Sochi Day 11: Five things to watch

1. Hockey qualification playoff: With Canada, Sweden, Finland and the U.S.A. locked into spots in Wednesday’s quarterfinals in the men’s hockey tournament, eight nations will be vying for four spots in Tuesday’s qualification games. Russia meets Norway (the winner faces Finland on Wednesday), Slovenia meets Austria (winner vs. Sweden), Czech Republic meets Slovakia (winner vs. the Americans) and Switzerland meets Latvia (winner vs. Canada). Obviously it’s the last matchup that will pique interests here in Canada, as we all get the chance to scout the Canadians’ first opponent in the knockout round. UPDATE: Team Canada will face Latvia in the quarter-finals after the unheralded team defeated Switzerland 3-1 on Tuesday. The game is set for Bolshoy Ice Dome at noon Eastern Time on Wednesday. The winner of Canada/Latvia advances to play either the United States or Czech Republic in the semifinals.

2. Humphries and Moyse back at it: The reigning gold medalists in women’s bobsled, Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse will begin their title defence in the first two heats Tuesday at the Sanki Sliding Center. It will mark a monumental comeback for brakeman Moyse, who has had an eventful four years since Vancouver, battling injury (including major hip surgery) and competing at the highest levels of summer sports, representing Canada in both rugby and cycling. Humphries, meanwhile, has continued to dominate the sport, claiming two gold medals at the World Championships since the 2010 Games. 10:15 a.m. ET. UPDATE: Canada is in second place after two runs. The final two runs are on Wednesday.

3. Women’s 3,000 relay in short track: After finishing in second in Vancouver, the women’s 3,000 m relay team is back on Tuesday and looking for gold in a competitive field highlighted by the Dutch and Chinese. The Canadian women have been left off the podium in short track thus far, but the team of Marie-Eve Drolet, Jessica Gregg, Jessica Hewitt, Valerie Maltais and Marianne St-Gelais have a strong chance of changing that. 5:54 a.m. ET. UPDATE: Canada won a silver medal.

4. Men’s long-track marathon: Canadian speed skater Denny Morrison has won a silver and bronze so far. Today marks a different challenge, with the mammoth 10,000 metre race, in which no Canadian has medalled since Frank Stack took home the bronze at Lake Placid in 1932. In Vancouver, the event was dominated by South Korea’s Lee Seung-hoon but keep an eye on the Dutch skaters who have owned the long track in Sochi. 8 a.m. ET. UPDATE: Canada did not medal.

5. “Skipipe” debut: The half-pipe at the Rosa Khutor extreme park was heavily criticized by riders after the snowboard competition, which was marked equally by the dazzling aerials it produced and the number of crashes resulting from sits awkward landing angles. Tuesday we get our chance to see if the half-pipe deals skiers a better hand as the men’s qualifying and finals get underway. 8:45 a.m. ET. UPDATE: Canada’s Mike Riddle won a silver medal.