Getzlaf opened the scoring just over two minutes into the first period by converting Boyle’s pass into a nearly empty net.  Boyle would later get his own goal with a wrist shot from just over the blue line that blew by goalie Evgeni Nabokov, giving Canada a 2-0 lead.

Canada’s newly formed shut down line of Rick Nash, Jonathan Toews, and Mike Richards did their job by showing no mercy to Russia’s top forward lines.

The line even produced a goal by using good hard defensive tactics.  After Richards stripped Russia’s Evgeni Malkin of the puck, he moved it up to Toews who saw Nash just over the hash marks and fed him a pass that he beat Nabokov with to give Canada a 3-0 lead.

Goaltender Roberto Luongo confirmed he is the right man to be between the pipes for Canada by stopping 25 shots by the powerful Russian offense.

Dmitri Kalinin brought the score back within reach for Russia with a shot from the point that found its way past a screened Luongo.

Brendan Morrow grinded his way to a goal that slipped past Nabokov to give Canada the 4-1 lead going into the second period.  Shea Weber scored the final goal on Nabokov before he was pulled after ripping a shot passed him just over a minute after Perry’s first goal.

Perry proved his worth after a disastrous game against U.S.A. by scoring two goals, both of which were assisted on by Getzlaf.  Perry second goal was the only tally on Russian goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who stopped 18 shots after relieving Nabokov.

Nabokov did not fare well in the match, getting pulled early in the second period after allowing six goals on 23 shots.

Russia also got goals from Maxim Afinogenov and Sergei Gonchar, but it was not nearly enough to get passed the determined Canadian squad.  The Russians received a scare in the third period when Alexander Ovechkin took a puck off the hand and immediately headed to the bench to ice it off.

The ruthless Canadian crowd serenaded him by chanting his name while Ovechkin iced his injured hand.  In a game that was headlined with Ovechkin and Crosby, neither of the two superstars tallied any points in the contest.

An upset Russian squad showed their frustration towards the end of the game by increasing the aggressiveness of their play.  Eric Staal went hard into the boards after an Anton Volchencov check that kept Staal on the ice for a short time.  He eventually skated back to the bench with the trainer, but did not miss any ice time.

Team Canada will now soak in the victory and face the winner of the Sweden and Slovakia match on Friday.

Demitra out-waited Russian goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov coming down the left side giving the Slovaks a much needed win after loosing to the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Slovakia’s Josef Stumpel scored on the first shot of the shootout to give his team the early lead but Alexander Ovechkin responded in the second round on his first of three attempts to tie it up.

After that it was a battle of the goalies as Bryzgalov and Slovakian goaltender Jaroslav Halak both stopped three consecutive shooters.

After a scoreless first period, Russian Captain Alexy Morozov opened the scoring early in the second taking a cross ice pass from Andrei Markov and blasting a shot high-glove for a 1-0 lead.

Russia did their best to stretch the lead outshooting Slovakia 16-5 in the second, but Halak was stellar, keeping the deficit at one.

Not to be out done, Bryzgalov made a great save on a short handed rush by Pavol Demitra late in the second, to keep the lead going into the third.

But Demitra was able to make a mends mid-way through the final period after dumping the puck into the Russian zone and finding a streaking Marian Hossa to tie the game at 1-1 with just over ten minutes left.

Despite Slovakia being on their second game of a back-to-back, Russia was the team that appeared sluggish in the third period but fortunately for them, Bryzgalov was there to answer the call.

The Phoenix Coyotes net minder, who got the start over Evgeni Nabakov, made 31 saves, while Halak finished with 36.

The Russians were 0-for-5 on the power play while Slovakia was 0-for-3.

In a case of history repeating itself, Slovakia also beat Russia 5-3 in group play in Torino.

Slovakia will try to continue their winning ways Saturday when they take on Belarus. Russia will look to rebound Sunday against the Czech Republic.

Canada’s men’s hockey team may be under immense pressure to bring back gold, but nobody will be more scrutinized then their general manager, Hall of Fame forward and two time Canadian Olympian Steve Yzerman.

“We are very confident in the team we have put together. Hopefully luck is on our side and we will get the goal we want,” Yzerman told CTV “I’ve found this to be a lot of fun.”

Yzerman has spent over a year putting together what he feels is the proper mix of veterans and youth to carry Canada to the gold medal game and coming out on top on home ice.

The winter games are at home in Vancouver and as important as it may be for all of Canada’s Olympians to perform well, it’s even more important for the Men’s Canadian Hockey Team to strike gold.

Last winter Olympics in Turin, Team Canada went in needing to defend its gold medal from the 2002 games in Salt Lake City, but ended up seventh place, the worst showing by the Canadian National team since 1920.

This year, having home ice advantage, the team needs more then redemption, they need to prove they are the premier country for hockey in the entire world.

Yzerman should have a blast watching his selection of forwards, which has plenty of firepower to make games exciting.  The one player under the closest examination by the Canadian people is centre Sidney Crosby, who will be in his first Olympic games.

Crosby will be wearing the alternate captain’s “A” on his jersey along with Jarome Iginla, who will suit up for his third Olympic stint.

Canada’s blue line holds just as much defensive skill and offensive ability as the forwards, and is anchored by Captain Scott Niedermeyer and his former teammate Chris Pronger, who was also named an alternate captain.

Hockey’s most important position is something Canada needs not worry about with Martin Brodeur, in his fourth Olympic competition, and Roberto Luongo between the pipes.

The competition is fierce and there is no doubt that Canada will have a bull’s-eye on its jersey’s when other countries visit Vancouver.

One country most competitors will fear the most will be Russia as it boasts five of the most dangerous forwards including Ilya Kovalchuk, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Alex Semin, and the two time reigning MVP, Alex Ovechkin, who said he is not worried about the competition.

“When you play in an Olympics or world championship, you don’t look forward to play against one person, you look forward to playing some great teams and winning those battles,” Ovechkin told CTV.

Russia’s weak link is easily their defense, but with world class goaltenders Evgeni Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov, it’s almost not even worth fretting over the weakness in the Russian blue-line.

Sweden will be looking to defend its gold medal and is always a country that can be considered a threat.  The forwards are headlined by the Sedin twins, Henrik Zetterberg and the return of Peter Forsberg.  Sweden also holds one of the top goaltenders in the 2006 Olympics in Henrik Lundqvist and the blue-line is anchored by six time Norris winner Nicklas Lidstrom.

Even Finland, the silver medalists in 2006, won’t be easy in a tournament where a hot goaltender can easily win for a team, and they boast a deadly one-two punch in net with Miikka Kiprusoff and Nicklas Backstrom.

The dark horse of the tournament Team USA is a group of young, speedy talent with a few older vets mixed in for leadership.  With only two players on team USA having Olympic experience, the pressure may get to some of the young guns.

All-star Ryan Miller, a goalie who can easily guide this team to victory if he continues his stellar play, will be heavily relied on if USA has any hopes of competing for a medal.

One aspect that must be burning in the mind of Team USA is the fact they were defeated by the Canadians on their home turf in Salt Lake City in 2002, so they will be looking for revenge

Canada is a well rounded team with its perfect mix of grit to shut down the big scorers, speed to out maneuver and fly by opposing teams, and the experience that can help them make a repeat of 2002 in Salt Lake City.

This is no longer the seventh place team that left Turin ashamed, this is a new crop of youth and experience, and in the end can be the team that makes the country of Canada proud of its hockey team.