SOCHI, Russia – Gabriel Landeskog was a 13-year-old kid in Stockholm standing on his couch and cheering emphatically when Henrik Lundqvist helped secure gold for the Swedes at the 2006 Olympics in Italy.
Wholesale NFL Jerseys . "My dad was kind of yelling at me to sit down and relax," recalled Landeskog, now 21 and a member of the Swedish Olympic squad here in Sochi. "Im like what do you mean, sit down and relax? We just won the Olympics!" Prominent in those memories for the budding Colorado Avalanche captain was the performance of a then-23-year-old Lundqvist, who stopped 25 shots in the final with Finland, preserving the second Olympic gold for Sweden. "He pretty much singlehandedly won that final game," said Landeskog of the 3-2 victory. Hes known as the King and stands as perhaps the biggest obstacle to a gold repeat for Team Canada at these Olympics. Not only the face and cornerstone of the New York Rangers and one of the top goaltenders in the NHL, Lundqvist makes a strong case as one of the best Olympic goaltenders ever and a major obstacle for the Canadians in Sundays 94 gold medal rematch with Sweden. "Hes a tough guy to beat," said Rick Nash, a teammate of Lundqvist with the Rangers, but an opponent with gold on the line. Unbeaten in Russia (5-0-0), Lundqvist enters the afternoon affair at Bolshoy Ice Dome with the second-most career wins by an Olympic goaltender – trailing only the great Vladislav Tretiak with 17 – and the second-best career goals against average (1.71). He made 25 saves Friday, including all eight in the final frame, to preserve victory for the Swedes in their semifinal matchup with Finland. "Hank has been playing unbelievable for us," said Erik Karlsson afterward. "In that part, we feel pretty confident." And in a one game scenario for all the marbles that can be the difference. Sweden may not boast anywhere near the talent of Canada – especially with injuries to Henrik Sedin, Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen – but they might not need it if Lundqvist delivers a masterpiece. "He can stand on his head for us," said captain Nicklas Kronwall. "Thatd be good." Led by Carey Price, who has sizzled in his first test on the Olympic stage, the Canadians have had no trouble defending here in Russia, but scoring has been another matter. They managed (and ultimately needed) just a single marker against Jonathan Quick and the Americans in the semifinal and have scored a mere four goals in the past nine regulation periods. Chances have been aplenty, but few have ended up in the back of the net, a concern when Lundqvist lies on the horizon at the top of his game. "I get to see him every day," said Nash of the soon-to-be 31-year-old, a winner in 12 of 14 Olympic starts. "Hes a guy that plays kind of a different style – deep in his net. Hes a tough guy to figure out even when you shoot on him every day. He doesnt play like regular goalies." And he seemingly doesnt prepare like regular goalies either. Swedish teammates have been struck by the preparation of the 2012 Vezina Trophy winner. "Im really impressed the way he prepares for the games off the ice and how hes mentally prepared for each game," said Niklas Hjalmarsson. "To see his preparation has been pretty impressive and the way hes been playing has obviously helped our team a lot." "You dont want to bother him game-days," Jonathan Ericsson observed. "You see that hes in his own bubble." Ericsson described Lundqvist as "standing, focusing and doing his own thing". Winning 10 of his final 14 starts with the Rangers before the Olympic break with a sparkling .937 save percentage, Lundqvist has picked up right where he left off in Sochi, stopping 117 of 123 shots in a perfect run for Sweden. He is a barrier that Canada will have to overcome to claim a second consecutive gold and third in the past four Olympics. "He makes saves that you think you have an open net and he finds a way to smother that puck," said Patrick Sharp. "Hes definitely a guy thats going to be key for them."
Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Louis Cardinals. J.J. Hardy hit two of the Orioles season-high six home runs, and Baltimore cruised to a 12-2 victory Friday night to move a season-high 17 games over .500. It was a rare blowout for the Orioles, who scored three runs or fewer in 11 of their 20 previous games and have played 63 games decided by one or two runs.
Cheap Jerseys From China Online . Ames was unanimously named for induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday, becoming the 74th member of the countrys golfs shrine.Mario Balotelli - Italy (Forward) Mario Balotelli has popped the question in Brazil, and it wasnt "why always me?" Super Mario has never been short on theatrics, so it shouldnt come as a huge surprise to hear that the 23 year old Italian striker waited until the beginning of the World Cup to propose to his girlfriend. Balotelli posted a picture of the engagement ring, along with a photo of the location where the Italian team is believed to be staying in Brazil. While it will definitely be interesting to see Balotellis performance on the field, it may be even more exciting to see what the enigmatic striker is up to off of the field. Neymar Jr - Brazil (Forward) Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may be the biggest players in the world, but make no mistake, when they come to Brazil theyll be playing second fiddle to the hometown hero Neymar Jr. The weight of an entire nation may be resting on Neymars shoulders, but you certainly wouldnt be able to tell that from his Instagram posts. The Brazilian wonder boy seems to be enjoying the all of the fanfare, giftts, and good times that come with being viewed as a national treasure.
Cheap Jerseys. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - England (Forward) Even if Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain ends up missing the entire group stage with his knee injury, hes shown he has what it takes for another position; team photographer. The 20 year old English winger has an impressive Instagram portfolio that shows great chemistry between some of the young three lions players. Official FIFA World Cup Account Alright, so this one isnt a player, but believe us the official FIFA Instagram account is well worth the following. This will be the first World Cup where Instagram will have a strong presence during the tournament, and the official FIFA account perfectly exemplifies why social media is so awesome. No other account will show you the beautiful sights on the streets and in the stadiums of Brazil quite like this one. You may be thosands of miles away from the worlds biggest footy festival, but with these five accounts it will feel like its taking place right in your own backyard.
cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '