Olympics-Ice hockey-ROC look to retain title whereas Finns search golden first

By Steve Keating

BEIJING (Reuters) – The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) will attempt to carry their turbulent Beijing Video games to a triumphant end within the males’s ice hockey closing on Sunday when the defending champions face off in opposition to Finland.

A doping storm engulfing 15-year-old ROC determine skater Kamila Valieva has enveloped that sport together with your entire Winter Olympics.

An ROC ice hockey triumph is not going to elevate these clouds fully however could be celebrated by the hockey loving nation and primary fan, Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Russia haven’t retained the Olympic ice hockey title because the glory days of the ‘Large Purple Machine’ when a Unified Workforce gained gold on the 1992 Albertville Winter Video games after the previous Soviet Union took the honours at Calgary 1988 and Sarajevo 1984.

Finland have made common appearances on the rostrum, returning house with a medal from 5 of the earlier seven Video games, however they’ve by no means reached the highest step.

Twice earlier than the Finns have contested the ultimate, on the 1988 Calgary and 2006 Turin Olympics, and might be hoping it’s third time fortunate.

When Finland defeated Sweden in Stockholm in 1995 to win the ice hockey world championship for the primary time the group obtained a fighter jet escort house.

A win on Sunday and the gamers can count on an much more rousing welcome.

“It’s enormous, after all,” stated Finnish ahead Sakari Manninen about enjoying for gold. “Going to an Olympic closing is sort of a dream.

“You dream of these type of moments, however on the identical time (I attempt to) give attention to the fitting issues.”

ATTACKING FLAIR

The ROC was anticipated to carry loads of attacking aptitude to Beijing however have reached the ultimate on defence and goaltending.

Whereas they’ve generated solely 13 targets, 5 of these coming in a 6-5 loss to the Czech Republic, that was greater than sufficient offence to register 4 wins to get them to the ultimate.

The ROC has leaned closely on the play of netminder Ivan Fedotov, who made a spectacular begin to the Video games by recording back-to-back shutouts of Switzerland and Denmark earlier than getting shelled by the Czechs.

However the hulking goaltender was again at his stingy finest when it mattered by holding Denmark within the quarter-finals and Sweden in semis to a single objective.

The ROC will want Fedotov again at his finest in opposition to the Finns who function two gamers tied for the Beijing Olympics scoring lead in Manninen and Teemu Hartikainen.

“We’re going to preserve that in our (dressing) room,” stated ROC’s Damir Sharipzyanov, when requested what the sport plan was for Finland. “We all know how they play, they understand how we play.

“It’s going to be attention-grabbing.

“We bought to the ultimate and now it’s the recreation of our life.”

Sweden and Slovakia will play for the bronze on Saturday.

(Reporting by Steve Keating in Beijing. Enhancing by Ken Ferris)