James Bird:, external Sidsational!

Daniel Gosbee:, external Crosby is unstoppable in gold medal matches.

Brent Pope
BBC Sport ice hockey commentator

Image source, Getty Images

"Crosby reaps the return of his own hard work. He is not a kid anymore, he is a man leading his team to a gold medal once again. He knows the big occasions well and in this game you get the reward for doing the fundamentals right and he has been doing that."

Cometh the hour, cometh Canada captain Sidney Crosby. The talisman is as cool as cucumber as he doubles his team's lead. Crosby faints to shoot before rounding Sweden net-minder Henrik Lundqvist to slot in. Uphill task for the Swedes now.

Still Canada press - and still Sweden hang on. The Swedes are being put under more pressure than an under-fire Premier League football manager at the moment. Five minutes of the second period left for Canada to make their dominance count.

Andy:, external "I wish ice hockey was more prominent in the UK. Awesome sport."

Jackie Pritchard:, external "Canada is closed today for a hockey game. Please try again later."

Sweden are being pounded by the Canadians now. Every play from the defending champions is almost ending in a goal - but somehow the Swedes hold out. Goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist is fast becoming their hero.

Canada captain Sidney 'The Kid' Crosby storms through the middle of the Sweden team, only to be stopped smashing the puck towards goal by some last-ditch defending. Crosby hit the game-winning goal in Canada's 2010 success and is, according to many experts, the best player in the world.

Canada win their second power play of the gold-medal match after Sweden's Jakob Silfverberg is penalised by the officials for time wasting. But still they can't find a breakthrough as Sweden remain resolute. In fact, it is the world champions who nearly equalise as Loui Eriksson is inches away from turning in a rebound.

Brent Pope
BBC Sport ice hockey commentator

Image source, AFP

"Canada coach Mike Babcock has got his team of superstars playing as a superstar team and the goal they have already scored could make the difference. But Sweden aren't out of it yet."

Nervous moments for Sweden as net-minder Henrik Lundqvist lets a routine Canada shot slip through his legs. But he manages to recover by saving from Canada forward Matt Duchene who dives in looking to pounce.

Patient start by the Swedes as they push the puck around neatly, probing for a chink in the Canadian armour. But the Canadians try to keep their opponents in wide areas, and it proves a successful ploy as Sweden fail to create a decent opening before the power play ends.

Sweden and Canada skate back on to the ice at the Bolshoy ahead of the second period. The Swedes, who are the reigning world champions, know they have to attack from the start here. Canada must survive another 90 seconds with a man down.

Amy Williams
2010 Olympic skeleton champion on BBC TV

Image source, PA

"John Jackson and the crew have worked so hard over the summer. They are a really tight unit. That start was brilliant. It shows the strength of the team and the hours they have put it.

"Back-to-back consistency in the runs is what gets results. John knows he didn't quite slide that first run perfectly on day one, but he knows that.

"We have a lot more to come from these boys in the future. I wish them well and hope they can competing and keep the funding. That will be crucial."

While the ice men of Sweden and Canada have a breather, and perhaps devour a cheeky orange, Great Britain's bobsleighers will be feeling quite smug right now.

GBR 1, driven by John Jackson, were fifth in the four-man final, just an agonising 0.11 seconds off grabbing a bronze medal. They were ranked 12th in the world rankings before the Games, while pilot Jackson ruptured his Achilles tendon in July and only reached the Olympics after undergoing pioneering surgery. A remarkable effort gentlemen.

Ollie Williams
BBC Sport in the Bolshoy Ice Dome

"This game can still step up a gear, as lively as that first period was. Sweden don't seem to be struggling for chances despite the absence of Backstrom, although Canada were gaining the upper hand as that period ended. Sweden may be glad of some time to regroup.

"The venue announcer just took the opportunity to announce Russia's bobsleigh win - something for Russian fans in here, who may have bought these final tickets in the hope of watching the hosts, to cheer about."

But will Canada coach Mike Babcock, if he does visit his old muckers in the north-east of England after the Games, be bringing a gold or silver Olympic medal with him? Looking like a gleaming gold at the moment - but only a madman would predict which way this match is going to go just yet.

Geraldine Smith: Re 1229. Everybody at Whitley Warriors is watching the final before playing their own match which faces off at 5pm tonight. Come back and visit us soon Mike.

Brent Pope
BBC Sport ice hockey commentator

Image source, Getty Images

"The teams are just neutralising each other for long periods of time. Sweden need to take advantage of the powerplay. Despite conceding a goal, they have been good defensively but have to put more pressure on Canada offensively."

But, following that skiing slip-up, the Swedes are facing another bitter blow if Canada maintain this advantage. At the end of the first period, Canada have a slender lead after an intriguing battle in the Bolshoy Ice Dome. However, Sweden will begin the second period with a power play after Canada's Chris Kunitz is sin-binned for 'high sticking'. Basically he clobbered a Swedish opponent round the head with his stick. Accidently of course....

Ollie Williams
BBC Sport in Sochi

"'Hockey is everything,' Swedish TV legend Goran Zachrisson told us yesterday during Sweden's last training session. Swedish broadcaster Viasat expects to set records with its coverage of Sunday at Sochi 2014 - the hockey follows the 50km mass start cross-country skiing, another huge event in Sweden (even if their athletes missed the podium earlier)."