Off Topic » Both teams were able to show their strength

Once again, the two greatest powers in womens hockey will collide with Olympic gold on the line. Canada and the United States square off for the gold medal on Thursday. Listen to the game live on TSN Radio starting at 11:30am et/8:30am pt. Both teams were able to show their strength in the semifinals but in different areas of the game. The United States pummeled Sweden 6-1, bringing their output to 20 goals for the tournament thus far. Three American forwards – Amanda Kessel, Kendall Coyne and Brianna Decker – sit tied for second in tournament scoring with six points apiece through four games. The trio combined for seven points against Finland. The Canadians, meanwhile, won a war of attrition against Switzerland. Stymied often by Swiss netminder Florence Schelling, the Canadian women showed grit and resilience in a 3-1 victory to make their fifth straight gold medal game. In two games against Switzerland, Schelling stopped 109 Canadian shots on goal. Canada was timely with their offence in the semifinal, however, scoring their three goals in a span of just over four minutes in the first period. Canada and the United States have met in three of the four gold medal games in Olympic history. Canada won gold in 2002 and 2010 with the Americans claiming gold at the inaugural tournament in Nagano, Japan in 1998. Canada also won gold in 2006 after Sweden beat the Americans in the semifinal. The Canadians got the best of the Americans in the preliminary round, winning their round robin finale 3-2 thanks to a pair of goals from Meghan Agosta-Marciano. That game marked just the second time in the history of the Olympic womens tournament that the North American rivals met without the gold being at stake. Prior to the Olympics, the Americans topped Canada at the 2013 Womens World Championships in Ottawa, beating Canada 3-2 in the gold medal game on Amanda Kessels game-winner. Canada would respond by topping the U.S. in the 4 Nations Cup in November, winning their game 4-2 en route to claiming the tournament title. The continental rivals have also met six other times since October in an exhibition series. The United States took the final four games of the series which were all contested in December. Canada won the opening two games of the set, back in October. History – The Olympic Gold Medal Game 1998: USA 3, CAN 1 – Nagano, Japan 2002: Canada 3, USA 2 – Salt Lake City, USA 2006: Canada 4, Sweden 1 – Turin, Italy 2010: Canada 2, USA 0 – Vancouver, Canada Red Kelly Jersey .Y. - Lou Williams scored 21 points and the Toronto Raptors beat New York 81-76 on Monday night in the Knicks preseason home opener. Travis Dermott Jersey .com) - Top seed Klara Zakopalova reached the second round, while former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone came up a loser Tuesday at the inaugural Rio Open tennis event. http://www.cheapmapleleafsjerseys.com/?t...x-potvin-jersey. She still remembers the massive roar of the home crowd when the Canadians walked out on the pitch before 47,784 fans at Commonwealth Stadium in 2002. Lang expects a similar reception for the Canadian team as the host nation at this years tournament, which begins Tuesday. George Armstrong Jersey . He says he will have the operation Wednesday and be ready in time for training camp in September. Bernier missed five games in March due to the injury. Bobby Baun Jersey .C. - The Panthers will be without starting defensive tackle Star Lotulelei for Saturday nights NFC divisional playoff game against Seattle after undergoing surgery Wednesday to repair a broken bone in his foot. CHONBURI, Thailand -- Anna Nordqvist made two late bogeys at the rainy LPGA Thailand, leaving her a stroke ahead Friday after the second round. The Swede shot an even-par 72 to remain 6 under. Germanys Sandra Gal, Paraguays Julieta Granada and Spains Azahara Munoz were tied for second. The players got a break from the usual hot, humid conditions, with the temperature only reaching the 70s the first two days at Siam Country Club. "I think we all expected it to be warmer," said Nordqvist, also a stroke ahead Thursday after opening with a 66. "Today with a little bit of rain and overcast it felt like I still had a lot of the energy leaving the 18th green." Nordqvist bogeyed Nos. 16 and 18. She had three birdies and three bogeys. "There were some tough pins out there," Nordqvist said. "A lot of them were on ridges, and I felt like I hit a lot of good shots and kept spinning off the ridges. Not much you can do. Felt like I hit it solid. A little disappointed to finish with a bogey on the last. "Overall, been hitting it great. Today, I felt like all things were good. Just couldnt get any putts to drop." The 26-year-old Nordqvist is winless since the 2009 LPGA Championship. "This is a position I been practicing to be in," Nordqvist said. "Halfway through and there are 36 more holes, but Im happy with the way Im playing. Hopefully, can make a couple more putts over the weekend and that should take care of it." Munoz and Grranada shot 68, and Gal had a 70.dddddddddddd Granada had a bogey-free round. "I holed out twice with lob shots, so that was nice," Granada said. "It was very welcome." Gal had three birdies and a bogey. "I didnt change my game plan, but it was just playing longer," Gal said. "Some of the pins were quite tough today, tucked in corners where you usually you just would go for the middle of the green. And then on top of that, you would have maybe one or two putts more because you just dont get any roll." Americans Stacy Lewis and Michelle Wie were 4 under. The third-ranked Lewis had seven birdies and four bogeys in a 69. Wie shot 73. Light showers in the morning left the greens and fairways softer than usual. "Just had the rain to start and just changed the way the golf course played," Lewis said. "Kind of took me a couple holes to adjust to that. Once I did, I hit some good shots. You just had to be a lot more aggressive, fly back to holes we normally cant do that. Just played completely different than it ever has. ... "There were a lot of back pins today, so it was hard to get the ball to stay up on those back shelves and get yourself to fly them all the way back there." Top-ranked Inbee Park, the defending champion who is making her first start of the year, was 2 under after a 71. Second-ranked Suzann Pettersen and No. 4 Lydia Ko also were 2 under. Pettersen had a 73 and the 16-year-old Ko shot 70. ' ' '