USA vs. Finland Live Blog

I will be live blogging during the semifinal game between the USA and Finland.

1st Period
2:04 - USA dumps the puck towards Kiprusoff and Jack Johnson skates in fast forcing Kiprusoff to make a terrible pass straight to Ryan Malone who wrists it into an empty net from the top of the circle.

6:22 - Paul Stastny makes an awesome pass to Zach Parise who absolutely roofs it over a diving Kiprusoff on the PP to make it 2-0 USA!

8:36 - USA gets its 2nd straight PP goal 2 minutes later to make it, 3-0 not even 9 minutes in. This time it was Erik Johnson from Joe Pavelski and Ryan Malone. (The announcers are mentioning the Fins should pull Kiprusoff.

10:08 - 4-0 USA!!! This is getting outrageous! This time Patrick Kane finally makes a good play and pretty much does all the work himself and backhands it past Kiprusoff. Kiprusoff immediately skates off and pulls himself out of the game. There has been so much scoring I don't need to make other updates! Niklas Backstrom is now in net for Finland.

12:31 - 5-0 USAAAAAA!! Patrick Kane takes an awesome pass from Rafalski and roofs it over Backstrom's right shoulder

12:46 - 6-0 USA before I can even finish the 5-0 post. That makes 2 goals in the last 15 seconds!!! Paul Stastny takes a pass from Jamie Langenbrunner and roofs it top right. Is there a mercy rule???

18:00 - Finland is finally getting a few chances but they are all 1 shot and done.

End of the 1st period - USA got a penalty (Brian Rafalski - kneeing) with 11.8 seconds to go so Finland will start the 2nd on the PP. I'll try to recap some stats from the 1st. Shots - USA: 13, Finland: 4. Kane 2G, Malone/ 1G/1A each, E. Johnson 1G, Langenbrunner/Pavelski 1A each, Rafalski 2A

Al Michaels with a great quote during the intermission, "This is the equivalent of a football team leading another team 42-0 midway through the 2nd quarter".

2nd period
1:50 - The USA penalty is over and Finland only managed 1 shot on net.

7:52 - Finland's Jarkko Ruutu gets a 2 and a 10 misconduct penalty for roughing so we won't see him on the ice for the rest of the period. Well after the play Olli Jokinen came in and tried to take out Kane's feet and sort of put him in a semi-headlock. Dirty play by a frustrated player.

15:51 - The entire period has been pretty even back and forth with a lot of play in the neutral zone. Still 6-0 USA.

End of the 2nd period - As Chrissy from Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County would say, this game is "O-V-E but not R" with the USA leading 6-0. The US had some good scoring chances in the last 2 minutes but couldn't get one past Backstrom. Shots 2nd period - USA: 9, Finland: 7.

3rd period
0:22 - Finland's goalie Backstrom gets an interference penalty for hitting away Patrick Kane's glove when he was trying to pick it up. Selanne will serve the penalty.

2:43 - USA couldn't get anything going on their PP and now Finland will go on the PP after Ryan Malone is called for high sticking.

5:10 - The US killed off the penalty without a problem and then Brooks Orpik and Jackson Johnson put a HUGE sandwich hit on a Finland player.

8:29 - Sami Lepisto gets a penalty for a stick to the face. The US just pulled Ryan Miller and replaced him by Tim Thomas who is seeing his first action of the Olympics. Miller received a standing ovation and stick cheering from the team. Smart move.

11:08 - Bobby Ryan took a shot off the side of the head and went down but skated to the bench on his own. He has his helmet off on the bench with his head down and ice on it. Hopefully he's alright.

14:46 - Finland finally gets on the board with a PP goal from Antti Miettinen. Shot was from the top of the circle and went over Tim Thomas' left shoulder. 6-1 USA.

End of the 3rd period - This game is O-V-E-R!! Final: 6-1 USA as they advance to the gold medal game Sunday at 3EST to face the winner of the Canada vs. Slovakia game later tonight. Finland outplayed the US in the 3rd period and outshot them 14-3 but it was too little too late. Final shots were even at 25 a piece.