As shooting Finns in glass

Getty Images Ryan Malone and his team-mates U.S. crack Finland 6-1 in Olympic hockey semi-finals. Check Gold Sunday.

Blowing out Finland 6-1 to a shocking display of offensive firepower for a team more for solid goaltending and close defence advanced hockey team at the Olympic finals Friday, U.S. men known.

Defeat had many hockey fans, the scratch their heads, except perhaps U.S. general manager Brian Burke, mounting a team of the American situation where the best hockey players in the world was accused.

Not discover what Mr Burke knew obvious and some teams in this tournament until it was too late is that a six game can be won Olympic tournament with a simple formula: great goaltending mixed with young, hungry player, the hustle and bustle to every puck on ice, physical play and leave their egos in the locker room.

Team USA their opponent for about a week has now without objectives been swarming to snowstorms. This could be because two of his games against the hottest goalkeeper in the tournament were - played Switzerland Jonas Hiller. The Americans scored four goals against Canada's Martin Brodeur, enough to Canada, to create bank record-breaking veteran in favour of the younger Roberto Luongo. On Friday with the USA one may Miikka Kiprusoff worn-out.

Within minutes Friday, it was obvious that the older Finland team which won the silver medal now, was not equipped to handle the unrelenting pressure applied by the energetic team USA star with many of the same national team four years ago. Finland winger Jere Lehtinen said he had faced such a frenetic bunch because he was on the junior national team years ago. "You have a good four lines that can play all situations," he said after the game.

"They came into play fully ready, go on the attack and take care of any errors that would make Finland" said U.S. coach Ron Wilson. Later, refer to Sunday's gold medal match, he said, "I hope we have not achieved two days too early."

Two minutes into the game, 22-year-old Phil fired boiler down the ice was that after a puck which went straight to the Finland goalkeeper, Mr Kiprusoff, net skating. Mr could some players in the NHL boiler's hectic have considered a waste of energy. But Mr boiler crashed apparently Mr Kiprusoff, who soon got rid of the puck. American Ryan Malone also down the ice, blazing pass caught and it clicked over to the out-of-position Mr Kiprusoff, put the United States until 1-0. "We were then socked," said coach Jukka Jalonen Finland.

The Americans never slows down, continue with abandon, figure skating bear Finland and five more goals in the process. Halfway through the first period Finland Mr Kiprusoff replaced with Niklas Backstrom from the NHL's Minnesota Wild.

It didn't matter. Mr Backstrom got little between the goalposts before he had allowed two goals. Patrick Kane flicked a wrist shot and Paul Stastny smacked an in, make the game 6-0 13 minutes into the game.

Finland had been reduced under the relentless U.S. effort until the end of the first period. The end of the second period, the United States had Finland 22 outshot.

This American defeat was not the result of fancy moves or sniper-like pictures. The Americans denied simply uncontested go a single loose puck. Didnt energy and at any point in the game have the United States give the Finnish customs.

Can in some ways the Finns too old, to keep the Americans been. Finland, like most of the smaller Nations has only a handful of elite players and elite players develop often in waves. Finland stars like Teemu Selänne and Saku Koivu reached in 2006, when the team won the silver medal. Now, you have started on the age. During the game saw Friday Finland as it fight was Skate so consistently hard as the United States

However, the Americans are on the opposite direction. Their older generation of players - guys like Mike Modano - were where Finland is now in the Games 2006 in Turin. Four years later, a new wave of young players come and just reach sexual maturity.

The Americans also benefited from playing one less game as the Finns to beat a reward for Canada and win top seed in the tournament. Finland goalkeeper, Mr Kiprusoff is vulnerable in the NHL for existence unless specified rest known. He has already played 55 games of this season for the Calgary Flames and had the extra game, not the USA's Ryan Miller. It helped Mr. Kiprusoff, he began the game with a goal that looked, caused by his arms decision making. Mr Kiprusoff, can have run just how many players on Finland, gas.

The United States is for the gold medal on Sunday against the winner of the playing the Canada Slovakia semifinal Friday ended by press time had not. Team USA Canada earlier, 5-3, hit but a repetition would be difficult in an arena that was filled out hordes of Canadians most days with sounds. Thursday as Canada gold medal in women's hockey, shook the arena.

Click to win in the final, the American men have their game plan of hard work to stay, and Mr. Miller, your goalkeeper, must at least as good, play all tournament as he. Luck would also help.

Write toReed Albergotti reed.albergotti@wsj.com and Ian Johnson in the ian.johnson@wsj.com

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