Today at 7:30 a.m. ET, the United States and Russia hit the ice at the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi for Group A action as part of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. The game can be live streamed for free here.
The winner of this game could potentially win Group A and earn a bye into the quarterfinals as both teams won their opening qualifiers. Russia will take the ice in front of what should be a raucous home crowd while the United States will look to overcome the pro-Russian support.
The Americans scored six goals in one period en route to a 7-1 thrashing of Slovakia, earning its first win over the Slovaks in three tries. The U.S. knows it's a tough task ahead of them. These two teams haven't played since the 2006 Turin Games, and the United States hasn't beaten Russia since the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.
We know that this is their home country," St. Louis Blues forward David Backes said via NHL.com. "They've been getting a lot of attention, they've got a lot of firepower, and there will be no need for motivation on their side. We'll need to match that."
Backes has 42 points through 52 games for the Blues this season off of 20 goals and 22 assists.
The U.S. will once again go with Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick between the pipes, after he allowed one goal and saved 22 shots against Slovakia. 2010 Vancouver Olympics MVP Ryan Miller remains out of the lineup.
The Russians may have been nervous playing their first Olympic game on home soil against Slovenia on Thursday as it wasn't quite the dominating performance many had expected, though the team eventually turned it on en route to a 5-2 victory. The team will look for a better overall performance against the 2010 gold medal winner, but the Russians were just happy to leave their first game with a win.
"It feels great; finally we're here," Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said, according to NHL.com. "It's the first game we played and we got the win. That's the most important thing."
Ovechkin leads the NHL with 40 goals this season while throwing in 20 assists for 60 points through 55 games
The United States and Russia renew acquaintances on the ice when the puck drops at the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
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