MHOC: CANADA 2 LATVIA 1
SOCHI, Russia (CP) – Team Canada has advanced to the men’s hockey semifinals at the Winter Olympics with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Latvia.
Shea Weber scored the winning goal on the power play with just under seven minutes left in the third period of the quarter-final game.
The defending champions will play the United States in the semifinals in a rematch of the gold-medal game four years ago in Vancouver.
The loss tarnished an outstanding performance by 21-year-old Latvian goalie Kristers Gudlevskis, who was brilliant as Canada outshot the Latvians 57-16.
But Gudlevskis couldn’t find Weber’s blast from the point with 6:54 remaining that gave Canada some much-needed breathing room.
The Canadians narrowly missed going ahead just before the midway point of the third but video replay showed the puck didn’t entirely get over the goal-line.
Canada will face the USA Friday at 11:00 am Sask time on CBC.
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SOCHI, Russia – Canadian forward John Tavares will miss the rest of the Olympic men’s hockey tournament with a leg injury.
The New York Islanders captain was taken into the boards by Arturs Kulda in the second period of Canada’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Latvia.
The Canadian went down in a heap but skated to the bench where he was seen wincing in pain.
Head coach Mike Babcock said after the game that Tavares wouldn’t be able to play again in Sochi.
Tavares didn’t have a point in the tournament.
Hey Roddy,
Thanks for the update. Please review the win of the Canadian ladies in 2 person bobsled from this morning. After the ladies come to the finish line they pan the crowd and there you see a nice big Riders flag . . . Rider nation is everywhere . . including Sochi. Video is on CBC website.
We need to spend millions upon millions of tax dollars on a Royal Commission to find out why we couldn't score more goals against a semi-pro goalie.
Guys like Bob McKenzie got so geeked out they have hernias from today's game.
Spend millions? Yeah right. This game wasn't even close, except for the score! Their goalie was UNREAL! The game against the US is going to be a good one. These 2 teams bring out the best in each other.
Semi-pro he's in the ahl.
An AHL goalie who had the game of his life.
Maybe the CHL should rescind the rule on import goalies. Give junior kids the development of trying to score on the euro goalies – the pro’s can’t do it!