If the men's hockey team loses, run for cover

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One thing can save these Olympics: a Canadian victory over Russia in the hockey final. Ideally, it will be preceded by a blowout of the Americans. And given the media pummelling our Games are taking from the pompous Brits, it's too bad they aren't playing. We'd blast them 50-0.

The Brits, who are next to host the Olympics, have become increasingly deficient at sport as time has progressed. Now they're left to take swipes at those on the rise, such as this country, although you wouldn't know it from our look in these Games.

By now, the litany of what went wrong is familiar. At the opening ceremonies, everything looked fine when that giant illuminated bear arose from the tarmac and happily made his way to the centre of the arena. He was a joy to behold. But then came the stuff that even the Brits had good reason to castigate.

The torch-lighting ceremonies were tawdry. This was supposed to be the pinnacle moment, but the hydraulic lifts malfunctioned and Wayne Gretzky was left standing there, looking bored. Then one of the giant arms didn't elevate and only three torches were lit. After this anticlimax, there was another one. Gretzky rode through town on the back of a truck with a bunch of drunks pulling at the fenders. He made his way through the barbed wire at the torch site where, trying to show more exuberance, he lit the thing in the rain.

It's hard to imagine a tougher break at any Olympics than seeing an athlete killed on opening day. Sympathy for that and the weather goes to Vancouver. But the tone that set only added to the problems. Good, old modest Canada came off as arrogant. At the opening ceremonies and elsewhere, it seemed like we were pushing the idea that we are great. It didn't feel right. Predictions were made for as many as 30 medals and nine golds. While it's good to show pride, it's better to leave self-congratulation to the end of the Games, when the results are in. You don't know how the athletes will perform. You don't know that your ice guy at the oval won't be able to make good ice. You don't know that some days, you might be wearing Bermuda shorts.

There is a lot of time to turn things around. But if the men's hockey team loses, run for cover. There's been such a buildup. The sporting press has gone into overdrive telling Canadians that they are defined by hockey, that it's in their soul and blood. It's overdone. While we move nicely on blades and can wield sticks, some might prefer to think of other attributes as our essence.

But the hockey drum is beating and pride is at stake. We could well lose - the Russians have a front-loaded team that can score on a whim. They also have an emotional ingredient to their game that was missing for so long. In the days of the Soviet Union, they played as a collective, in quiet, circling rhythms with passionless precision. The puck carrier is the servant of the other players, Soviet coaches instructed their teams. As a collective, they were short on leadership and lacked killer instinct.

Canadians often beat them for those reasons, but we no longer have the advantage. Russians have learned the Canadian style and blended it with their superior skating skills. There's no better example than Alex Ovechkin, whose volcanic talent is complemented by physical daring and a hot-dogging, in-your-face exuberance.

But while the Russians will be able to match Canadian intensity, Canadians will have the advantage in goal. While improved, Russian netminders can't be relied upon the way Canadians can in the clutch.

Russians also have a habit of caving to pressure in big games. Should Russia and Canada make it to the final, this game will be the biggest since the 1987 Canada Cup. Up against a more powerful scoring machine and something called Russian emotion, Canadians will need a break to win.

In these Olympics, we're due for one.