Olympic Hockey Preview: Group B

We’ve got three weeks of no NHL coming up, so to prepare for that get set for a full on preview of every Olympic squad set to face off in Sochi.

Today, we’ll be looking at Group B, the only group that matters really, which is contains Austria, CANADA, Finland, and Norway.

Team by team once again. Austria is up first.

Austria

Austria hasn’t seen Olympic hockey since Salt Lake City in 2002. Three native sons represent their nation in the NHL, the rest play their hearts out in Europe. In Sochi, they’ll be playing against the best of the best. Do they have a chance to even keep up?

Who’s There?

Position	Name	Team	Height	Weight	Age
G	Bernhard Starkbaum	Brynäs Gävle	6’1”	196	27
G	René Swette	KAC Klagenfurt	6’0”	174	25
G	Fabian Weinhandl	KAC Klagenfurt	6’3”	212	28
D	Mario Altmann	VSV Villach	6’4”	207	27
D	Florian Iberer	KAC Klagenfurt	6’1”	198	31
D	Andre Lakos	Vienna Capitals	6’8”	236	34
D	Robert Lukas	EHC Linz	5’10”	185	35
D	Thomas Pöck	KAC Klagenfurt	6’1”	205	32
D	Matthias Trattnig	Red Bull Salzburg	6’1”	212	34
D	Stefan Ulmer	HC Lugano	5’10”	165	23
D	Gerhard Unterluggauer	VSV Villach	5’10”	194	37
F	Michael Grabner	New York Islanders	6’0”	186	26
F	Raphael Herburger	EHC Biel	5’10”	165	25
F	Thomas Hundertpfund	Timrå IK	6’2”	187	24
F	Matthias Iberer	EHC Linz	6’2”	201	28
F	Thomas Koch	KAC Klagenfurt	5’8”	174	30
F	Andreas Kristler	Red Bull Salzburg	5’11”	172	23
F	Manuel Latusa	Red Bull Salzburg	5’11”	194	30
F	Brian Lebler	EHC Linz	6’3”	212	25
F	Daniel Oberkofler	EHC Linz	6’0”	163	25
F	Michael Raffl	Philadelphia Flyers	6’0”	195	25
F	Thomas Raffl	Red Bull Salzburg	6’4”	205	27
F	Oliver Setzinger	Lausanne HC	6’0”	196	30
F	Thomas Vanek	New York Islanders	6’0”	217	30
F	Daniel Welser	Red Bull Salzburg	5’11”	187	31

The team’s average age is 28.5 years.

Strengths?

Having Grabner and Vanek definitely helps. That’s two thirds of a top line right there, and they’ll be expected carry the brunt of the offensive load in Sochi. The International ice definitely plays to their strengths, so they’ll thrive out there.

Weaknesses?

They are a weak team overall. They don’t have as much high-level talent as the other teams in their group, let alone the tournament. 3 NHLers is far from the worst in the tournament, but I don’t think the rest of their players are up to snuff. The majority of their players play in the Austrian Eishockey Liga, which isn’t the highest level of competition in Europe. They did take a lot of players from the higher-up teams in the Liga, but it’s not enough to keep up.

Can They Win it All?

Nope. Like I said, the weakness lies in talent. Austria took groups of players from teams in their top league, which does provide some decent chemistry, but they just don’t have enough to win. Their goaltending won’t steal them any games, their defence is far from rock solid, and aside from Grabner and Vanek, the offence has little punch. It’s their first Olympic appearance in 12 years, so let’s cut them some slack here. They have a chance to show what they’ve got, and they may come out ahead of the other lower-tier teams. They’ll be trying to put on a performance they can build off of, so the small victories will mean a lot, but that’s all they’ll be, small victories.

Canada

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh CA-nada. Alright enough patriotism. The Gold Medal winners from Vancouver arrive in Sochi with a revamped roster. The big question on everyone’s mind: Can Canada repeat, on International ice? It is certainly a different kind of game on the big ice, but Canada seems well prepared, this time….

Who’s There?

Position	Name	Team	Height	Weight	Age
G	Roberto Luongo	Vancouver Canucks	6’3”	217	34
G	Carey Price	Montreal Canadiens	6’3″	212	26
G	Mike Smith	Phoenix Coyotes	6’3″	215	31
D	Jay Bouwmeester	St. Louis Blues	6’4”	212	30
D	Drew Doughty	LA Kings	6’1”	213	24
D	Dan Hamhuis	Vancouver Canucks	6’1”	209	31
D	Duncan Keith	Chicago Blackhawks	6’1”	200	30
D	Alex Pietrangelo	St. Louis Blues	6’3”	201	24
D	PK Subban	Montreal Canadiens	6’0”	217	24
D	Marc-Eduoard Vlasic	San Jose Sharks	6’1”	205	26
D	Shea Weber (A)	Nashville Predators	6’4”	233	28
F	Jamie Benn	Dallas Stars	6’2”	210	24
F	Patrice Bergeron	Boston Bruins	6’2”	194	28
F	Jeff Carter	LA Kings	6’4”	212	28
F	Sidney Crosby (C)	Pittsburgh Penguins	5’11”	200	26
F	Matt Duchene	Colorado Avalance	5’11”	200	23
F	Ryan Getzlaf	Anaheim Ducks	6’4”	221	28
F	Chris Kunitz	Pittsburgh Penguins	6’0”	195	34
F	Patrick Marleau	SJ Sharks	6’2”	220	34
F	Rick Nash	New York Rangers	6’4”	213	29
F	Corey Perry	Anaheim Ducks	6’3”	212	28
F	Patrick Sharp	Chicago Blackhawks	6’1”	199	32
F	Steven Stamkos	Tampa Bay Lightning	6’0”	190	24
F	John Tavares	New York Islanders	6’1”	205	23
F	Jonathan Toews (A)	Chicago Blackhawks	6’2”	208	25

