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Quick Will Start Vs. Canada |
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Dan Bylsma will not deviate from the norm. He will not be tempting fate by flip-flopping his goaltenders for the semifinals game versus team Canada on Friday.
Team USA will continue to ride Jonathon Quick.
Quick is 3-0 for the undefeated Americans. He’s faced 77 shots against and had made 72 saves. That equates to a .935 save % and a 1.62 goals against average.
Ryan Miller is 1-0 with a .944 save % and 1.00 GAA.
Miller courageously piloted Team USA to a silver medal finish, losing in OT against Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Bylsma has decided that Miller will not be getting a shot at redemption against Crosby and Team Canada.
The hockey fate of a nation now rests Quick’s shoulders.
Something has to give with the Canadians and their recent lack of goal scoring crisis.
As a team, Canada have only scored 13 goals in their five games played at Sochi, with seven of the goals being scored by two defensemen (Doughty 4, Weber 3). Canada’s forwards have been eerily quiet offensively. Pre-tourney prognosticators predicted the Crosby, Toews and the slick Canadians would feast on weaker goaltenders in pool play. That didn’t happen. Hell, they fired 57 shots at AHLer Kristers Gudlevskis of Latvia on Wednesday, yet scored only two goals, including Weber’s GWG late in the third period to bust a 1-1 tie. Take away Jeff Carter’s game one hat trick, and that leaves Patrick Sharp, Jamie Benn, and Ryan Getzlaf as they only other Canada forwards to score in the tournament. Canada’s head coach Mike Babcock has issued the battle cry that he needs more finish and more desperation from his other eight forwards. The group was dealt some terrible news on Wednesday when it was announced that NY Islanders star John Tavares suffered knee ligament damage and will miss the semis and the gold medal game, should Canada defeat the USA on Friday. Colorado Avalanche sniper Matt Duchene will draw back into the lineup in place of Tavares against USA.
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