2014 Sochi Olympics: Sweden Ends Slovenia's Cinderella Story

By Jon Garcia
Sweden vs Latvia
Richard Mackson – USA TODAY Sports

For more than 40 minutes, Slovenia still had a chance to be a miracle. One shot or one lucky bounce could have turned fortunes their way. Unfortunately, the script was written before the game began, and the powerhouse Sweden broke the game wide open in the third period of the quarterfinal match to send them home.

It wasn’t the worst thing to happen as no one expected the Slovenians to make it this far in the tournament, and Sweden is a gold medal favorite. After dispatching Austria to advance for the first time in their first Olympic tournament, Slovenia drew Sweden knowing they were probably going to be sent home. It didn’t stop them from playing their hearts out.

Sweden opened the scoring on an Alexander Steen power play goal, but the game remained 1-0 until early in the third. Slovenia was doing a decent job limiting Sweden’s scoring chances, even though they were giving up shots. However, they couldn’t muster much on offense, and couldn’t convert on the few chances they were getting.

Anze Kopitar, the lone NHL player for Slovenia, looked exhausted and overworked, as if he were missing a step since the last time he was on the ice. Kopitar did leave a game earlier in the tournament due to illness.

Goaltender Robert Kristan was looking sharp for most of the game, and it seemed as if the game was going to be a low-scoring affair. Then the Swedes broke out for four goals in the final frame. Carl Hagelin of the New York Rangers scored twice, and the Swedes advance to the semifinal round with a 5-0 win. Henrik Lundqvist, also of the Rangers, picked up the shutout. The team will play the winner of the Czech Republic/USA game, which happens later today.

For Slovenia, they can go home with their heads held high knowing they shattered expectations. For a country with less than 150 registered hockey players, they made an enormous step on the world’s stage to show their passion for the game as well as prove how unpredictable hockey is. Four years from now, they will return to the Olympics with loftier goals and heightened expectations, which the team will welcome with open arms.

Jon Garcia is an NHL Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGarcia36 or add him to your network on Google

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