Winter Olympic ice hockey: USA 3-2 Russia - as it happened!

Well, all I can say to your latter point is, at least from a live blogging perspective, I completely agree.

What a game though!

Quick vs Kovulchuk:

Quick goes down but Kovulchuk can’t get it over him! Now Oshie for the win!

Bobrovsky vs T.J. Oshie:

The Oshie show is stopped on a backhand!

This can’t be happening!

Quick vs Datsyuk:

And the Kings goalie makes a huge stop! Datsyuk tried to go five hole but is denied!

Now it’s down to Oshie!

Bobrovsky vs T.J. Oshie:

He does it again, going high to the right past Bobrovsky! We’re tied again! Can you believe it?

YES!

Quick vs Kovulchuk:

He uses the soft touch, slowlly lifting a beaten quick into the net - a smooth operator. No Oshie will be back again!

Bobrovsky vs T.J. Oshie:

How’s this for clutch - he loses control of the puck, put recovers to score! We are tied again and we have more shootout hockey from Sochi.

This is ridiculous.

Quick vs Datsyuk:

The Detroit Red Wings product sneaks it through in the corner past quick - now the USA need a goal now or it’s over!

Bobrovsky vs T.J. Oshie:

The Blues man fires high, way high, as in up into the rafters!

We continue!

Too much!

Quick vs Kovulchuk:

They go again with Kovulchuk but his shot is wide!!!!

Quick vs Kovulchuk:

The exNHLer now KHLer goes glove side top shelf and it’s a goal!

It’s tied, and now it’s sudden death!

Russians will go first.

Bobrovsky vs Pavelski:

Lots of dekes, no net! Huge save!

Last gasp for Russia to tie!

Quick vs Datsyuk:

The Russian tries to go wide but is denied!

That means Pavelski can win it next!

Bobrovsky vs JVR:

SAVE! Russia have a key stop!

Quick vs Malkin:

And Quick gets a piece of it as the Pens star tries to go high!

Still 1-0 USA!

Bobrovsky vs T.J. Oshie -

The Blues forward shoots across the Blue Jackets net minder, stick side - he scores!

Advantage USA!

It’s being resurfaced, which is sensible.

If this game is this tense for an opening round game that eliminates no one, what will it be like when the result sends someone home?

Another shootout tip from NBC, after the first three shooters, you can use whoever you want, even if they’ve already shot, unlike the NHL.

It’s the first shootout for Team USA, Russia lost to Slovakia in Vancouver in their lone shootout. Thanks to NBC for the tip.

Bobvorosky and Kane stop hearts on several continents before Ovechkin fires a shot saved by Quick!

There’s more, it’s Kane again, in front of the net, he shoots with the backhand but can’t raise the puck past Bobrovosky who makes a game-saving save!

KANE ON A BREAKAWAY! HE’S ALL ALONE!

SAVE SERGEI BOBROVOSKY!!!

Short handed shot by Datsyuk then Russia kill the penalty.

Russia should be walking out of here right now with a win if not for the net being displaced ever so slightly...we think. The USA will still have a power-play of 29 seconds when OT begins. There will be four Americans and three Russians on the ice at the start.

Bodies are flying all over the place, Ilya Kovalchuk fires a huge shot just wide. It’s frantic as time winds down!

Now the referee calls a penalty!! It’s on Yevgeni Medvedev who takes down Ryan Callahan - the USA have scored both their goals with a man advantage - what a finish!

Scoring note - Kevin Shattenkirk gets an assist along with Kane on the power play goal.

Now the USA are controlling the play and seem to be gaining confidence - Kane slips a pass to Pavelski again, narrowly missing the net - that was dangerous.

Back come Russia - Anisimov with a hard drive from point, just after Dustin Brown is penalized. Power play for the home team, a very important two minutes coming up.

Malkin with a dangerous shot in open ice - wide!

