Olympic Hockey Schedule 2018: Live Stream for All of Wednesday's Games
The first marquee game of the Olympic ice hockey slate concludes Wednesday's schedule in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The United States and Canada are set to renew their women's hockey rivalry on Wednesday night at the end of pool play.
While the women's pool play starts to end on Wednesday, the men's group action begins with the United States opening its Group B schedule against Slovenia.
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The two games featuring American teams are packed on to a schedule that features five games with a wide array of storylines.
Wednesday Ice Hockey Schedule
Women's Group B: Korea vs. Japan (2:40 a.m. ET)
Men's Group B: Slovakia vs, Olympic Athletes from Russia (7:10 a.m. ET)
Men's Group B: United States vs. Slovenia (7:10 a.m. ET)
Men's Group C: Finland vs. Germany (10:10 p.m. ET)*
Women's Group A: United States vs. Canada (10:10 p.m. ET)*
*Denotes games played on Thursday morning in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
United States, Canada Set For Gold-Medal Game Preview
The unusual format of the women's tournament hands us an electric matchup in prime time on Wednesday night.
The United States could be poised to finally end Canada's run of four straight Olympic gold medals, with Wednesday's game serving as a litmus test for where both teams stand entering the medal round.
Both teams have impressed so far against quality competition from Finland and the Olympic Athletes from Russia, but the standard is raised when they meet on the ice.
Some of the stars set to grace the ice on Wednesday night include Meghan Duggan and Amanda Kessel of the United States and Marie-Philip Poulin and Meghan Acosta of Canada.
Although Canada has gotten the best of the United States on the Olympic stage, the Americans have won each of the last three World Championships, with the last two victories coming in overtime.
Wednesday's pool-play game will decide which part of the elimination bracket the United States and Canada land on. Both teams will qualify for the semifinals as the two best teams in Group A.
Men's Competition Begins on Wednesday
The Olympic Athletes from Russia get a chance to prove why they are the gold-medal favorites in men's ice hockey when the competition begins on Wednesday.
The Russians have a roster that carries plenty of NHL experience, including Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk, and they'll start their Olympic slate against Slovakia.
Outside of Kovalchuk and Datsyuk, the Olympic Athletes from Russia boast a wealth of talented players from their domestic league, the KHL.
With current NHL players not participating in Pyeongchang, the Olympic Athletes of Russia carry a distinct advantage on paper, but they won't be the only gold-medal contender.
Canada and Sweden are also in the hunt for the top spot on the podium, while the United States can reach the medals with a roster full of college athletes and players from the AHL.
The United States, coached by former NHL stars Tony Granato and Chris Chelios, opens its slate against Slovenia on Wednesday.
In order to achieve the best possible finish in Group B, the United States must knock off Slovenia and Slovakia and hope to play the Olympic Athletes from Russia to a tight game.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from Olympic.org
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