Fast.

The Czechs will face the Swedes on Wednesday, just four days after Boston beat Ottawa 7-2 in one of the NHL's last matchups before its Olympic break.

David Krejci and Loui Eriksson both had two assists for the Bruins in the rout. On Wednesday, the forwards will be playing against each other and for their countries — Krejci for the Czech Republic and Eriksson for Sweden.

Most of the 18 preliminary-round games will feature NHL teammates as temporary opponents.

Chicago Blackhawks stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are not scheduled to face each other in the preliminary rounds, but both are hoping for a U.S.-Canada rematch in the elimination round.

"We're always, in a fun way, competing against each other on a daily basis," said Toews, who helped the Canadians beat the Americans for the gold in 2010. "We'll be competitive if we get a chance to play each other.

"One guy is not going to want the other to get the best of him."

The Los Angeles Kings have six Olympians, representing four countries. Trash-talking began soon after the rosters were set last month.

"Throughout the room with the different teams, there's always been ribbing going on," Canada's Jeff Carter said.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has an NHL-high 10 of his players in the Olympics, spread out over five teams. He's looking forward to the game within the games.

Quenneville can see a trio of Swedes — Niklas Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya and Marcus Kruger — gang up on the Czech Republic's Michal Rozsival on Wednesday. The next day, he can watch Kane get tested by Slovakia's Marian Hossa and Michal Handzus.

"It's going to be great watching these guys play," Quenneville said. "I think they're going to learn a lot being on that stage, in critical situations and big moments.

"There's a good chance somebody's going to come back with a gold medal."


 


FANS STAYING AWAY


Although these are early days at Russia's first Winter Games, indications are that some would-be spectators from overseas have stayed home, seemingly scared off by terrorist bombings, pervasive security, knotty Russian bureaucracy and the big bucks needed to reach President Vladimir Putin's winter wonderland on the Black Sea coast and in the Caucasus Mountains.

Many foreigners who have made it to Sochi fall into three camps: experienced world travelers who aren't easily spooked; die-hard Olympic regulars who would travel to any host city; or corporate types and wealthier tourists who delegate travel logistics to others.

Spunky Japanese retiree Mitsuko Taguchi, 80, is in the first group. Having previously traveled to hotspots Afghanistan and Pakistan, she was unfazed by terror threats targeting the games.

Robert Visser said his wife pulled out after December suicide bombings killed 34 people in Volgograd, even though she could have traveled for free like him, courtesy of the auto manufacturer whose cars he sells in the Netherlands.

"A lot of people were invited. They canceled," he said. Casting a glance at his 20 or so travel companions, all dressed like him in orange, he added: "These are the die-hards."

Others said they wrestled with Russian paperwork, visas and the spectator pass.

Sochi organizers said about 40,000 people attended events on Day 1, but 4,000 others who had tickets did not turn up. Spokeswoman Alexandra Kosterina said Russians tend to cut things close. "We had an issue with a lot of spectators being late."

Organizers say 70 percent of tickets went to Russians, with the rest sold abroad.


 


ANDERSON SOARS, MILLER BOMBS


There was a lot of ugliness on the supersized Olympic slopestyle course Sunday — crashes, splashes, face plants, even a cracked helmet.

As she so often does, Jamie Anderson made things look beautiful again.

The world's most consistent rider came through big under a huge amount of pressure — "I was freaking out," she said — riding clean on the rails and stomping down three high-flying jumps on her second, and make-or-break, trip down the mountain. She scored a 95.25 on that run to make America 2-for-2 in slopestyle's colorful and treacherous debut on the Olympic stage.

"It's kind of a big deal," said the gold medalist, who earlier this winter had conceded she was heading to Russia with some reservations about what the Olympics really stand for. "This is The Event."

Meanwhile, most everyone, himself included, thought Bode Miller was the man to beat entering Sunday's downhill skiing final, which would've made the 36-year-old the oldest Alpine gold medalist in Winter Games history.

Didn't even come close. Failing to produce the sort of near-perfect performance he came up with in practice, Miller finished eighth in the downhill, more than a half-second slower than champion Matthias Mayer of Austria.

"This can be a tough one to swallow today, having skied so well in the training runs, and then come in and be way out of the medals," Miller said.

"But I think I skied really well, honestly. I was super-aggressive. The conditions didn't favor me today, but I think, all things considered, I skied really well."

Contributor: The Associated Press