written By Glen

The United States and Finland are set to duke it out in the semi-finals on Friday, the 26th of February. The winner of this game will move into the Finals to play for the right to the gold or silver medal, while the runner up will end up playing for the bronze. While each accolade is one that that is highly coveted by each team, only one will walk away with the big score.

As of now, sports betting sites are leaning toward team America, though only very slightly. BetED sportsbook currently has the United States as a 1.5 point favorite, according to their Olympic Betting Lines. A money line has not been established.

Team United States has been playing through what many would consider an easy path to the 2010 Olympics Men's Hockey finals. The team has even managed to out play team Canada in the qualifying rounds, earning them a bye through the to the quarter finals, where they shut out the Swiss in a 2-0 game. The Swiss barely managed a 3-2 victory over Belarus in the qualification playoffs, and ended up failing in front of USA's third period assault.

In the preliminary rounds, the Team United States had been taking points and giving few. Fourteen goals in three games is no laughing matter, especially when five had been taken from Team Canada, the original favorite for the series. Drawing talent from the New Jersey Devils, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Sharks, and the Sabres has given Team America a solid attack and defense.

The offensive line of Team USA has been spearheaded by forward Zach Parise of the Jersey Devils. Parise has brought five points to the team, with two goals and three assists. A concerted effort by Ryan Malone of the Tampa Bay Lightning has brought an additional three points to team USA. Parise and Malone currently lead the team statistically, though Parise has spent more time on the ice.

No offense would be complete without a solid defense, and the defensive squad, backed by Ryan Miller, has managed to keep scores against to a minimum. Miller is going into their game against Finland with a 94.44 save percentage. Haven taken 90 shots on the goal, Miller has only allowed five to slide through the posts. With an average of 1.25 goals per sixty minutes, Finland will have their work cut out for them against Miller's impregnable defense. Throw in the 6'2", 218 pounded Brooks Orpik and the 198 pounded assister we find in Ryan Suter, and the Finland team will have their hands full trying to push points on to the score board.

Finland moved into the quarter-finals on a bye to face the Czech Republic. Both team shad 31 shots, but the Czech's had spent a total of 9:17 working against Finland's power play, which kept the pressure on Finland to continue hammering at the goal. Like the United States, Finland had won their post-bye game by 2-0, shutting out the Czech Republic. Granted these points were scored on a power play and an empty net, Finland is, regardless, the one who moved on.

Finland had been playing both Miikka Kiprusoff of the Flames and Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild. Kiprusoff has covered the goal for 75% of the time, accumulating 160 minutes on the ice, while Backstrom had been on the ice for only 60 minutes. Backstrom managed a save percentage of 100% throughout his time on the ice, while Kiprusoff had come close to 95%. Finland sports a slightly higher goals against per game ratio, covering 1.33 goals per sixty minutes.

The Finland offense is led by Niklas Hagman, who has taken five points, three goals and two assists in less time on the ice than his closest follower. In terms of points, the next offensive forward from Finland is Mikko Koivu, who has four assists for his four points. Only two goals were taken in the play offs, one from Hagman and one from Valtteri Filppula of the Detroit Red Wings.

Finland is not, by any means, out of the game. Though the United States is favored, both teams parallel on many levels. Not only did they both receive a bye, but they also only took their scores from their quarter final games through a power play and empty net. Though consistency favors team America, Finland's penalty kill and goaltenders may be able to shut down team America throughout the power play and keep America from landing the much needed goals. Finland, however, will have to penetrate the immovable object that is Ryan Miller, while simultaneously contending with the seemingly unstoppable force of Zach Parise.