1. #1
    bigboydan
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    Switzerland stuns Canada in men's hockey

    Switzerland 2, Canada 0
    By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer


    TURIN, Italy (AP) -- The Swiss called their Olympic upset of the Czechs the biggest victory in their country's history.

    How wrong they turned out to be.

    Switzerland stunned defending Olympic champion Canada on Saturday with a 2-0 victory that shook up the men's hockey tournament at the Turin Games. Canadian-born Paul DiPietro scored twice and goalie Martin Gerber turned aside 49 shots.

    Coached by a Canadian, Winnipeg's Ralph Krueger, and getting both goals from the Sault Sainte Marie-born DiPietro -- who hasn't played in the NHL in 10 years -- the Swiss beat the near equivalent of an NHL all-star team with only two NHL players in their lineup.

    Call it impossible. Call it incredible. All the adjectives fit.

    Cheered on by hundreds of arena-rocking fans who chanted "Hop, Suisse! Hop, Suisse!" -- the equivalent of Go Swiss! -- the Swiss pulled off one of the biggest upsets in modern Olympic hockey history only two days after doing the same thing by beating the world champion Czech Republic 3-2.

    Now, with only Germany and Italy to play, the Swiss have an excellent chance to win their six-team group -- seen as a near impossibility when the Olympics began, considering the quality of opponents.

    And Canada, which needed only to win Saturday to be assured of reaching the quarterfinals, now faces tough games against Finland on Sunday and the Czechs on Tuesday, not assured of a win in either game. The lower they finish in Group A, the tougher their quarterfinal round opponent from Group B is likely to be.

    That they lost to a team whose scoring star last made an NHL impact 12 years ago with the Montreal Canadiens must make it hurt even worse.

    After the Canadians went 0-for-5 while being on the power play most of the first 15 minutes, Patric Della Rossa gathered the puck behind the net and fed it in front to DiPietro, who powered it past goalie Martin Brodeur. The sequence began with Canada's Joe Thornton turning the puck over at the blue line while being double teamed.

    Canada, off its game from the start against an opponent that lacks many NHL players but often trains together during down times in the European pro schedule, later went two men down when defensemen Adam Foote and Chris Pronger drew penalties 42 seconds apart in the second.

    DiPietro took advantage to score his second goal 10 seconds after Pronger went off, grabbing the rebound of Goran Bezina's shot from the right point and steering it in from the lower left circle -- nearly hopping off his skates to celebrate afterward.

    Hop, Suisse, indeed.

    The Canadians thought they had gotten a goal back when Gerber's glove appeared to cross the goal line while stopping Rick Nash's hard shot later in the second. But after an exceptionally long video review, Russian Super League referee Viacheslav Bulanov ruled no goal -- causing the pro-Swiss crowd to erupt with cheers.

    The Swiss, a smallish team with 13 players under 6 feet, held on to win much as they did against the Czechs with excellent goaltending in the face of rush after rush. This time it was Gerber rather than David Aebischer, who beat the Czechs.

    Maybe this wasn't an upset equivalent to Belarus beating Sweden in the 2002 quarterfinals, but it was close -- the Swiss are No. 8 in the world but were considered at a level far below the top-tier teams. But they neutralized all of Canada's elite scorers -- fitting for a team from the land of neutrality.

    And, if nothing else, the Swiss no longer must be reminded they lost to Canada 33-0 in the 1924 Olympics, the most one-sided hockey loss in Olympic history.

  2. #2
    Illusion
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    I can't believe Canada actually got shutout. Truly amazing.

  3. #3
    bigboydan
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    i guess the gretzky press stuff is getting to the team.

  4. #4
    onlooker
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigboydan
    i guess the gretzky press stuff is getting to the team.
    I dont know if that is what caused it, but it is shocking to see them get shut out.

  5. #5
    Illusion
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigboydan
    i guess the gretzky press stuff is getting to the team.
    I seriously doubt that.

  6. #6
    bigboydan
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    i wouldn't say that ILL. Theres press from all around the world drilling those players about the NHL betting scandal.

  7. #7
    onlooker
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigboydan
    i guess the gretzky press stuff is getting to the team.
    It could be, Finland shut them out as well. 2-0 today.

    It has to be hard when every question from the press is about the betting ring, and not the olympics.

  8. #8
    Illusion
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    I don't care what it is. I cashed huge today with Finland.

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