Sochi Olympic Hockey Semi Finals Update: Final: Canada wins 1:0 over USA. We have to keep Bieber--the agony of defeat! USA to play Finland for Bronze. Canada to play Sweden for gold.

The Canada-USA game is on Friday, February 21 at 12:00 p.m. ET; 11:00 a.m. CT; 9:00 a.m. PT

The Sweden-Finland game is of less interest to North Americans but is big for them.  Update: Sweden wins and will face winner of Canada USA game.  

Streaming info for Friday's Canada USA game

NBC Live Stream

Update: DrewM at Ace gives his analysis (which is well worth reading) and predicts USA win.
Canada up 1 in 2nd period, with about 13:30 left. Final:  Canada wins 1:0 over USA.  We have to keep Bieber--the agony of defeat!  

Sochi Mascot still reeling over Russia's elimination...

@Heisenbergkamp @JonahNRO Canada threatens to make us keep Bieber if they win #Sochi hockey SF: 54°40' or fight! @rsmccain @instapundit
— Evi L. Bloggerlady (@MsEBL) February 20, 2014

Canada got our chick hockey gold medal, but AMERICA got their @MarkSteynOnline!!! haw haw! #USA! #USA!!
— MaidanMexy (@SooperMexican) February 20, 2014

Sochi Men's Hockey Quarter Finals: Canada and USA games start time 12:00 ET Update: USA and Canada to face one another in semi finals. Sweden and Finland also advance to SF.

Here are the playoff brackets again.  Russia is out, falling to Finland. Sweden is in, crushing Slovenia.  

Links to watch the USA and Canda games live.  (which begin shortly)

Canada vs. Latvia: 12 p.m. ET (MSNBC) – CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE

United States vs. Czech Republic: 12 p.m. ET (USA Network) – CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE

Update:
Canada Lativa 1:1 in the 2nd Period, about 8 minutes left (2nd over now)
USA Czech are 4:1 in the 2nd Period, about 10 minutes left (2nd over now).
Russia's Alex Ovechkin on elimination:  "It sucks, what else can I say..."
Blogmocracy has a hockey open thread.
Canada just scored so it is up 2:1 with about 7 minutes in the 3rd Period. Canada wins 2:1. 
USA is up 5:2 with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd.  USA wins in QF over Czechs, 5:2.  

Sochi Olympic Hockey Brackets

I assume this means the losers of the QF play for Bronze and the finalists play for Silver and Gold...

Update:
No easy road (for anyone) for men's hockey gold...
USA and Canada to play for women's hockey gold...
Where and when to watch the Quarter Final Games...

At 3:00 a.m. EST, Slovenia will play Sweden, and at 7:30 a.m. EST, Russia will play Finland. Both games will be televised on NBCSN.
In the bottom half of the bracket:

Slovenia falls to Sweden 
Russians fall to Finland (ouch)

At 12:00 p.m. EST, Latvia will play Canada while the Czech Republic will play the United States. The Canada game will be televised on MSNBC, the U.S. game on USA.
The winners of each game will move on to Friday's semifinals, and the gold medal game will be held on Sunday.

Sochi Olympic Hockey: Team USA just beat Team Russia

Shoot Out Finish! Oshie scores to give USA a 3-2 victory!

Victory!

This is a big deal (the Russians really wanted to win it all and especially pay us back for the Miracle on Ice).

NBC did not bother to air it live.

NY Times has this to say...  And the NY Post had this...

The Russians have not had a good week when it comes to skating...

And we think NFL refs fear for their lives RT @sportstalkmatt What?!!!! On my!! Putin is going to kill every ref in this game
— Fitzy (@FitzyGFY) February 15, 2014

TJ OSHIE AND JONATHAN QUICK YOU MAGNIFICENT AMERICAN BASTARDS!!!
— Fitzy (@FitzyGFY) February 15, 2014

NBC's cross dressing figure skating commentator Johnny Weir, and if you have an issue with it you must be a H8er! With bonus Tara Lipinski Rule 5

NBC's Johnny Weir[d]: Trying to score a cuddle with Vladimir Putin with clothes and jewelry it looks like he took from his mom's closet...

X-dressing Soviet.  Johnny is a passive activist

Stealing from Stanley Tucci's Hunger Game character
Ceasar Flickerman was not one of the "good guys" in that movie, but don't let that get in the way of being fabulous!

Sorry Johnny, Vlad likes...ummmm...leopards.  

Despite the emerging consensus, never let a Rule 5 opportunity go to waste, so here is the lovely Tara Lipinski (sorry Johnny your co-commentator would look better in your ensemble).

Canadian Rule 5 Sochi Olympics

You can't help but like Team Canada!

The Dufour Lapointe Sisters, skiing

Melissa Hollingsworth, Skeleton

Melissa Hollingsworth, Skeleton

Arianne Jones, Luge

Arianne Jones, Luge

Heather Moyse, Bobsled

Tessa Virtue, Figure Skating

Sochi Olympic Rule 5

There is just so much Rule 5 opportunity at the Sochi Olympics.  And here is another post.

Kiira Korpa, Finland, Figure Skating

Anna Sidorova, Russia, Curling

Chemmy Alcott, Great Britain, Alpine Skiing

Anni Friesinger, Germany, Speed Skater

Clair Bidez, USA, Snowboard Half Pipe

Here are some more Clair Bidez shots.  

Tina Maze Team Slovania Rule 5

Tina Maze, Team Slovenia, Alpine Skiing, Rule 5

Sochi Olympic Russian Rule 5 with bonus Bob Costas Rant

Team Russia is not shy in showing a more sexual side of things...stop judging them!

And we have NBC telling us that the whole Communist thing was just "modern history’s pivotal experiments"?  Someone should remind Bob Costas about the death toll under Lenin and Stalin.  

Can pink eye cause brain damage?

Update: Now it is both eyes!

If that poser Costas ever dares lecture us again on guns or social issues, someone should bitch slap him.  

She should be careful she does not poke Bob Costas in the eye...

More Sochi Olympics Team USA Rule 5

I was intending more posts all this week, but Aridog demanded this one right away!

Mikaela Shiffrin, alpine skiing:

Aja Evans, bobsled and skeleton:

Julie Chu, hockey: