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7:30 PM ET

Some grit, plenty of skill and a whole lot of Jaroslav Halak have the Slovakians right in the thick of the Group B competition. They nearly upset their closest rivals, the Czechs, in their opening game. And they pulled off the stunner of the tournament so far by beating the Russians in a shootout Thursday night. Halak sparkled in both games, turning aside 36 of 37 shots from the frighteningly talented Russians and then six of seven in the shootout – including two of three by Alex Ovechkin. Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa both returned earlier than expected from injuries suffered last week in the NHL. And each has scored a goal. But neither could yet be described as flying.

It has gone just about as expected so far for the Latvians. Two powerful foes. Two predictable losses. Two games in which, though overmatched, they played with gusto and occasional flair. Competitive through two periods against Russia in their Olympic opener, the Latvians were overwhelmed in the third period, when Russia strafed them for four goals. The Czech game unfolded the opposite way. Blitzed early for three goals in the first 5:07, the Latvians battled back from a 4-0 deficit to within 4-2 before ultimately succumbing. Goaltender Edgars Malaskis has faced 84 shots in two games. Yet, every time he appears to be mentally broken, he rallies to keep his team in the game a little longer.