(Winners advance to gold-medal game Sunday, 1 p.m.; losers play for bronze Saturday, 12:15 p.m.)
BELARUS VS. CANADA
E Center
Friday, noon
TV: MSNBC
SLAP SHOTS: A win puts Canada in the championship game, where hockey founders haven't struck gold since 1952. OK, at least the Canadian men haven't won gold medals in 50 years . . . Belarus, in its second Olympic tourney, has nothing to lose after pulling off the third-biggest upset ever over Sweden . . . Canada's roster has 23 NHL standouts and perhaps the best player ever in Mario Lemieux — Belarus has one NHLer, D Ruslan Salei.
RUSSIA VS. UNITED STATES
E Center
Friday, 4:15 p.m.
TV: NBC
SLAP SHOTS: Assuming the game is played, it will feature two of the hottest goalies in the world — USA's Mike Richter and Russia's Nikolai Khabibulin . . . Richter, coming off a 5-0 shutout win over Germany, is ranked No. 1 in the Olympics with a .968 save percentage and a 1.00 goals-against average. Khabibulin, fresh off a 41-save shutout of the Czech Republic, is No. 3 (.930, 2.25 GAA) . . . U.S. forward Keith Tkachuk (bruised thigh) skated with the team in practice Thursday. "He's getting better," said coach Herb Brooks. "He may play" . . . The U.S. and Russia played to a 2-2 tie in the final round . . . In every Olympics in which these two rivals have played (counting Russia as former Soviet Union), the winner of their game has gone on to claim the gold medal.
