Watch 2010 Winter Olympics: CANADA vs SLOVAKIA Ice Hockey Semi-Finals (Live Video Stream)

The CANADA vs SLOVAKIA 2010 Olympic Hockey semi-final game is scheduled this Friday February 26, 2010 at around 9:30 PM EST at the Canada Hockey Place, UBC Thunderbird Arena.

Canada is back on track as the country’s dream of men’s ice hockey Olympic gold received a jolt of confidence with a ruthless and an electrifying 7-3 win over arch-rivals Russia on Wednesday.

Canada’s gold medal mission has come into sharper focus with only the tournament surprise package ninth-ranked Slovakia standing between the hockey crazed nation this friday.

After Canada brought the top-ranked Russians to the exit, Slovakia took to the ice, pulled of the biggest upset and delivered the shock of the Vancouver Olympic tournament knocking off reigning champions Sweden 4-3 in a quarter-final thriller on Wednesday to advance to the men’s semi-finals. Tomas Kopecky put in the winning goal past a sprawling Swedish goalie Henrik Lundqvist in the third period to set Slovakia on the way to a showdown with Canada in the next round that few people expected.

“They (Canada) play at home and they are really going to come out hard,” Slovakian forward Marian Gaborik told reporters. “The most important thing is going to be the first 20 minutes of the game because they are going to come out hard and everyone knows that.

A few days ago Canadian confidence was shaken by a surprise loss to the United States that plunged the Great White North into a fit of fretting.

Their backs pressed to the wall and facing elimination for the second straight day, Canada responded the same way they did 24 hours earlier in a qualification game against Germany with a ruthless all out attacking display. While Canada’s 8-2 thrashing of the Germans was expected the mugging delivered to the world champions was not.

You can watch CANADA vs SLOVAKIA Hockey Live 9:30 p.m. EST on MSNBC.

UPDATE: Canada routs Slovakia 3-2 to advance in the Men’s Ice Hockey Finals for the Gold Medal showdown against USA.

Game Recap

Canada set the stage for an explosive end to the Vancouver Games, taming the Slovakian giantkillers 3-2 on Friday to reach the Olympic men’s ice hockey final and a showdown with the United States.

It will mark the second time in three Winter Games that the North American rivals have clashed for the gold medal hockey mad Canadians covet more than any other.

Slovakia arrived in the semi-finals as the surprise packages after upsetting Russia in the preliminary round and delivering the shock of the tournament by knocking off reigning champions Sweden in the quarter-finals.

Canada jumped out to a 3-0 lead on goals from Patrick Marleau, Brenden Morrow and Ryan Getzlaf but the Slovakians threatened to claim their biggest scalp yet with two late third-period goals to set up a nail-biting finish.

Slovakia stormed the Canadian goal in the final minutes but the hosts grimly held on for victory.

Finland, 6-1 losers to the United States in the other semi-final, will play Slovakia for the bronze. (Source)