Radulov is penalized again! This time it’s for hooking Kane - man, this guy is in some serious trouble.

The word from over there via “lol lolik”

Watching it on Russian tv channel, sorry to disappoint few ppl, but Russians look at Americans as the big underdogs they even praising American team for putting a good fight, they all gaging for Canada.

Russia are controlling the puck - Malkin, a one timer - save Quick on a low shot! He prevents the puck from rebounding and covers up - USA kill another penalty! That’s got to get under the skin of the Russians - psychological edge with the States right now.

Pavel Datsyuk has time and space on the right side and shoots wide of Quick! He won’t misfire under those conditions often!

Get this, Dustin Brown, who Radulov took down in his infamous penalty gets called on a interference penalty after Atyushov flops! Russia right back on the power play!

No wonder the game is so fast!

Ovechkin fires a 1000 MPH shot into Ryan McDonagh who limps into the bench. Great masculine play by McDonagh there, but he certainly pays the price.

No shots for Russia on that power play, which is kind of crazy, especially when they had a fresh ice surface to work with .

Ladies and gentlemen, Drew Denmeade:

Live in LA California! Took the lady for a valentines getaway! Been up since 4 am watching them updates!!! Thanks for the love!!! Let’s put Russia away!!!!

Let’s here from some Russian readers - we really do need a Cyrillic Guardian.

Perhaps little surprise the first goal came from a line that includes Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk. Both have been of late two-thirds of one of the hottest lines in the NHL, with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With a little help from Radulov, whose ridiculous cross checking penalty on Dustin Brown singlehandedly undid a period in which Russia took the lead and more or less dominated. That may land him somewhere in Siberia if this doesn’t work out for the home team.

Time is running down, the puck is deep in the Russian zone, but they move it up ice quickly - Markov from the corner to Frolov, who feeds Radulov who shoots it wide! Quick may have touched the puck - after the shot, Kane hooks Tereshchenko meaning Russia will have an advantage when the third period starts.

Here comes Malkin skating in open ice down the left side - he dekes, left, right, but Oshie and Shattenkirk slow him down and Quick covers up!

Jobrenl123 says:

From Boston, PUTIN can put in that smile away, Boston Strong send you and USA their Best, Thank you for the updates

The world according to Busfield.

Alexander Radulov takes a ridiculous penalty, knocking down Dustin Brown, far away from the action opening the door for Team USA. Will they walk through it?

van Riemsdyk almost converts on a ridiculous move, protecting the puck while doing things with a stick I can only dream of.

This Russian power play is looking dangerous -- Canadian team manager, Steve Yzerman, is in the crowd. Probably he’s taking a lot of mental notes. He only needs one when it comes to Russia’s PP: don’t give them one.

There’s a lot of ice out there but neither team can work with it - an Ovechkin whiff and a Kane shot into the waffles of Bobrovsky is all the action we get during the four-on-four.

After some brief work on the ice, play resumes.

Tyutin and Backes get done for offsetting smack talking penalties (or cross checking)- four-on-four hockey coming up at Sochi.

Here come Team USA - Pavleski feeds van Riemsdyk, his backhand is saved by Bobrovsky!

On the power play, Russia hit the post and the crossbar, in between Ovechkin rifled a shot wide! Whoa! This is more like it! Great shift for Russia but a great kill for the USA, highlighted by a blocked shot by Ryan Kesler on Kovalchuk!

Kesler is leaving after taking that blow, which means Dan Bylsma will have some work to do in re-working his lines. Ouch.

It’s a slower pace to start here - icing calls, pucks into the stands, etc.

Russian crowd picking up now - and here comes Malkin who slings a shot after he whiffs on the puck the first time - Ovechkin deflects the puck but Quick is there to make the stop! That was a little something...here’s more.

Team USA, a three-on-two, Shattenkirk fires, right into Bob’s chest and he holds on.

Now a penalty! Max Pacioretty takes down Nichushkin!

