Russia vs. Slovenia: TV Info, Live Stream and More for Olympics Hockey 2014

The Slovenian hockey team couldn't have been thrilled upon discovering their opening opponent for the 2014 Olympics.

I mean, on this kind of stage it is best not to worry about the opponent as much as just focusing on playing well as a team. That said, drawing Russia to begin the Olympic journey is not a favorable starting point.

The Russians haven't won a hockey Olympic medal since 2002, and the 2010 team was such a disappointment that it was addressed at the regional parliament of the Siberian city of Tomsk.

The Russians really want this gold. The team is loaded with talent, and they would appear to be the biggest stars on the Russian landscape:

Alex Ovechkin leads a talented team. The Washington Capitals star is the poster boy for this team and perhaps the whole Russian Olympic experience:

This is for good reason. His otherworldly skill has been dominating the NHL for years. Also Ovechkin, one of the torch bearers for these games, has really embraced the importance of the hockey team with the Olympics being held on Russian soil.

Here is a quote from Ovechkin, provided by Yahoo's Greg Wyshynski, speaking to that point: "You can ask any Canadian guy what’s the biggest moment for them when they play on national team, it’s home Olympic Games.”

The setting will be electric for this one.

Where: Bolshoy Ice Dome, Sochi
When: Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 a.m. ET
TV: CBC, MSNBC
Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com

Key Storyline: Will Slovenia be overwhelmed by the moment?

Slovenia will be a facing a team on a mission featuring all-world talent. That team will be backed by a boisterous and passionate home crowd that is ravenous for hockey gold.

Slovenia will be doing so not just in their first appearance in these Olympics but in any Olympics.

On paper, the Slovenia roster would not seem to have a roster that is capable of handling all of this. The team boasts of just one current NHL player: Kings center Anze Kopitar.

For his part, Kopitar is doing a good job of maintaining perspective. Here is a quote from the center, as provided by Helene Elliot of the Los Angeles Times:

I’m sure they've been looking forward to this day for a long, long time too. The crowd’s going to be fired up and we’re going to be fired up, so it should be a good match.

If Slovenia can manage to keep this game close in the late stages, all of the crowd support and emotion could actually start working against Russia. The weight of the expectations has the power to build into a smothering tension.

Of course, what is more likely is that Slovenia will fall behind early and essentially become spectators to a celebration of Russian hockey.

Prediction: Russia 4, Slovenia 0

Slovenia is going to be overwhelmed. Russia will be backed with way too much emotion, and they have far too much proven talent to let those emotions overwhelm them.

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USA vs. Slovakia: TV Info, Live Stream and More for Olympics Hockey 2014

Team USA’s quest for a Gold Medal begins on February 13 as they take on Slovakia in their first game of the 2014 Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey tournament. The United States brought an improved roster up front and a younger core on the blue line than they did in 201o, and they’re obviously hoping for a different result this time around.

In the ’10 Winter Olympics they came up just short of winning the Gold Medal, falling to Sidney Crosby and Team Canada in a thrilling overtime game.

While Slovakia isn’t considered a superpower, they still feature a handful of prominent players that could make life miserable for the United States. Namely Zdeno Chara, who the likes of Patrick Kane and Phil Kessel will be very familiar with. Can the towering defenseman log enough minutes to stop what should be a vicious forecheck from the Americans?

Tune in to find out. Here’s how.

Date: February 13
Start Time: 7:30 A.M. ET
Location: Sochi, Russia
TV Info: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBC Live Extra

Grabbing points as early as possible is key in this format. A loss for the Americans could be a big setback in Group A, and would force them to come up with victories over Slovenia and Russia to have a chance at the first-round bye. Will they be able to answer the call and avenge their loss from four years ago?

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Olympic Women's Downhill Skiing Schedule 2014: TV Info, Day 5 Medal Predictions

Uncertainty will reign supreme for the world's best women skiers as they head into Wednesday's downhill final at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Organizers were forced to cancel the final training session for the event on Tuesday, as temperatures were higher than expected and the terrain proved untenable. As noted by The Associated Press' Krasnaya Polyana (via ABC News), ruts left over from this week's super-combined competition needed to be repaired especially toward the bottom of the course.