The team’s average age is 27.8 years.

Strengths?

Canada has offence from both sides of the ice. Forwards like Crosby, Toews, Tavares, Benn and Carter have incredible offensive gifts, and point-men like Subban, Keith, and Doughty can also generate offence. This is a team full of NHL leading scorers, and there are plenty of different ways that they can put the puck in the net.

This time around Canada has a team that can translate their skills to International ice. Considering the Orientation Camp had names like Ladd, Lucic, and Thornton on it, Hockey Canada remembered that the ice is bigger this time around. The forwards on this roster are talented with the puck, creative, and have speed that can be put to good use with the extra space. Thank goodness.

Despite what some have said, Canada does have a strength in goaltending. Luongo has shown skill and poise in international competition (Vancouver anyone?), and despite a bad stretch as January comes to a close, Carey Price is playing well, with a save percentage hovering around .920 now. The only question comes in which goalie you ride to through the tournament. And that’s a tough decision.

Weaknesses?

It’s tough to really call it a weakness, but their defence is not as strong as it could be. It’s more national qualm than anything else, as the defence still looks pretty solid, even with Bouwmeester (or Hamhuis, if you disagree with that selection) on it.

Can They Win it All?

Yes they can. Along the same vein as what I said about Slovakia, Canada is an even-handed team. If you think about it NHL ratings style, Canada’s team Offence, Defence, and Goaltending categories would at least be low to mid 90’s across the board (No, I refuse to use this new-age Star Rating BS). Canada’s offence is incredible, and it’s actually built for International ice this time around.  The defence, while opinions vary, is still high-quality, and knows how to move the puck around in the offensive zone. And don’t lie and say you wouldn’t take at least ONE of the three Canadian goalies on your favourite team. They’re an extremely dangerous team and definitely one of the best in the tournament.

Finland

Despite boasting quality talent on the international stage, Finland has never won Gold at the Olympics. Led as always by the ageless wonder Teemu Selanne, Finland seeks the ultimate glory in Sochi. Is this the year they get the monkey off their back?

Who’s There?

Position	Name	Team	Height	Weight	Age
G	Kari Lehtonen	Dallas Stars	6’4”	210	30
G	Antti Niemi	San Jose Sharks	6’2”	210	30
G	Tukka Rask	Boston Bruins	6’2”	185	26
D	Lasse Kukkonen	Kärpät Oulu	6’0”	187	23
D	Jusso Hietanen	Torpedo Nizhni Novgorod	5’10”	187	28
D	Sami Lepisto	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg	6’1”	194	29
D	Olli Määttä	Pittsburgh Penguins	6’2”	206	19
D	Sami Salo	Tampa Bay Lightning	6’3”	215	39
D	Kimmo Timonen	Philadelphia Flyers	5’10”	194	38
D	Ossi Väänänen	Jokerit Helsinki	6’4”	216	33
D	Sami Vatanen	Anaheim Ducks	5’10”	183	22
F	Juhamatti Aaltonen	Kärpät Oulu	6’0”	196	28
F	Aleksander Barkov	Florida Panthers	6’2”	205	18
F	Valteri Filppula	Tampa Bay Lightning	6’0”	195	29
F	Mikael Granlund	Minnesota Wild	5’10”	186	21
F	Jussi Jokinen	Pittsburgh Penguins	5’11”	198	30
F	Olli Jokinen	Winnipeg Jets	6’2″	210	35
F	Mikko Koivu	Minnesota Wild	6’3”	222	30
F	Leo Komarov	Dynamo Moscow	5’10”	187	27
F	Petri Kontiola	Traktor Chelyabinsk	6’0”	205	29
F	Lauri Korpikoski	Phoenix Coyotes	6’1”	205	27
F	Jori Lehterä	Sibir Novosibirsk	6’1”	201	26
F	Antti Pihlström	Salavat Yulayev Ufa	5’11”	181	29
F	Tuomo Ruutu	Carolina Hurricanes	6’0”	205	30
F	Teemu Selanne	Anaheim Ducks	6’0”	209	43

The team’s average age is 28.8 years.

Strengths?

Finland has the tools to produce offensively in Sochi.. The Finnish Flash is the eternal point producer, but guys like Filppula, Koivu, Lehtera, and Kontiola are offensively gifted as well. The youth movement on this team (Granlund, Maatta, and Barkov) will also be able to showcase their offensive talents with the extra space available to them. With this roster, I can see Finland producing three solid, scoring lines and two defensive pairings capable of creating offence as well.

GOALTENDING. I know countries only use one, maybe two, goalies at this tournament, but seriously, Finland gets the 99 overall in the goaltending category. Rask, Niemi, and Lehtonen is easily the best goaltending trio at the Olympics. Period. You could run with any one of them with confidence. And there’s a decent team (understatement) in front of them too, so they aren’t going to be hung out to dry that often.

Weaknesses?

Barring Selanne, there isn’t really much star power on the team. Canada has guys like Crosby, Toews, Tavares, etc. Russia has Ovi, Malkin, etc. guys who are bonafide superstars. Selanne is sure, but he isn’t at that level he used to be.

Can They Win It?

Is this the year they get the monkey off their back? I’d bet money on it. When the only “weakness” one can come up with is something as debatable as “star power,” you’ve got a pretty good team on your hands. Emphasis on TEAM. Sure there aren’t any “superstars”, but guys like Mikko Koivu, Kimmo Timonen, Sami Salo, and Tuomo Ruutu? Those are tenured NHLers. Mikael Granlund, Aleksander Barkov and Olli Maatta? Easily what you’d call young guns. Not mention a decent showing of KHLers, including Leo Komarov, whose name makes me a little sad every time I hear it. And again, the goaltending. In a tournament like this, dependable goaltending is absolutely key to winning. Rask and Niemi are going to be the one-two and man will they run with it. It will take an epic free-fall for the goalies to become a problem for Finland, but that isn’t likely to happen. Watch for Finland.

Norway

Coming off a tenth place finish in Vancouver, Norway looks for a better result in Sochi.

Who’s There?

Position	Name	Team	Height	Weight	Age
G	Lars Haugen	Dinamo Minsk	6’0”	183	26
G	Lars Volden	Espoo Blues	6’3”	201	21
G	Steffen Søberg	Valerenga Oslo	5’11”	176	20
D	Alexander Bonsaksen	Valerenga Oslo	5’11”	183	27
D	Jonas Holøs	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl	5’11”	203	26
D	Henrik Solberg	Stavanger Oilers	6’3”	220	26
D	Daniel Sørvik	Valerenga Oslo	6’0”	183	23
D	Ole-Kristian Tollefsen	Farjestad BK	6’2”	209	29
D	Mats Trygg	Lorenskog	5’10”	187	37
D	Henrik Ødegaard	Missouri Mavericks	5’10”	187	25
F	Morten Ask	Valerenga Oslo	6’1″	201	33
F	Anders Bastiansen	Farjestad BK	6’3″	205	33
F	Robin Dahlstrøm	Orebro HK	6’0″	207	26
F	Kristian Forsberg	Modo	6’1”	203	27
F	Mads Hansen	Storhamar Dragons	6’1”	194	35
F	Marius Holtet	Farjestad BK	6’1”	212	29
F	Sondre Olden	Valerenga Oslo	6’4”	194	21
F	Ken Andre Olimb	DEG Dusseldorf	5’10”	176	25
F	Mathias Olimb	Frolunda	5’10”	176	28
F	Mats Rosseli Olsen	Frolunda	5’11”	183	22
F	Niklas Roest	BIK Karlskoga	5’9”	176	27
F	Martin Røymark	Farjestad BK	6’0”	190	27
F	Per-Age Skrøder	MODO	5’11”	203	35
F	Patrick Thoresen	SKA St. Petersburg	5’11”	185	30
F	Mats Zuccarello	New York Rangers	5’7”	179	26

The team’s average age is 27.4 years.

Strengths?

A surprising amount of Norway’s players play in the SHL and KHL. More than I expected to be honest. They’re a bit better prepared to take on the upper-tier teams than some of the other lower-tier teams here.

Mats Zuccarello, Patrick Thorensen & Ole-Kristian Tollefsen all have NHL experience, and Thorensen is the assistant captain for SKA St. Petersburg. Look for them to provide leadership through the tough times for Norway.

Weaknesses?

Tore Vikingstad isn’t on the team anymore. The lack of his name alone significantly weakens Norway. No, it doesn’t, but it would be cool to still see him play.

Can They Win It?

Much like Austria, I don’t think they have enough in them to keep up with the better teams here. It’s just a general lack of talent really. A lot of them do play together throughout Europe, which is always good for chemistry. They could surprise if a team takes them too lightly so, so I wouldn’t write them off completely. They’re certainly not winning the whole thing, but look for them to toss a wrench here or there.

Group B Prediction

Group B really comes down to who wins between Canada and Finland. I can’t picture a scenario where Norway or Austria contend for one of the two top spots. I want to say Canada will be able to overpower the Finns, but Canada does have this habit of tripping out of the gate in recent Olympics, (read: all of them since 2002) so they might be stuck with second place in Group B.