The power play ends with the biggest threat a shot by Kevin Shattenkirk deflecting off a skate, so a ho hum start to the second period, the US, unable to take advantage of their first power play.

So Ilya Nikulin begins the second period in the box after his holding penalty at 19:23, meaning Team USA will have a man-advantage when we resume - or, depending on how many players Bylsma allows on the ice, we could be at even strength.

The Team USA defenseman was interviewed by NBC TV and he says there aren’t any issues communicating, which could mean that perhaps the Ice Dome isn’t the intimidating cauldron of fire you would expect behind the Iron Curtain. Martin says the pace is faster than the last one (Slovenia) which sure as heck makes sense considering the Ferrari’s that are on the ice for Russia, but Team USA are doing a fine job keeping it physical trying to slow it down. We saw some signs late from their offense, but overall the Russians have the shot advantage 13-10.

Alexander Frolov with a chance now, he tips a shot in front of the net that Quick saves!

Here comes Kessel on the other end - a little wrist shot, no problem for Sergei Bobrovsky.

Still scoreless inside the Ice Dome.

Pavel Datsyuk, a harmless backhand into Quick...but this is more serious.

Semin, skating on the right side, finds Malkin in front of the net, he shoots low, and a save by Quick! Russia thought they scored but play stops as the goalie is mobbed. Big stop there for the US!

Ovechkin fires from the point post-face off, it’s deflected wide of Quick, into the Swedish ref and it stops play. That was looking like a deadly sequence as the penalty wound down. Russia can’t convert on their first man advantage but are digging in and have the shot advantage 7-4.

Penalty! Blake Wheeler of the Jets takes down Ilya Kovalchuck and Russia have the first power play of the game. Let’s see what they can do with it.

...Russia aren’t skating any rings around Team USA, which was a possibility, albeit slim, with that extra wide space out there on the Euro-ice surface. It’s ultra competitive with both teams taking time out to let each other know how much they don’t like each other.

No huge opportunities so far, no mad scrambles in front of the net, no goalies on their heads. That will change. Stand by.

Jonathan Quick deals with a little test from Pavel Datsyuk, chest high - he holds on, preventing any second chance.

Ryan Callahan fires a shot high, a glove save there by Sergei Bobrovsky, and then the first extra curricular activities of the game - Callahan, Backes, Medvedev and a host of players exchange words. No penalties handed out - run of the mill general high level of intensity stuff there.

The Phil Kessel line get to work behind the Russian net looking to establish themselves as a threat.

Then the first Russian attack, a backhand shot from Valery Nichushkin gets their (red) blood flowing on offense.

No huge opportunities yet.

If anyone can bare being pumped up by Aerosmith, here’s a little historical highlight film of Team USA.

And now Russia - I can’t say for sure but this may, and I emphasize may, be a customized music track for the 2014 Olympic team.

Anyone who wants to confirm the origin of this Russian music track should feel free to tweet in to @lengeldavid or email david.lengel.freelance@theguardian.com

He missed more than a month of the Detroit Red Wings season with a “lower body injury”, but the Russian captain was on the ice against Slovenia but was shutout. Rumors of his being replaced caused a bit of a fuss but in the end were unfounded - still, if he is not 100% that must represent some kind of blow. How will his health impact his team against a more formidable opponent in the USA?

Note - this tweet is from before the Slovenia game.

Here is David Backes, Team USA and St Louis Blues forward:

We’d love to give something to our own generation of American hockey. That’s our motivation.

Now here’s a word from Team Russia alumnus Pavel Bure, via Izvstia and a google translation on how far the US program has come.

Americans are on the rise, so the fans should see a very interesting match. I can tell you that over the past 20 years the American Hockey made ​​a huge step forward. In the early 1990s during the Goodwill Games we beat the Americans with a score of 10:1. For us, they were considered an easy opponent.

Thanks for that Pavel, and of course, any mention of the Goodwill Games is always appreciated.