Olympic Hockey Schedule 2018: Early Preview for Germany vs. Russian Athletes

Germany and the Olympic Athletes from Russia form the unexpected pairing for the 2018 Winter Olympics men's ice hockey gold-medal game in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The Russians were expected to be in Saturday's championship contest given their incredible roster, but no one predicted the Germans would advance past the quarterfinals, let alone entertain any thought of a surprise run to the final.

On their road to the gold-medal game, the Germans earned their first Olympic hockey victories over Sweden and Canada in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

While Germany has been busy knocking off the titans of the sport, the Russians cruised to a pair of knockout-phase wins.

The Olympic Athletes from Russia are the favorites to win gold, but Germany has given us reason to believe one more upset is in the cards.

Date: Saturday, February 24 (Event takes place on Sunday, February 25 in Pyeongchang)

Time: 11:10 p.m. ET 

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com

Russians Enter with a Ton of Confidence

Since losing 3-2 to Slovakia at the start of pool play, the Russians haven't been stopped. 

An 8-2 victory over Slovenia got the ball rolling for the star-studded squad, and the momentum continued in the 4-0 triumph over the United States.

The Olympic Athletes from Russia have been as perfect as they could be in the knockout phase, with a 6-1 win over Norway and a 3-0 victory against the Czech Republic under their belts.

A lot of attention has been paid to the Russian attack because of Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk's presence, but the defense deserves credit as well.

In their past 180 minutes of hockey, the Russians have conceded one goal. They flexed their defensive muscle in the semifinals, as they withstood 31 shots from the Czechs to earn a shutout.

Goalie Vasili Koshechkin isn't getting the attention he deserves because of the stars on the Russian roster, but his teammates are more than aware of how well he's playing, as center Mikhail Grigorenko demonstrated, per Dan Evans and Mark Trevelyan of Reuters.

"He's been our best player this tournament," Grigorenko said. "He's just been making a lot of saves. He made some huge saves tonight, and he was good."

The formula for victory Saturday is to put pressure on the opposing net and for Koshechkin to shut down any attack in front of the Russian net.

It sounds simple, but that's the framework for success the Russians have used since losing their opener.

Germany Looking to Complete Cinderella Story

The most unexpected success story at the Olympics continued Friday, as Germany survived a late rush from Canada to earn a 4-3 win and a spot in the gold-medal game.

Germany goes into the final with nothing to lose, as it will be a massive underdog against the roster with the most talent at the Olympics.

The Germans displayed resiliency in each of their knockout-phase games, as they beat Switzerland, Sweden and Canada by a goal each.

Friday's semifinal victory over Canada may have been the most stunning triumph of the tournament, as Germany rattled off three second-period goals in a nine-minute span and then moved into a defensive shell.

Germany's semifinal success is even more shocking when you realize it had one shot in the third period, during which Canada battered the net with scoring opportunities.

Though not wearing the "C," Christian Ehrhoff, 35, is the leader of the squad, as he boasts a decade of NHL experience with six different teams.

Entering the gold-medal game, the Russians will receive most of the attention, but Germany shouldn't be counted out given its terrific team play, which has been the catalyst for the team's three upset victories in the knockout phase.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.