Russia's defeat deflates Games | The Salt Lake Tribune

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Having joked about Russian president Vladimir Putin immediately canceling the rest of the Games after the hockey team's quarterfinal loss to Finland, I'm quite disappointed myself.As I've said, there's nothing in the Winter Olympics quite like home-ice hockey, and I was really looking forward to Sunday's gold medal game - presumably, between Russia and the USA or Canada. Now, the final matchup will be pretty anticlimactic, regardless of who's playing. I'll never forget watching last year's gold medal game. Canada capped a great overall Olympic performance, both in terms of athletic performance and staging the Games, with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Americans. The atmosphere was incredible and the ensuing celebration was even better to witness. I wanted to be part of something similar Sunday, but the Russians could not come through Wednesday in a 3-1 loss to Finland. The defeat certainly dampens the mood in Sochi. - Kurt Kragthorpe