When Canada came out trapping the Norwegians in a game you'd expected them to win by at least a touchdown, there was considerable concern throughout the nation. They felt their way through that first period like a blind man would acclimatize to new surroundings. And though you'd imagine anyone trying to explain it differently would be considered to be making excuses for them, who can really blame them for thinking a bit more, rather than reacting.

After all, the Canadians did some very intensive work on system-play they intend to roll out against opponents that won't forgive a period of feeling out. If there was ever a time to think things through and practice some things in-game, it was against Norway, in period one of their Olympic tournament, with full knowledge that the primary concern was winning the game.

Reaction was pretty swift in the second period, where Canada set the bar. The mantra's always been: Get better with each game. If the Canadians get better than period two against Norway, goals will be flooding the opposing net.

Carey Price, with steely focus, showed Canada's staff exactly what they wanted to see. Calm, cool, collected, despite the fact that there's no way he didn't start this game off as nervous as he's ever been. He didn't show it, allowing the Canadians to settle in for period two, and his composure was also very apparent after a goal got by him in period three--a goal he didn't have much of a chance on.

All in all, Canada turned up the heat when they wanted to against a plucky Norwegian team that fed off what Canada gave them in the first period. Norway didn't look intimidated, and they were extremely physical throughout.
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1) Canada's best in game 1 (and you can add or subtract as you see fit): Tavares, Crosby, Toews, Benn, Weber, Doughty. I thought Dan Hamhuis was pretty good too, when called upon.

Players that could certainly stand to pick it up (I wouldn't go as far to say that they were bad): Carter, Sharp, Pietrangelo, Vlasic.

2) Patrice Bergeron and Martin St. Louis were both really good rotating on a line with Tavares and Benn. All four players made a big impact.

Refuse to call them the fourth line.

3) Biggest thing I've noticed in the first few games of the Olympic tournament:
Karlsson, Ekman-Larsson, Carlson, Shattenkirk, Voynov, Doughty... Mobile dmen, ones willing to skate the puck up and get involved in the offensive zone are such a huge factor on the big ice.

Duncan Keith will join this group, though I felt he was less visible yesterday.

Enter P.K. Subban!

4) Patrick Sharp is going to have to bury his chances or his spot might be in jeopardy. He had the best chance of the game and fired it wide from two feet in front of a yawning net. Easy to pick out one tiny mistake in execution--and it's not going to bury Sharp for the tournament--but he was selected for his killer goal-scoring instinct.

Also, I think he sits today in part because he was on the point for a powerplay that was completely disjointed, and Subban's drawing in.

5) With Duchene coming in, I expect to see Benn moving up. Will Benn make things happen with Toews and Nash, or will Babcock test him with Perry and Getzlaf?

I thought Patrick Marleau was good yesterday, but wouldn't call him one of Canada's best in the game. I liked his physicality. I wouldn't mind seeing it on a shift or two with Toews and Nash.

6) Expect Duchene to see at least a couple of shifts on Crosby's right wing.

7) Had a few words of derision on the Russians the other day, so I'll hedge to say that their powerplay is by far the tournament's best.

To see the left side stacked up with Kovalchuk on the point, and Ovechkin on the wall, with Markov feeding one-timers; in a word, terrifying!

Slide in Datsyuk on the right wall, and to move things through him while Kovalchuk goes high-slot... just terrifying.

And I haven't even mentioned Malkin.

After watching yesterday's game, Russia has something on their supposed fourth line that makes them a bit deeper than I earmarked: Valeri Nichushkin. Wow.

You can't allow Russia to establish their speed on the rush, but you won't avoid it at times.

And you can't be indiscipline. That powerplay will murder you.

8) Favorite part of Canada's game yesterday: Ryan Getzlaf pulling away on a hit he would've literally killed a Norwegian with. And it wasn't that Getzlaf went for it and missed as some may have assumed. Believe me, he had the guy lined up for several seconds before. If he wanted to hit him, he would've hurt him, badly. It was a great example of the type of discipline you need to play with, and it was smart lesson to give to certain players on the team that haven't been on this stage before.

The game is called differently. Checks to the head are called more severely, and if you hurt someone, you'll be suspended. That's a scary prospect for any player that was named to this team.

And Canada had some reasons to be frustrated, because Norway was extremely physical, and there were some tough non-calls--like Crosby getting dumped without the puck in the first period, or Nash getting crosschecked in front.

9) It's not like Canada needed to trap Norway like they did in the first period. They are practicing that now--and it's the right time to do it--because it will come in handy in this tournament. Most the European teams play a trap on the big ice... I call this learning from the past for Canada.

They have to be good at that kind of game to, and in different situations, they will rely on that style. The good thing is, they can turn it on at any second when it comes to aggressively forechecking. Versatility is a must against the depth on certain teams in this tournament.

Russia is a powerhouse offensively, and the faster the game, the more it'll play to their advantage, but don't tell me they can trap and win. As for Canada--I think they can when they need to.

10) Sweden's loss of Henrik Zetterberg to a herniated disk is a brutal loss. No Henrik Sedin either. And even if we assumed it to be the case before, their most important Henrik must now become the best goaltender in the tournament for them to have a chance at Gold, or any medal, for that matter.

Lundqvist pulled off a 1-0 shutout of Switzerland today.

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