March 12 was a big day for Avalanche announcements. In the same post-practice press conference, it was announced that the Avalanche locked up backup goalie Pavel Francouz, defenseman Samuel Girard is out for the next four weeks, and that Captain Gabriel Landeskog is having knee surgery.
Read MoreThe Avalanche only cooled down slightly in February going 7-2-1 in their 10 games. They snapped their home winning streak in a shootout loss to the 31st place Arizona Coyotes. So, let’s look back at this short month: the good, the bad and the ugly.
Read MoreTeam Canada is once again a gold medalist in women’s hockey. They defeated team USA in the final 3-2 to win the gold. It was a truly epic game and the crown jewel of these Olympic games for hockey fans or Canadians and Americans alike. It is true best-on-best as the most talented players in the world faced off.
There were incredible stories going into this game. Sarah Nurse is the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in ice hockey. Nurse also broke Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser’s record for most points in an Olympic tournament scoring 18 points in 7 games. Marie-Philip Poulin scored two goals in this game alone and now has three “golden goals.” She became the only Canadian to score in four different gold medal deciding games. On the American side, Alex Cavelleni was unsure she would even play after she suffered an MCL injury. Now she is an Olympic silver medalist.
Canada’s first three goals came from the record-breaking women with Nurse and Poulin both scoring in the first period. Then Poulin scored early in the second period. Team USA answered back with a short-handed goal by Hilary Knight in the second and a power play goal in the third from Amanda Kessel. It wasn’t enough, though; despite team USA’s ability to get 40 shots on goal and their execution on the special teams, they just weren’t able to beat Ann-Renée Desbiens or stop the Canadian offense.
This was likely one of the best Canadian women’s hockey teams in history. Their offense was unstoppable, their goaltending was a brick wall, and their special teams operated at peak performance. Even though team USA put up a fight, team Canada’s incredible talent was inevitable. However, no American should be discouraged by this loss. Team USA was still unbelievable, and they almost gave the best women’s team in recent Canadian history a run for their money. The game was close, and they held that tremendous offense to three goals and 21 shots. This was the clash of the titans, and even though the USA showed how talented of a team they are, they fell just short to the Canadians.
The Canadian women’s team are gold medalists once again. Team USA and team Finland walked away with silver and bronze, respectively. It is a victory for all three teams but, on a grander scale, a victory for women’s hockey, a sport that is ignored or maligned often. Women’s hockey is a fantastic sport that deserves attention beyond the Olympics and into the season.
February 10 was the first set of women's quarter-finals games; it included the match-ups of USA vs. Czechia and Canada vs. Sweden. Team USA and eam Canada are the favorites to make the finals this year, and they are both on track to do just that as they are both advancing to the semi-finals.
Team USA beat Czechia 4-1 after the game was held at 1-1 for the first two periods. Despite only beating Czechia by three goals, they had 58 shots to Czechia's six shots on goal. The defense was excellent on team USA's part, holding team Czechia to single-digit shots. Czechia's goalie, Klára Peslarová, was incredible, blocking 54 out of 58 shots. She kept her team in the game for two whole periods, and Czechia almost pulled a huge upset. Czechia opened up the scoring with Michaela Pejzlova scoring the game's first goal. However, the USA didn't let their scoring frustrations stop them. They responded with four unanswered goals; Hilary Knight, Lee Stecklein, Savannah Harmon, and Kendall Coyne Schofield all contributed to the final score.
Canada beat team Sweden 11-0. Both Sarah Fillier and Brianne Jenner had hat tricks as they absolutely wrecked Sweden. The final shot count was 56-11 in favor of Canada. Besides the six goals from Fillier and Jenner; Jamie Lee Rattray, Natalie Spooner, Emily Clark, Erin Ambrose, and Blyre Turnbull all scored in addition to the dual hat tricks. Canada's offense is still excellent. Their defense was also on fire as they limited Sweden to only 11 shots and the goaltending held up despite not getting much action. It was a convincing shutout win for team Canada, but nothing out of the ordinary for the Canadian women's team that has been scoring prolifically since the Olympics began.
There have been no upsets in the first few games of the Quarterfinals. Even though Czechia put up a fight, USA and Canada both demonstrate why they are the favorites to win. However, Czechia and specifically Peslarová should be incredibly proud. They gave team USA fans a scare and proved how far women's hockey has grown internationally. With time and investment, these international programs will only continue to get stronger, and the days of the dominant USA and Canada might be challenged. For now, the two superpowers reign supreme as they advance into the semi-finals.
Semi-Final Match-Ups:
Canada vs. Switzerland
USA vs. Finland
By Maeve Hushman, Staff Writer
Olympic Women’s hockey is one of the best sports in the winter Olympics and no, you will never change my mind. As a seldom patriotic person, nothing makes me chant USA like the United States women’s hockey team. Team USA is the defending gold medalist with Canada, the other top women’s hockey power, losing out in the shootout in the finals in PyeongChang. Now, Canada is coming for the United State’s Gold and the United States wants to defend it. However, while team USA and Canada are the main focus of this recap, there have been a lot of big stories in women’s hockey this year. Denmark for the first time ever has a women’s hockey team. China has returned to the women’s hockey competition for the first time since 2010.
The preliminary round is over and here is how the two top teams in the tournament did.
Day 1:
Canada vs. Switzerland
Canada Wins!
Final Score: 12-1
Shot count: Canada: 70 Switzerland: 15
Goalscorers:
Canada: Blayre Turnbull (2), Natalie Spooner (2), Sarah Fillier (2), Laura Stacey (2), Claire Thompson (1), Rebecca Johnston (1), Ashton Bell (1), Erin Ambrose (1)
Switzerland: Lara Stalder (1)
Takeaways: Canada is incredible. 70 shots and 12 goals are awe-inspiring. Last Winter Olympics, the Canadian team took silver after losing to Team USA in the shootout. This year they seem intent on showing off that they have the caliber team to challenge the reigning champion, USA, for that gold medal. Also, Sarah Fillier certainly doesn't look like a first-time Olympian or the youngest on her team.
Day 2:
USA vs. Finland
USA Wins!
Score: 5-2
Shot count: 52-12
Goal Scorers:
USA: Kendall Coyne-Schofield (2), Alex Carpenter (2), Amanda Kessel (1)
Finland: Susanna Tapani (2)
Takeaways: Even though they didn't score 12, the USA without Brianna Decker (who was injured at the beginning of the game) still dominated it. Team USA is 7-0 in Olympic opening games. They limited Finland to only 5 shots in the 1st period, 1 in the 2nd, and 6 in the third. Their speed was incredible, and their defense was just as impressive with their offense 5 on 5 as both of Finland's goals came on the power play. Team USA handily beat the third-place team in the world, establishing themselves again as the reigning champions and team to win this Olympics in Beijing.
Day 3:
Canada v Finland
Canada Wins!
Score: 11-1
Shot Count: Canada: 48 Finland: 29
Goal Scorers:
Canada: Sarah Nurse (3), Brianne Jenner (3), Laura Stacey (2), Sarah Fillier (2), Jamie Lee Rattray (1)
Finland: Minnamari Tuominen (1),
Takeaways: Team Canada is a wagon. They are the biggest threat and rival to team USA, and yet how can you not love watching them regardless of nationality? They are offensively dominant, and they absolutely control whatever ice surface they are on. However, while the Canadians beat Finland by a greater score than the United States, the USA held Finland to only 12 shots. Compared to the American’s shot count, the shot count indicates that Canada plays a much more open game that allows them to generate offense at such an impressive rate, but not be as dominant on the shot clock. Finland is really looking for that bronze spot after being absolutely stomped by both the USA and Canada.
Day 4:
USA vs. Russia Olympic Committee (ROC)
USA Wins!
Score: 5-0
Shot Count: USA: 62 ROC: 12
Goal Scorers:
USA: Savannah Harmon (1), Hilary Knight (1), Grace Zumwinkle (1), Jesse Compher (1), Alex Carpenter (1)
ROC: N/A
Takeaways: The USA scored five goals from five players and kept ROC limited to 12 shots on goal. This USA team is incredibly deep and incredibly well rounded, being solid on offense and defense. They play a gritty and tiring physical game and have more speed and skill than many other teams in the tournament. Jesse Compher scored her first-ever Olympic goal in this game, showing that the young guns and the stars can put up points for team USA. In their game against Switzerland, ROC got a lot of their goals in tight to the net; the USA prevented them from finding that space, keeping the shot and goal count low for the ROC. Nicole Hensley also posted a shutout, an awe-inspiring feat on the world stage. It was an excellent game for the USA.
Day 5:
USA vs. Switzerland
USA Wins!
Score: 8-0
Shot Count: USA: 66 Switzerland: 12
Goal Scorers:
USA: Hilary Knight (2), Jesse Compher (2), Kelly Pannek (2), Amanda Kessel (1), Dani Cameranesi (1)
Switzerland: N/A
Takeaways: The USA posted back-to-back shutouts with two different goalies, against the ROC with Nicole Hensley and against Switzerland with Alex Cavallini. Part of that success has to be attributed to the USA’s defensive efforts; they have not allowed more than 12 shots against in the entire tournament. They had three different players with 2 goal nights, including Jesse Compher, who scored her first Olympic goal last game. It says impressive things about the United States offensive depth, especially after losing Brianna Decker to injury for the rest of the tournament. They scored twice in nine seconds to make the game 3-0 in the first. Switzerland has not registered a win yet in the tournament and has suffered two brutal losses at the hands of the USA and Canada. Even against the ROC, the Swiss, despite only being outshot by one, lost 5-2.
