Here is a look at a few of the teams that have a chance to take home the gold medal in the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics:
Canada
After their disappointing performance at the 2006 games, Team Canada is under even greater pressure than usual to win the gold. As always, it will come to the games with a very deep roster.
In net it features three of the premier goaltenders in the world Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury.
On the blue line, it is hard to find flaws in a group that features Chris Pronger, Scott Neidermayer and Dan Boyle. As far as forwards go, Canada will roll four lines that will strike fear into the heart of any opposing goalie.
NHL superstar Sidney Crosby leads a unit that features five players who are currently in the top 10 for scoring in the NHL. It’s nearly impossible to find a weakness in Team Canada, and that is why they are one of the favorites to win the gold in Vancouver.
Russia
Team Russia enters the Olympic Games with arguably the most potent offense ever assembled. With players like Alexander Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Evgeni Malkin to choose from, the Russians will have no problem scoring goals.
Defensively, they won’t be as potent as their offense, but any unit anchored by Andrei Markov and Sergei Zubov can get the job done. In the past, the Russians have had trouble finding quality goaltending, but the duo of Evgeni Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov may be two of the best the Russians have ever had.
Russia may not have the depth of Canada but if their offense performs to its potential, teams are going to find them very difficult to beat.
Sweden
After winning gold in the 2006 games, Team Sweden enters the 2010 Olympics with high expectations of defending their title.
As always, defense will be the most important part of Sweden’s game. They feature strong goaltending with Henrik Lundqvist and can also rely on one of the game’s best defenseman in Nicklas Lidstrom.
Their forwards may not be flashy, but it’s hard to knock a group that will include world-class players such as Henrik Zetterberg, Peter Forsberg and the Sedin twins. Winning the gold medal two Olympics in a row is not an easy task, but Sweden is the kind of team that can get it done.
United States
The United States will bring a much younger roster to the 2010 Olympics, as old veterans such as Mike Modano and Chris Chelios give way to the next generation of USA hockey.
While the U.S. offense won’t have the firepower of the Russians or possess the crazy depth of the Canadians, Zach Parise, Patrick Kane and Phil Kessel lead a talented group that will find a way to put the puck in the back of the net.
Defensively, they will be a physically imposing unit led by Mike Komisarek and Brooks Orpik. The strongest aspect of Team USA will be in net where one of the world’s best goalies Ryan Miller will control the crease. Winning the gold will be a tall task for this young team. However, with Miller in net, anything is possible.
Best of the Rest
Don’t forget about Finland and the Czech Republic, who in the 2006 Olympics finished with the silver and bronze medal, respectively. Slovakia, Belarus and Switzerland may not have rosters full of NHL stars but expect one of these teams to pull off a big upset.
Predictions
Canada will beat Russia, 6-5, in a thrilling gold-medal game, and Sweden will edge the U.S., 3-2, to take home the bronze.
Cohen is a member of the class of 2011.
