| 26 February 2010
Defensive Powers in First Semifinal
The old saw tells us that offense fills stadiums, but defense wins championships. The medal contenders meeting in the first semifinal are practitioners of that discipline. Both squads have played four games and featured disruptive play that has left their opponents grasping and regrouping and finding that they have too little, too late to come back to win.
Ryan Miller has backstopped the USA to the tune of just five goals against. His Finnish counterparts have been even more stingy giving up but a goal a game. Though Finland has shared the goalie work between Nicklas Backstrom, who shut out the Germans in his only start, and starter Miikka Kiprusoff it is Kiprusoff who is expected in the pipes this afternoon for the Finns.
Finland is the oldest team in the tournament and significantly older than the Americans. That can be an advantage or a trap for the veteran team. Their experience, especially on this stage far exceeds that of team USA. Experience is no substitute for talent. The Finns have some exceptional skaters and boast a fantastic set of netminders. America's depth of talent though exceeds that of the Finns.
Ron Wilson has done a great job of hurriedly throwing together line combinations and defensive pairings. The lineups that the Americans throw out on the ice provide scoring prowess and toughness at every turn. Despite limited practice time, the team has gelled around Miller and have flexed their muscles and thrown their bodies to wreak havoc on their opponents.
The Americans have also demonstrated a willingness to force the tempo of the game by playing extremely aggressively. They move the puck quickly. They pepper the net. They battle for every rebound. They forecheck. That aggressiveness remains a key to Team USA in this afternoon's contest. Forcing the pace of the game, they can wear out the Finns and take advantage of any weariness they may show.
The other key is Ryan Miller. If he's solid, the US will play Sunday afternoon for the gold medal. Finland needs Kiprusoff at the top of his game to keep the US off the board early. Doing so gives them the best chance to steal it late.
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