2014 Olympic Men’s Hockey Preview: The Goaltending

When trying to compare a bunch of superstar teams, it is often impossible to get an overall picture without looking at each of the parts.  So, for that reason I will be looking at each of the aspects of the teams and try to see who has the edge and who is going to need exceptional performances to compete at that level and succeed.  For this exercise I will be looking at what I consider the 8 teams who have any medal hope whatsoever – Canada, United States, Russia, Sweden, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Finland and Switzerland.  Slovenia, Latvia, Norway and Austria are also in the tournament but would I would be shocked if any of them made it to the quarterfinals.

Feb 2, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) makes a save against Winnipeg Jets during the third period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

Goaltending is one of the most important aspects of building a great team for this tournament, but sometimes depth can be overrated because once a starter is selected, if a team has to turn to the backup then they are already behind the 8-ball.  Therefore a priority will be placed on the top end talent and the starters rather than how deep a team is.