Kings Olympic Day 7 Preview: Doughty, Kuemper, Kempe and Armia Look To Get Their Nation Into The Semi-Finals
· Yahoo Sports
Day 6 Olympic hockey was the first set of games in which, if you lost, you were eliminated. Drew Doughty, Darcy Kuemper, and Team Canada had a bye in this round, as did Joel Armia and Team Finland. The only Kings player to play in the playoff round was Adrian Kempe. Kempe and Team Sweden faced off against Team Latvia, and in the end, it was Kempe and Sweden who advanced into the Quarter-Finals and will take on Team USA. Kempe scored Sweden's first goal of the tournament, his second of the tournament, and they never looked back, scoring 5 goals and advancing to the next round.
Czechia Vs Canada
The first matchup involving a Kings player is the Canada vs. Czechia matchup, which starts at 10:30 A.M. ET (4:30 P.M. local). This is the second time these teams have played each other, with the first on Day 2, when Canada defeated Czechia 5-0. With this game being a lose-and-you-go-home game, it is unlikely that Darcy Kuemper will be in goal for Canada, as he did not start in any of the previous 3 games.
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Drew Doughty, on the other hand, could be seeing the ice for a good amount of time as he has been increasing his minutes with each passing game. Doughty has been very strong and reliable for Team Canada, and on Sunday, he picked up his first point of the Olympics with an assist on Tom Wilson's goal.
Switzerland Vs Finland
Team Finland had the last bye into the Quarter-Finals and looks to advance to the Semi-Final round as they face Team Switzerland, which is coming off a 3-0 win over Italy. Joel Armia is having a fantastic tournament, tied for the team lead in points with 2 goals and 2 assists.
Finland has not played since Saturday, when they defeated Italy 11-0. Armia played 11:41 minutes and had a goal and an assist. Armia has played his role as a bottom-6 forward incredibly well, and while he may not receive the most ice time in this game, Kings fans will see him make meaningful plays when he is on the ice.
Sweden Vs USA
The last game of the Quarter-Finals is Sweden vs. USA, which starts at 3:00 P.M. ET (9:00 P.M. local). Sweden is coming off a 5-1 win over Latvia, in which Adrian Kempe scored the first goal. Kempe played 18 minutes in that game, and with the USA game being Team Sweden's biggest, I would expect to see Kempe play a very meaningful role in his team's biggest game.
Overall, tomorrow is a big day for Kings players as they all look to advance to the Semi-Final round. Canada, Finland, and Sweden all play today as they look to get one game closer to the Gold Medal game.