This leaves the skiers in the field with just four instead of the typical five practice runs.


Luckily, most of the contenders have a good idea of how this will play out. Lindsey Vonn's absence from Sochi due to injury cracked the downhill field wide open, as the American star was widely expected to run away with the competition. Without Vonn, German and super-combined winner Maria Hoefl-Riesch will have a good chance, as will American Julia Mancuso, who finished second behind Vonn in Vancouver.

But there is an eclectic field here in Russia, one that won't have any fear on the slopes. And these women qualified for the Olympics for a reason. They are very, very good at skiing very, very fast down a sheet of snow.

We'll have to watch and see how this event plays out. With that in mind, let's check out how you can watch Wednesday's downhill competition and predict the medalists.

Women's Downhill Viewing Info
Date: Feb. 12
Time: 2 a.m. ET
TV: Click here for TV listings
Live Stream: Available on the NBC Olympics website


Medal Predictions

Gold: Lara Gut (Switzerland)

Gut comes into the downhill hoping to atone for a frustrating run at the super-combined. Heading into her second run, she was just 47 seconds behind Mancuso, with the rest of the field breaking perfectly for an easy medal. Hoefl-Riesch put together a solid lead time, but not an unattainable one for Gut, a Swiss who was exceptional in super-combined events in 2013.

Instead, Gut faltered. She was one of numerous high-profile skiers to disqualify herself early in her run, pulling off the slopes before even putting a medal anywhere near attainability. It was a disappointing performance that left Gut in tears after her run, her coach Hans Flatscher told Graham Dunbar of the AP (via The Charlotte Observer).

Still, the disappointment seemingly turned into motivation. Flatscher noted that his skier was still "really angry ... but after a few hours she was already in focus for the downhill."

The downhill very well could end with glory for Gut. At age 22, she came into Sochi seemingly primed for a run at gold. Gut, who was too injured to compete at the 2010 Games, was considered an up-and-coming threat for Vonn's throne in Vancouver before being ruled out. Now four years older and fully healthy, nearly everyone close to the Swiss thinks she has what it takes.

"She's physically perfect. Technically she improved because she did more work in the summer," Mauro Pini, Gut's former coach, told Dunbar (via The Washington Times). "I think the important point is Lara is not any more a little girl, she's a young lady. She is more mature."

From a purely physical standpoint, I tend to agree. But we'll have to see how she handles the mental spotlight. There is no telling whether it was nerves or merely a mental error that caused her to cough up the chance to medal in the super-combined. If it was the former, another disqualification or a poor run could forbid her contention once more.

If it's the latter, as suspected, Switzerland will be walking away with its third gold in Sochi.



Silver: Julia Mancuso (United States)

Will Mancuso ever get the rightful credit she deserves within United States skiing circles? Vonn is widely considered the most decorated female skier in the country's history, but that entirely depends upon how you judge someone's legacy.

When it comes to World Cup victories, Vonn is unimpeachable. Her 59 is more than eight times Mancuso's piddly total of seven. She consistently ranks as the first- or second-best skier in the world in season standings, dominating the downhill event to the point that she would have been the super-combined favorite just by proxy.

The Olympics are another story entirely. Vonn's only two Olympic medals came in 2010, a gold in the downhill and a bronze in the super-G. Mancuso has twice her American friend and rival's bling. She has medaled in each of the last three Olympics, with her four overall medals being the most for a female skier in U.S. history.

"That kind of stuff has never mattered to me," Mancuso told Bonnie D. Ford of ESPN. "My teammates have been incredible. Lindsey Vonn is a champion and of course has had way more success than I have on the World Cup [59 wins to seven for Mancuso], so it's definitely warranted to give her a lot of credit."

Still, with Vonn injured, Mancuso added to her total in the super-combined. Though one has to surmise she was a little disappointed with bronze considering the lead she held coming in, Mancuso raised her arms in triumph ever the good sport. Her slalom run was uncharacteristically sloppy at points, as she was unable to let go of the skis at the right time and wound up losing momentum as her run went along.

The first downhill run, on the other hand, was nearly flawless. She had a near half-second lead over Gut going into the slalom, and only the top four competitors were within a second. If past performance is any indicator of future results, Mancuso may add to her 2010 silver with a 2014 gold. I'm taking Gut, but these two are our favorites.


Bronze: Maria Hoefl-Riesch (Germany)

Believe it or not, Hoefl-Riesch is a bit of an underdog coming into the downhill. Though the AP (via Yahoo! Sports) selected her as the favorite to win the downhill, the actual results don't back that up. The German is a menace in slalom competition and has won each of the last two super-combined medals, but the downhill is arguably her worst discipline.

She ran only fifth during the downhill portion of the super-combined and was absent from the podium in Vancouver, finishing eighth. While she has had some success in the event on the world circuit, bronze is the best Hoefl-Riesch has ever done in the World Championships.

Here, then, would likely be the spot where an underdog could slip in. Tina Maze of Slovenia is the best bet to take Hoefl-Riesch's place, as is Leanne Smith, the least-discussed of the American skiers in the field. And there are a number of dark horses who could come completely out of the woodwork to a surprise medal.

Hoefl-Riesch is just performing far too well to predict any of that stuff will happen. She's been brilliant in Sochi—and all season actually. She has tamed her greatest beast with three wins in seven World Cup downhills this season and, if she wins on Wednesday, will tie the women's all-time Alpine Olympic record of four golds.

"I don't think about records so much," said Hoefl-Riesch, per the AP (via ABC News). "If it happens, it's great."

It's a bit of a long shot, but if we've learned anything in Sochi, it's never count Maria Hoefl-Riesch out of any skiing competition.

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Olympic Snowboarding 2014: Schedule, TV Info, Team Medal Predictions for Day 4

Day 4 of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi brings one of the most exciting events of the Winter Games—men's halfpipe. This is one event in which the United States is certainly looking for a gold medal, as snowboard sensation Shaun White will be in action.

However, White will not be without stiff competition, as up-and-coming Japanese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano will look to give him a run for his money. Also, American Danny Davis will look to keep his hot streak alive, as he won the 2014 Winter X Games while White and Hirano missed the event.


This event is must-see TV, so let's break down when each round will be taking place on Tuesday to ensure that none of the action will be missed.



Viewing Information

What: Men's Halfpipe

When: Tuesday, Feb. 11

Where: Rosa Khutor Extreme Park


TV Times

Qualification Round: 5 a.m. ET

Semifinals: 10 a.m. ET

Finals: 12:30 p.m. ET

Channel: NBC

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com


Medal Prediction

White of Team USA figures to be the name to watch during this event. White pulled out of the men's slopestyle event in Sochi so he could fully focus on the halfpipe.

He has found a great amount of success in this event in the past, as he won gold medals in the 2006 Olympics in Turin and again in 2010 in Vancouver. Despite being on the snowboard scene for over a decade, White continues to push himself with each contest, seemingly remaining one step ahead of his competition.

White will look to become the first American male to earn a gold medal in three consecutive Winter Games.

White will not only have to battle his competition, but the course conditions as well. During an interview with Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today, he explained that the conditions in Sochi weren't perfect:

The first day, the walls were a little over-[vertical], so everybody was doing airs, and then landing like pretty flat. Today, they made the walls better so everybody lands [correctly], but in the flat bottom, where they cut it, it's like a bump, so everyone is riding along and then hits the bump, and that's really not very good.

Hirano became the youngest medalist in the history of the Winter X Games earlier this year, when he took home the silver medal at the age of 14. Now at 15 years old, Hirano continues to nip at White's heels with some impressive air in this event.

In snowboard circles, Hirano is considered by many to be White's heir apparent. It will be interesting to see how close of a competition we will get from this youngster from Japan.