Canada vs. ROC
Canada Wins!
Score: 6-1
Shot Count: Canada: 49 ROC: 12
Goal Scorers:
Canada: Sarah Nurse (1), Sarah Fillier (1), Jamie Lee Rattray (1), Erin Ambrose (1), Rebecca Johnston (1), Marie-Philip Poulin (1)
ROC: Anna Shokhina (1)
Takeaways: This game was delayed because team ROC failed to produce their Covid-19 results. Due to this failure, the game was played in masks. That just added to the intense difficulty of the highest level of international hockey. Canada continues their dominance in women’s hockey with this victory tying the USA for first with a record 3-0. This victory is significant since the Toronto Star the same day published an abomination of a click-bate article that declared women’s hockey unworthy of being in the Olympics. Team Canada continues to prove how talented and deserving women’s hockey players are, and continues the pattern of beating the same teams as the USA by a greater score, but the other team has managed to either score more or get more shots. Canada only allowed 12 shots like the USA, but they also didn’t get a shutout like team USA. This suggests that the USA plays a tighter defensive style to Canada’s more open offensive style, which comes in waves. The ROC needs to pick up their play if they want a shot at bronze.
USA vs. Canada
Canada wins!
Score: 4-2
Shot Count: Canada: 27 USA: 53
Goal Scorers:
Canada: Brianne Jenner (2), Jamie Lee Rattray (1), Marie-Philip Poulin (1)
USA: Dani Cameranesi (1), Alex Carpenter (1)
Takeaways: Whenever these two teams’ showdown, it is epic. This game was fast-paced and loaded with talent. However, team USA was goalied. Canada’s goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens made 51 saves. The USA dominated the first period, outshooting Canada 16-6, but for most of the period it was 13-2. Yet, Canada went into the second period with the lead because of a power play goal. Canada's special teams are incredible and are rolling. They are 94% on the penalty kill and 50% on the power play. That and goaltending were the significant factors. Maddie Rooney (USA's goaltender) and USA's penalty kill couldn't stop Canada on the power play. Desbiens stopped almost everything the USA threw at her. Rooney has a winning record against team Canada, so it is understandable why she started, but it is a bit shocking that they didn't ride one of the two goalies who got shutouts in the past two games. Granted those goalies only faced 12 shots, but usually, the hot goalie gets the start. Rooney was the only USA goalie to not get a shutout before this game, and she was absolutely outplayed by Desbiens.
Once every four years, the world turns into figure skating fans, and I am definitely among them. Yes, I will admit it, I love figure skating. Since I was little, I have been absolutely obsessed with Olympic figure skating. I would watch, my eyes locked to the screen, as these men and women flew across the ice and launched themselves into the air, all to the backdrop of a carefully curated soundtrack. Like many, I was specifically amazed by the Russian ice skaters. They were always so talented and young, making them relatable to me, a kid, when watching. The Russian women dominated and skated so beautifully that I was immediately captivated. It got to the point where I would actively root for Russia in all figure skating events. Those young and talented Russian women who have ruled the Olympics and world for as long as I can remember were trained by esteemed yet controversial trainer Eteri Tutberidze.
Tutberidze has trained a whole fleet of champions, all of them achieving great success at a young age before their careers quickly came to an end. As soon as one figure skater is forced to retire, there is a new younger replacement, even better than the first right behind her. First, Yulia Lipnitskaya won team gold in 2014 at 15 years old; she retired at 19 due to injuries and an eating disorder. Then, there was the last Olympics projected it-girl Evgenia Medvedeva. She was a two-time world champion and a 2018 Olympic silver medalist. She was chronically injured and, at age 22, was no longer able to jump. Last Olympics gold medalist in the women's figure skating competition, Alina Zagitova, won the gold medal at 15 but stopped competing at 17.
Now there is the most recent group of Eteri trainees, and all three are Olympic front runners: Anna Scherbakova and Alexandra Trusova, aged 17 and the favorite to win gold, 15-year-old Kamila Valieva. Valieva stunned the world with her perfect Olympic debut like her predecessors before her. So what is the Eteri method? Why do the skaters who train with it wash out so quickly? And most importantly, does its short-term results justify the long-term costs?
