stv11 said:
Russia hasn't been very convincing so far.
I agree. The top line of Kharitonov - Datsyuk - Kovalev has been good, but teams like Slovakia, Canada and the Czech Republic are firing on all-cylinders with two offensive lines clicking. Sometimes Malkin has helped his line create opportunities.
However, three Russian lines could be described as full of
a bunch of torpedoes individually released toward the target, often detonated or knocked off course.
Yashin surges in, taken out of the play;
Kovalchuk breaks for the net, is checked aside;
Afinogenov heads straight with the puck, is tied up;
Kozlov and
Ovechkin too, occasionally.
It's like a big game of keepaway and puck hog on pond ice. Not a lot of "
team" in the team.
That said, the Swiss won't stop all the torpedoes.
Prediction: 5-2 Russia