Nine players from the Kings and Ducks will be in gold-medal hockey game

Reporting from Vancouver, Canada — 

Nine members of the Kings and Ducks will be playing for a gold medal Sunday when Canada faces the U.S. in the Olympic hockey tournament finale at Hockey Canada Place.

The SoCal contingent started at 14 but was reduced to 12 following Team USA’s elimination of Switzerland in the quarterfinals and of Finland in the semifinals as well as Canada’s elimination of Slovakia.

Still left: The Ducks’ Scott Niedermayer, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf along with Kings defenseman Drew Doughty on Team Canada, and the Ducks’ Ryan Whitney and Bobby Ryan on Team USA with the Kings’ Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson and Jonathan Quick.

Who will be taking a gold medal through Customs and who will take silver?

The U.S. beat Canada, 5-3, in a preliminary-round game but Canada has played well since then. At least until it allowed Slovakia to score twice and nearly gave up the tying goal in a 3-2 semifinal victory Friday that goaltender Roberto Luongo saved with a glove stop on Pavol Demitra.

Doughty was on the ice for the frantic final minute.

“It’s kind of desperation. We’re trying to block as many shots as we can and clear the puck,” he said. “They wanted that goal and they were all over us there but Lou made some big saves and guys were blocking shots so it’s really goofy we got that win.”

Getzlaf said that to beat the U.S. on Sunday that Canada must refine its game. Team USA has spread out its scoring, making it difficult for opponents to check one line, and every line seems to have speed and someone who can grind.

“We’re going to have to tighten up defensively,” Getzlaf said. “They came out last time and they skated on us pretty hard. We weren’t maybe mentally prepared for that as much as we needed to be.

“Now we’ve had a look at them and we know we’re going to be up against a good-skating hockey club and we’re going to have to be ready for it.”

Ducks winger Teemu Selanne is preparing for another game today: for the bronze medal.

Selanne and Saku Koivu, his center with Finland and the Ducks, were on the short end of a 6-1 decision against the U.S. in the semifinals Saturday. Team USA scored six times in the first period and Selanne’s emotions combined disbelief, anger and frustration.

“Losing is fine as long as you play your best game and the other team is going to beat you,” he said, “but like today’s case, it was a nightmare. I haven’t been part of that kind of game. The game was over after six minutes. It was a long day. Very disappointing.

“Bronze is on the line tomorrow and you try to take what is left.”

Brown said the tone of the game was set when the U.S. came out hitting and playing at a high tempo from the first shift, with him on the wing with Ryan Kesler and Patrick Kane.

“The lines after us built on it. Good teams roll one after another and that’s kind of what we did,” he said.

They rolled, all right. After their big first period their main problem was staying disciplined and avoiding the temptation to look ahead to Sunday’s finale.

“We came in after the first and knew right then and there if we play our game we’re going to be OK,” he said. “It was more of a focus not so much on the gold medal game but playing the right way in preparation for the gold medal game. I think we did a pretty good job.

“That’s a tough game to play after you’re mentally preparing to have a close, tight-checking game and then blowing the doors off quickly and early. Coming back and playing those second and third periods the right way was my main focus.”