Tutberidze has come under fire from fellow coaches and fans alike for disregarding athletes' long-term health in favor of winning awards. These skaters have what is referred to as the Eteri expiration date, meaning that by age 17 or 18, the techniques they are taught become unsustainable, and their injuries catch up with them forcing them to retire. Tutberidze's methods have been revolutionary, they have mainstreamed quad jumps in women's figure skating and created champions, but the techniques and styles taught are not sustainable. The quad jumps earn her students immense success in the short term, but while they win gold at 15, they are physically unable to compete at 20.
Tutberidze is quoted by Insider magazine as saying, "Girls should learn quads young when they are still light and agile," which is the crux of her strategy. Girls the age of the Eteri trainees have a better strength to weight ratio, allowing them to complete the problematic quad jumps. The harsh training and strict dietary/weight restrictions that Tutberdize places on her students often delay puberty for a while. These dietary restrictions have high negative costs as many former Eteri students have to retire due to complications from eating disorders. As Tutberidze's students age and mature, it takes more to complete the jumps. They push themselves to the physical brink risking severe injury to still compete at the same level, which is why many of Tutberidze's students are forced to retire at such a young age. They are trained to push themselves to the very edge, and then many of them are pushed too far. Medvedeva, a former student of Tutberidze, said that after she started training with a new coach, Canadian Brian Oser, she had to re-learn jumping technique, which shows how faulty the methods are. Medvedeva, at 18, had to learn a new technique because the kind taught to her by Tutberdize was not sustainable as she grew into an adult. Medvedeva returned to Tutberidze because of COVID-19 and eventually had to retire.
This year's group of Russian skaters are called the "Quad Squad" for their abilities to land a quad jump, the cornerstone jump of Tutberidze's technique. The first woman to ever use a quad jump in competition, Surya Bonaly, supported seeing more women competing with the jump but warned against the long-term costs of quads without the correct technique. Bonaly had to have hip surgery at 25 due to performing these treacherous jumps. She told Insider that "It's good to win medals, but you don't want to be traumatized for the rest of your life."
Valieva led team ROC to Gold in the team event this year and made history by landing a quad in the Olympics, yet she fell during her routine. Even though the fall did not impact the scoring at all, she appeared devastated. Every one of Tutberidze's students is expected to be infallible and perfect, so even when they make history, a fall can ruin it all for them. Tutberidze puts them in a pressure cooker, and it causes them all to eventually crack under those unrealistic expectations. It shows how much pressure these skaters are under and explains why they often suffer injuries from going too far to stay competitive.
Valieva was even willing to take performance enhancing drugs. The team medal ceremony was delayed, and it was announced that Valieva had tested positive for the drug trimetazidine, a heart and blood pressure medication which increases blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. It is classified by WADA as a performance-enhancing drug for its ability to increase endurance. The free skate program is difficult because of how long it is. Competitors get a boost in points if they complete a jump later in the program, so having an endurance advantage is very helpful to a figure skater in their programs. Considering that Valieva’s free skate was the one that broke records it is even more heart wrenching as those records may have been broken under false pretenses.
Even though her skaters' competitive window is so tiny, Tutberidze remains revered in the figure skating world. Why? Because she turned the Russian skating program into the powerhouse it is today. Before Tutberidze, the Russian women did not have the same dominance over the sport of figure skating that they do now. She turned the program into an international force, and that is where the debate comes in. Are long-term injuries and shortened careers worth the wins?
In the eyes of the country that is bringing home the gold, it is worth the risk to win. The Olympics are political in nature; it is about showing off your country's success, as evidenced in the performance of the athletes your country sends. The Netflix documentary Athlete A focuses on this phenomenon regarding the abusive culture and training of USA gymnastics and the Karolyis. The documentary shows how vicious the Karolyi training program was and how it started back in Romania but was brought to the USA. However, the documentary's most prominent message is that winning often comes before the athletes' well-being every time, especially on the international stage. Could Tutberidze be figuring skating's equivalent of the Kayrolis? Even if her methods are harmful in the long term, it seems unlikely Tutberidze will change or leave the sport. So long as Russia keeps sending their best and brightest to her and winning competitions, it seems doubtful that the Eteri expiration date or method will disappear.
The cost of winning is often debated, and in the case of Russia's dominant women's figure skating program, it is no different. Eteri Tutberidze has revolutionized figure skating, but that revolution has come at the expense of the longevity of those in her training. Scherbakova, Trusova, and Valieva may sweep the podium, but under Tutberidze's methods, it seems unlikely that they will even still be competing at the next Olympics. Like those before them, they are destined to be replaced by younger, better skaters once again after they are forced into early retirement.