Czech Republic vs. Russian Athletes: Men's Hockey Live-Stream Schedule, Odds
The Czech Republic and the Olympic Athletes from Russia haven't been at the top of the Olympic hockey podium much in recent history.
The Czechs, who earned the No. 2 seed in the elimination round, have one medal to their name since the 1998 triumph led by Domink Hasek and Jaromir Jagr.
Since the Soviet Union disbanded, Russia's best finish came in Nagano, Japan, when it lost to the Czechs in the gold-medal game. Russian athletes have one gold since 1992, but that came as part of the Unified Team in 1992.
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After suffering a defeat in their opener this year, the Russians have outscored their opponents 18-3, including a 6-1 victory over Norway.
The Czech Republic survived a quarterfinal test from the United States and advanced through a shootout in which Petr Koukal was the player to score.
Date: Friday, February 23
Time: 2:40 a.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com
Odds to win tournament (per Oddsshark): Olympic Athletes from Russia (+225; Bet $100 to win $225), Czech Republic (+900)
Czechs Calling on Francouz to Shine Once Again
Czech goalie Pavel Francouz was the star of the semifinal victory over the United States, as he stopped all five shots in the shootout.
The 27-year-old, who plays for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, conceded four goals in pool play against South Korea, Canada and Switzerland on the way to first place in Group A.
After the win over the United States, Francouz described how the Czechs are experiencing a dream tournament, per Reuters' Steve Keating:
"It was our dream before the tournament to go that far but I really hope it is not the end we can go farther if we keep playing like this. We are playing really good as a team, we’re blocking shots the guys are helping me. We didn’t play any easy games and I think it is making us more and more strong."
Former Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and Arizona Coyotes winger Martin Erat is the most recognizable name on the roster for those watching in the United States.
Michal Repik and Jan Kovar have done the majority of the scoring for the second-seeded team, while Jan Kolar was one of two defenders to find the back of the net in regulation against the Americans.
Dominik Kubalik, Roman Cervenka, Kovar and Erat are a few of the scoring threats for the Czechs, who also have a collection of defensemen eager to contribute to the attack.
Look for the Czech Republic to utilize its well-rounded attack to throw the Russians off balance and strike for an early tally.
If that's the case, the Czechs will be on their way to their first gold-medal game since 1998.
Russians Enter With Impressive Scoring Record
In their four games in South Korea, the Russians have found the back of the net on 20 occasions, including a six-goal outburst against Norway in the quarterfinals.
While the goal difference between the Russians and their opponents appears to be a massive feat on paper, the achievement becomes less impressive when you consider their opposition.
Despite winning twice in Group B, Slovenia was never going to match up well with Russia, and it showed in the 8-2 pool-play contest between the two teams.
The 6-1 win over Norway came against an underdog fresh off the emotional high of beating Slovenia in overtime in the knockout round.
You could even argue the Americans weren't much of a test in the 4-0 Russian win to conclude pool play.
The biggest test by far comes Friday for the squad led by NHL veterans Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk, who play in the KHL like the rest of their teammates.
Kovalchuk and Kirill Kaprizov have four goals each, while Nikita Gusev has dished out six assists in four games.
The Russians have the firepower to overwhelm any defense, but they won't be able to get by just on talent in the semifinals.
The Czechs are going to challenge the Russians on every shift and have a balanced attack that could cause trouble to the opposition defense.
Providing Kovalchuk, Kaprizov and others with scoring opportunities in the first period would be ideal as the Russians attempt to steal the momentum from the talented Czech side.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from Olympic.org.
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