While the Canadian national hockey team is a favorite to win a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games, they had just about all they could handle on Thursday from a surprising opponent. The Canadians barely outlasted the Switzerland Olympic hockey team and won 3 goals to 2 in a shootout. This came as a complete surprise as many hockey experts expected the Canadians to win this game with ease.

Clearly the Swiss should not have been taken lightly by anyone. In fact, the Swiss beat the Canadians 2-0 in the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin. In this year’s game, the Canadians got off to an early lead with goals from Dan Heatley and Patrick Marleua, but the game was eventually tied by the time regulation ended. The game ended when Canadian Sidney Crosby scored a goal in the fourth round of the shootout period.

Now that the Canadians have escaped that scare, they have two days off before their biggest Olympic test yet. On Sunday, the Canadians who have a record of one win, zero losses, and one tie, will have to face a tough team from the United States who has a record of two wins and no losses or ties.

Team Canada Beats The Swiss, But Barley