Take a ride on the Sochi rollercoaster
— -- SOCHI, Russia -- It began with breathless reports of broken-down hotel rooms, roving packs of dogs and the threat of terrorist attacks, and ended with more than two weeks of nonstop hockey, drama and, in some cases, heartbreak leading up to a second straight Canadian gold medal.
Here's a look at the Olympic hockey tournament highlights (and lowlights):
Big ice a neutralizer
By my count, I saw all or parts of 22 hockey games through the course of the tournament. Some were compelling, such as the U.S.-Russia and Finland-Canada games in the preliminary round, both of which went to extra time. But unlike Vancouver, when it seemed as though every game had an edge to it or some sort of dramatic twist, this simply wasn't the case in Sochi. Part of that is a function of the bigger ice, which promotes a more static game, especially from countries that don't have the talent pool of the traditional hockey nations. The lack of consistent high drama is also a function of a down cycle for teams such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, both of which had disappointing tournaments.
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