Golden glory or lead balloon?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/02/2010 (6021 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER — The party has started without them but rest assured, the 2010 Olympic Games won’t really get rocking until the Boys of Winter hit the ice.

Crosby. Ovechkin. The Sedins. Chara. Selanne. Kane. Jagr.

It’s long been trumpeted as the Greatest Hockey Tournament Ever.

But only if Canada wins, of course.

At least, that will be the prevailing attitude in the host country, where the buzz of the men’s hockey event will begin to peak when Steve Yzerman and his Chosen 23 begin their quest for gold.

For Team Canada, the tournament opens today versus Norway, which should be a Scandinavian appetizer for the heavy lifting to come, beginning with the not-so-neutral Swiss Thursday — let us not forget that 2-0 shutout at the hands of Switzerland in 2006 — and the arch-rival Americans next Sunday, completing the initial round-robin.

First, let’s all agree that regardless of Canada’s overall medal count at these Games, we as a nation put a lot of our pucks in one basket. If Canada holds its own on the podium, and Team Canada goes all Turin in the men’s tournament, the lasting impression of Vancouver will be tainted. That’s just how we skate.

But can you imagine a scenario where Canada is near the top of the medal standings and the outcome of the gold-medal final could push the host nation to No. 1 overall in the world?

Yes, that’s the fairy tale version. For the nightmarish result see: Nagano 1998 (fourth) and Turin 2006 (seventh). Sandwiched in between those two Olympiads, naturally, was the euphoria of 2002 in Salt Lake City, only Canada’s first gold in men’s hockey in 50 long years.

So, clearly, despite a sense of entitlement, the Alex Ovechkins, Jaromir Jagrs and, yes, Paul DiPietro — the former long-ago Canadian who scored both Swiss goals against the impotent Canucks in Turin — of the world couldn’t care less about Canada’s myopic wish for a happy ending.

It’s no state secret that the Russians are loaded with offensive wizardry, the Swedes are the defending Olympic champions and the Americans — fresh off the world junior title — can’t be underestimated.

There’s no end to theories about the perfect formula. Age and experience versus youth and pie-eyed vigour. Muscle versus finesse. Team speed seems the only common denominator considered a must-have.

Of course, there’s the ever-sage wisdom of the Czech Republic’s enigmatic Jagr, who recently sniffed, "The best team doesn’t win this tournament, the luckiest team does."

Jagr might be a cynic, but he’s not completely wrong. There is no margin of error at the Olympics. The difference between gold and seventh can be a bad penalty in the quarter-finals. A team can open the tournament by reeling off four straight victories and one bad night in net can spell an ignominious end. Hello, Tommy Salo, wherever you are.

Let’s get down to brass (or bronze?) tacks: The theory presented here is that win or lose, Yzerman has built a team that will more resemble a hammer than a nail. Of the 23-man roster, 18 Canadians are heavier than 200 pounds. Only four players under six feet tall. Get this, 10 are 6-foot-3 or taller.

Why? Let’s see, the two teams considered front-runners, along with Canada, are Sweden and Russia. The Swedes will be anchored by the twins, Henrik and Daniel Sedin. The Russians’ success will hinge largely on the offensive prowess of Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. All four are lethal.

Now think: At what time in the history of the Sedins or Ovechkin and Malkin have they been neutralized in international competition.

Anyone from Manitoba should know the answer. The Sedins were highly touted teenagers at the 1999 world juniors in Winnipeg. In 2005, Ovechkin and Malkin were one-two in scoring for the Russians entering the gold-medal final with Canada at the world juniors in Grand Forks.

In both cases, the Canadians relentlessly targeted the twins and the Russians. On both occasions, the lethal weapons were disarmed. Ovechkin never even finished the second period of the gold-medal final in Grand Forks.

Sure, they’re all men now. But if you don’t think Yzerman’s master plan — with all of Canada’s size and girth — isn’t somehow designed with the idea of attempting to intimidate and soften the key components of their two strongest rivals in Vancouver, that’s naive.

Just you watch. Don Cherry will get so excited his head might explode, leaving only a suit and collar.

Again, there’s no magic potion, although team chemistry will undoubtedly play an important role in such a short tournament. It always does.

Luck? Yes, some of that, too.

But history records that size and intimidation among the collective can divide and conquer even the most gifted of foes.

The verdict awaits.

randy.turner@freepress.mb.ca