2014 Men’s Ice Hockey Predictions – Finals

Review – Semifinals

Please note that bold predictions are correct predictions.

Sweden vs Finland 2 – 1 
United States vs Canada 2 – 3 (OT)

I am going to stick with my predictions for the bronze and gold medal games from earlier.

Predictions – Bronze Medal Game

United States vs Finland 4 – 3

Predictions – Gold Medal Game

Canada vs Sweden 3 – 2 (OT)

2014 Men’s Ice Hockey Predictions – Semifinals

Review

Sweden vs Slovenia 5 – 0 (4 – 2)
Finland vs Russia 3 – 1 (2 – 5)
Canada vs Latvia 2 -1 (6 – 0)
United States vs Czech Republic 5 – 2 (4 – 1)

Predictions – Semifinals

Sweden vs Finland 2 – 1 
United States vs Canada 2 – 3 (OT)

I am going to also make predictions out of the outcome of mine for the Gold and Bronze medal games.

Predictions – Bronze Medal Game

United States vs Finland 4 – 3

Predictions – Gold Medal Game

Canada vs Sweden 3 – 2 (OT)

2014 Men’s Ice Hockey Predictions – Quarterfinals

Review

Slovenia vs Austria 4 – 0 (1 – 2)
Russia vs Norway 4 – 0 (5 – 2)
Switzerland vs Latvia 1 – 3 (3 – 2)
Czech Republic vs  Slovakia 5 – 3 (3 – 1)

Predictions

Sweden vs Slovenia 4 – 2
Finland vs Russia 2 – 5
Canada vs Latvia 6 – 0
United States vs Czech Republic 4 – 1

2014 Men’s Ice Hockey Predictions – Qualifications Round

Review

The following reviews the group stage results. Please note that in brackets is my predictions.

Match Day 1 – February 12th

Czech Republic vs Sweden 2 – 4 (1 – 2)
Latvia vs Switzerland 0 – 1 (1 – 2)

Match Day 2 – February 13th

Finland vs Austria 8 – 4 (4 – 0)
Russia vs Slovenia 5 – 2 (3 – 2)
Slovakia vs United States 1 – 7 (2 – 4)
Canada vs Norway (3 – 1) 5 – 2

Match Day 3 – February 14th

Czech Republic vs Latvia 4 – 2 (3 – 1)
Sweden vs Switzerland 1 – 0 (4 – 2)
Canada vs Austria 6 – 0 (4 – 1)
Norway vs Finland 1 – 6  (1 – 3)

Match Day 4 – February 15th

Slovakia vs Slovenia 1 – 3 (2 – 0)
United States vs Russia 3 – 2 (2 – 3) [Close…. right?]
Switzerland vs Czech Republic 1 – 0  (1 – 2)
Sweden vs Latvia 5 – 3 (3 – 0)

Match Day 5 – February 16th

Austria vs Norway 3 – 1 (1 – 0)
Russia vs Slovakia 1 – 0 (3 – 1)
Slovenia vs United States 1 – 5 (0 – 4)
Finland vs Canada 1-2

Predictions – Qualification Round

Slovenia vs Austria 1 – 2
Russia vs Norway 5 – 2
Switzerland vs Latvia 3 – 2
Czech Republic vs  Slovakia 3 – 1

2014 Men’s Ice Hockey Predictions – Preliminary Round

Match Day 1 – February 12th

Czech Republic vs Sweden 1 – 2
Latvia vs Switzerland 1 – 2

Match Day 2 – February 13th

Finland vs Austria 4 – 0
Russia vs Slovenia 3 – 2
Slovakia vs United States 2 – 4
Canada vs Norway 5 – 2

Match Day 3 – February 14th

Czech Republic vs Latvia 3 – 1
Sweden vs Switzerland 4 – 2
Canada vs Austria 4 – 1
Norway vs Finland 1 – 3

Match Day 4 – February 15th

Slovakia vs Slovenia 2 – 0
United States vs Russia 2 – 3
Switzerland vs Czech Republic  1 – 2
Sweden vs Latvia 3-0

Match Day 5 – February 16th

Austria vs Norway 1 – 0
Russia vs Slovakia 3 – 1
Slovenia vs United States 0 – 4
Finland vs Canada 1-2

The Last Resort series finale

For those who aren’t familiar here is some background on this television series: the Last Resort was a military fiction drama television series airing on ABC in the United States and Global in Canada. The series was based on the crew of a fictional Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine the USS Colorado. They pick up a US Navy SEAL team returning from a covert clandestine operation from Pakistan. When they leave Pakistani waters, the crew of the Colorado is ordered to fire a nuclear missile strike against Pakistan that could ignite World War III.

 

Captain Marcus Chaplin played by Andre Braugher  refuses his crews orders. The crew unable to return to the United States in fear of being charged with high treason come to call the fictitious island of Sainte Marina in the South Pacific. The show follows key members of Captain Chaplin’s Colorado crew: Lieutenant Commander Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman, Underworld), Lieutenant Grace Shepard (Daisy Betts) and Chief of Boat Command Master Chief Petty Officer Joseph Prosser (Robert Patrick, Terminator 2). Joseph Prosser is one of Chaplin’s primary antagonist alongside Julian Serrat (played by Sahr Ngaujah) who is the leader of an organized crime syndicate that believes he runs the island.  This show was excellently well casted and I wouldn’t have done anything else if I were the show’s casting director. They were all strong actors who portrayed their characters believably.

Midway through the season Captain Chaplin allows a Chinese dignitary on the island who establishes an embassy/consular office on Sainte Marina. Since he’s in dire need of an ally for political support, food and supplies for his crew and the island inhabitants he’s desperate to put a deal in place. In the finale we find that the Chinese of course manipulated the predicament they were in and send several Chinese vessels to break the US-led blockade of the island.

The series also has a secondary plot back in the United States that follows the story of Kylie Sinclair (played by the beautiful Autumn Reeser) and Sam’s spouse Christine Kendal (played by Jessy Schram). Kylie Sinclair plays a lobbyist for her family’s defense manufacturing company that has expensive equipment that makes the Colorado unique. She learns the truth and the conspiracy at home that goes up to ladder of the Executive Branch of the United States government.

Chaplin returns to the Colorado  in hopes that they’ll intercept the Chinese. He has been made aware by his XO Lieutenant Commander Kendal that there’s a contingent of his crew plotting mutiny led by the COB Prosser. Prosser takes over the Colorado and replots course for the US-led blockade of Sainte Marina… But… the mutinees get mutineed by another element and replots course for the Chinese. Chaplin and Sam break away from being held captive in the crew mess for engineering where they are able to change the heading for shallow waters. Sam is able to break into the communications to request that the Colorado be destroyed.

When the Colorado is beached on the coast of Saint Marina the crew surviving the mutinees manage to escape. Captain Chaplin refuses to leave with his XO Sam and that he won’t allow the Colorado be destroyed due to her imminent destruction. The series ends with the crew coming home after sensible information comes to light about corruption.

While it received an average 5 million viewers in the US, ABC decided not to order a full 22 season or renew it for a second season. They allowed the series to continue it’s full thirteen episodes with a conclusion. While I was disappointed that this show wasn’t picked up for a second season or it’s back nine, I’ll have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the series finale. It gave closure unlike a huge cliff hanger most shows get treatment for.

Thank you Shawn Ryan.