Using Maple Leaves And A Shiver To Wake Up

The result against Slovakia last night is the cause of a young team without concentration. Sure, it's pretty evident that this USA team is different from last year's version, but gold medal team's don't play like this. Luckily in this kind of competition, you can get away with mistakes and bad form early on. 

The first mistake happened before the game started — when the schedule came out stating that Team USA would play Team Canada outdoors less than 24 hours after facing Slovakia.

This is one of the most concerning point in time in our group stage. Canada will have one huge advantage going into the matchup today — having more than a full day's rest — a luxury that the Bob Motzko's squad doesn't have right now. 

Some people may look at the fact that USA lost to Slovakia while Canada routed them, and take it as a way of justifying Canada surely beating their rivals south of the border.

Once the game gets underway, here's how it usually goes: throw all results and everything out the window and watch a gritty, competitive, good ole hockey game. A hockey game with passion; one that clearly means something to the fans and everyone involved in it. 

Whether it's win or lose, Team USA still has a good chance of qualifying, since they have one round robin game left on Sunday against Finland, and Denmark are looking like they won't be winning any games. 

Team USA should bounce back after last night, but with the game being known to be so unpredictable, Team Canada having more rest, and not to mention the battle for quantity of fans between the two nations showing up, Buffalo's outdoor ice sheet could tilt either direction this afternoon.

Source photo credit: Derek Gee/Buffalo News | buffalonews.com