Of course, American Danny Davis cannot be counted out of this conversation. Davis has been on a hot streak lately, as he finished in first place earlier this year in the 2014 Winter X Games' superpipe event in Aspen.

Davis is back in action after a brutal injury suffered back in 2010 which cost him a spot on the Olympic team in Vancouver. During an interview with Rachel Axon of USA Today, Davis is excited about his opportunity in this year's Olympics:

I wasn't ready to be done. Like I've always said, to have the chance to go to Russia, to have the chance to be on an Olympic team, I'm psyched. It wouldn't have killed me if I didn't make it, but I'm very happy that I did and I'm very excited for the opportunity.

Davis will look to continue to ride his hot hand in order to finally claim some Olympic glory of his own.

Gold: Shaun White

Silver: Ayumu Hirano

Bronze: Danny Davis

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Olympic Hockey Schedule 2014: TV Info, Live Stream and Predictions for Day 2

Four teams in women's hockey Group B will take the ice on Sunday in their first action of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Canada and the U.S. flexed their muscles on Saturday, affirming their status as the bracket's favorites with big victories. In a more open grouping, Sweden, Japan, Russia and Germany can all start the tournament off right.

Under the new group formatting, Sweden and Russia were placed in Group B after ranking fifth and sixth, respectively, in 2012's world rankings. Germany and Japan qualified for the final two spots.

This group's top two teams will advance to face off against Group A's bottom two squads. Group A was purposefully stacked with the four best teams (Canada, U.S., Finland and Switzerland) so the two best countries earn an automatic trip to the semifinals.

But we're a long ways from that, so let's take a look at the day's two games, both of which are available for live streaming at NBCOlympics.com.

2014 Olympics Day 2 Schedule
Matchup Time (ET) TV
Sweden vs. Japan 3 a.m. NBC Sports
Germany vs. Russia 8 a.m. MSNBC
NBCOlympics.com



Sweden vs. Japan
Both fringe medal contenders, Sweden and Japan are playing with house money in Sochi.

Sweden, however, enters this match as the seemingly more experienced club. Since women's ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1998, the country has finished no worse than fifth, earning the bronze in 2002 and silver in 2006.


On the other hand, Japan has not qualified since 1998, when it finished sixth during the event's inaugural tilt. That means nearly all of Yuji Iizuka's squad has yet to experience the Olympic platform. Japan's coach said it's crucial for his players to keep a calm frame of mind as they soak in the grand stage.

“Since this is the first Olympics for most of the players in the team, the most important thing is mental training so they don’t feel anxious or intimidated,” Iizuka told The Japan Times' Jack Gallagher.

Then again, only one player on Sweden's roster is older than 25 years old. Japan features nine such players, including Yoko Kondo, a member of the 1998 team.

While it's fair to then toss aside the experience concerns, Sweden still boasts the more talented group, which should be one of the two teams to survive Group B.

Prediction: Sweden 2, Japan 1



Russia vs. Germany
The hosting nation is the top team to watch from Group B.

Russia has never finished above fifth place, but that could change this year. After finishing third in the 2013 Women's World Championship, a bronze medal is in play.

The Star Tribune's Rachel Blount credited Minnesota Duluth coach Shannon Miller with reviving the Russian program after Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee president at the time, warned that women's hockey program that “we cannot continue without improvement.”

Since Miller began advising the Russians, they have increased funding for women’s hockey, sent the team to train in Duluth for two weeks and won the bronze medal at last spring’s world championships. Several other nations have taken similar steps forward, and Miller said she expects to see even more progress in the years leading toward the next Winter Games.

For Russia to take the next step, it must defeat Germany, who has also failed to finish better than fifth in its three years of qualification. One of the keys to victory is the play of goalie Nadezhda Alexandrova, who propelled Russia to a bronze finish in the world championship.

Advancing to the Olympics is in itself an achievement for Germany, but Russia is on the upswing and ready to make noise with its home-field advantage. Expect a major victory on Sunday.

Prediction: Russia 3, Germany 0

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