Gold Medal Favorite Canada Routs Austria

Canada’s Olympic hockey team showed on Friday that it is the team to beat in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. With the NHL on hiatus for 15 days, all eyes are focused on Sochi. Roberto Luongo earned another shutout for Canada with a 6-0 win over Austria.

Luongo knows much more is needed from him and his fellow Canadian teammates if they want to win gold. Jeff Carter scored three straight goals for Canada during the second period, while Luongo stopped all 23 shots on net.

The win gave Canada a commanding lead in its preliminary round in the Olympic Hockey tournament.

Ryan Getzlaf and Shea Weber each scored one goal and added an assists in the second win for Canada in as many nights. The team’s lineup of NHL stars rolled over an Austrian team with 46 shots, throwing waves of attacking offense at the Austrian goal. Drew Doughty scored first for Canada in the first period.

Carter then showed his talent by recording a hat trick over a period of 11:54 during the second period.

Carter played with Sidney Crosby during the first game, but for game two Carter played as the spare forward in a four-line lineup. The goal scorer from the Los Angeles Kings took advantage of the situation by camping out near the net and scoring all of his three goals on short shots.

Luongo, who was unbeaten four years ago for Canada in the Vancouver Olympics, was tested on a number of occasions. With his unbeaten streak four years ago in Canada’s gold medal win, Luongo is new 7-1 and has 2 shutouts in his Olympic career. This is Luongo’s third trip to the Olympics.

Carey Price was the starter in goal for Canada in their first game. However, Mike Babcock, the team coach has not said who the starter will be in goal when Canada faces Finland.

With such a strong offense that Canada possess, the goaltending might not mean much until next week’s semifinals.

Michael Grabner, who scored a hat trick for Austria in its opener, said Canada is so deep that they could field five teams with just the players they left back in Canada.

Canada, in its 3-1 win on Thursday over Norway did not score during the opening period. However, five minutes into the second period Doughty scored. The defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings hit a long wrist shot that made its way through traffic to the goal.

Weber then was given a drop pass and fired the hardest slap shot the NHL has into the net. The puck entered and exited the net with such quickness the goal light did not turn on. However, the officials on the ice saw what many fans did not.

Following the third goal for Carter, fans from Canada threw hats onto the ice.

The Canadian bench is so deep, with such talent, there is no wonder that the names of the top superstars, such as Crosby are not being as called as often.