Olympics

[ocaamikedm11]

Who does everyone like? Of course Canada is the favorite and it is theirs to lose, but who else does everyone think they can win it? The US had a nice run last time around, but I don't think their team this time around is good enough to compete for gold.. but hopefully I'm wrong!

 

[Don Wassall]

Was great to see Canada finally win it at the last Olympics. I'll root for them if the U.S. is out of it but the Czech Republic should be very strong. The Czechs on the New York Rangers alone (Jagr, Nedved, Straka, Sykora, Rucinsky, Malik, Rosival) would make a representative team. Russia and Sweden should be strong as always. Should be some great games. I wish the NHL would go to the larger rink size used internationally but never will because that would mean having to reduce the number of seats by a small number in each arena.

 

[guest301]

I loved watching the entertaining first period today between the USA and Latvia. The USA leads 2-1 after the first period. I hope our goaltending holds up against the Czechs, Russians and eventually the Canadians. Our best native-born goaltender Ryan Miller(sabres) is at home and not on the team. I also love seeing My favorite two hockey players Mike Modano and Derian Hatcher back together again and playing on the same team. This is the winter olympics to me..USA Hockey. Don you are right about the wider rink, it creates more exciting action in what is truly the world's fastest sport when played right.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

It's disappointing to see a tie against Latvia, as they are not considered too much of a threat at a gold and I had some hopes for the US team. Granted it is early and no game is a cakewalk when playing a nation's best, but the US dominated this game at times and just could not put it in the net. They need to start scoring or Canada, Russia, etc. will beat them handedly..

 

[guest301]

They beat Kazakistan(spelling) today 4-1. It's frustrating keeping up with these little countries from the former Soviet Union but I am glad they are free now! But I digress, the usa team looked a little better today with their defence and goaltending but they are going to have to pick up their offence in the next three games as they take on Slovakia, Sweden and Russia. I want to see a matchup of the USA and Canada in the gold medal game so bad I can taste it.It would be great for hockey, great for the NHL and a nice kick in the teeth of our sometimes friendly neighbors up north to beat them at their national pastime! They can boo our anthem all they want then.

 

[Don Wassall]

The U.S. managed to defeat mighty Kazakhstan today. Isn't Kazakhstan where Borat of "Da Ali G Show" is from?

 

[guest301]

I have never heard of that show and it's certainly no great feat beating "mighty Kazakhstan". But it would be quite a accomplishment to beat the Slovaks, Czecks,Swedes,Finns,Russians and the best hockey nation Canada. I believe the USA was rated 6th in the world when the olympics started. So any medal we get out of this would be a accomplishment.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

I don't think they will be able to get a medal, but man, Russia has looked impressive. Totally dismantled Sweden, and I believe if Nabokov starts the beat Slovakia, but Slovakia is very good too. Canada is going to be tough to beat, but a little parity is always good.

 

[hedgehog]

Canada is loaded top to bottom, I look at their roster and think we dont have a chance, in the event we do play them. Russia has the best chance of beating Canada, there top line may be faster and more talented than Canada's, but they dont have the overall depth. In my opinion, team USA has made a couple of strategic errors that will cost them dearly in the next 3 games. There biggest mistake was selecting Derian Hatcher (sorry guest301), a big, phyical lumbering defensman. You need someone like this on an NHL team, but in the olympics they are a liability. The international rink is 15 feet wider then the NHL rink. This difference is most noted in the play of the defensmen in the defensive zone, they are forced to come out and play the guy more in the corners etc...requiring more skating ability, then checking ability. They also made a mistake by selecting Chris Chelios, 44 yrs old. He has 6 pts so far this year in the NHL and his age is showing. Keith Ballard of the Pheonix coyotes has 31 pts and skates much quicker and plays better "D" then Chelios, but I guess the coach decided experience was the way to go. I think we are in for an ugly couple of games ahead, I hope I am wrong.ohh and BTW.... get Gomez off of the first line!!!

 

[guest301]

KJV1..I seem to remember Hatcher leading the United States to a world championship victory over the canadians not too long ago. He's too good a defenseman to leave off the team and not as lumbering as you might think. The results will tell on whether you are right or not about Hatcher. I do wish our team was younger and I think the old guard will get phased out for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. The canadians lost today 2-0 to the swiss and their lights out goaltender. This is anybody's tournament except fot the Italians and the Germans.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

Canada lost to Switzerland today.. what a huge upset. Watching USA-Slovakia now, Hossa just scored giving the Slovaks a 1-0 advantage in the 2nd

 

[hedgehog]

The NHL needs to take lessons from the olympics. If NHL games were half as good as these it would be much more popular. Like someone else said, the NHL needs to go to the international size sheet.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

The problem is it will cost them a little money and we all know they would never sacrifice some money fomr the good of the game! These games are certainly exciting - Especially with good efforts from the Swiss and even Latvia pulling out a tie with the US to show there is some parity.

 

[guest301]

The USA lost to Sweden in a exciting game today 2-1. Another game where the USA is outshooting the Swedes most of the game but not converting. We will still probably make the medal round regardless of the outcome of the game against the Russians tuesday. But we need a win there and some goals in the net to make a realistic run for a medal in the medal round.

 

[speedster]

I just watched the Czech-Canada game and have to tell you that I don't think Canada can win.They are too slow the Czechs whip that puck around with accurate passes and have too much speed on the outside.Goalie Martin Brodeur saved Canada's bacon with a big game,but I didn't see much else that was all that positive.A win is a win and Wayne Gretzky seemed relieved in an interview after the game.Gretzky talked about playing hockey the Canadian way and that is hitting and crashing the net but I don't think that will get it done against the Euroes.Their mvp is Brodeur and they will have to hope he stands on his head the rest of the way.

 

[Matra1]

Russia and the USA just played a brilliant game with the Russkies taking it 5-4. The US deserved at least a tie (they even missed by inches in the last second) but that is now three games in a row that they have lost narrowly despite being as good as their opponents - what is it they say about winning and losing becoming a habit? On the bright side for the US they at least finally started converting some of those scoring opportunities which they've been creating throughout this tournament. The winning goal was a bit of a weak one for the US to let in. I'm guessing Dipietro will play against Finland on Wednesday. Finland is the best team in the tournament thus far.

Canada didn't deserve their win against the Czechs. As speedster said NJ Devils goalie Martin Brodeur stole it for them.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

USA is out after a 4-3 loss to Finland today. Disappointing olympics for US hockey after a silver in Salt Lake to win just 1 game in the whole tournament.

 

[guest301]

With a overall record of 1-4-1, I sure wasted alot of hours watching this team. It's frustrating watching game after game where we outshoot and outhit the other team and the other team always finds away to win. What we needed was a shutdown goalie like the Finns and the Russians have, for some reason Ryan Miller(sabres)was left sitting at home. I also think teams like Canada and the USA are at a disadvantage with the wider rinks in play and the European teams appear to me to be much faster.

 

[white is right]

The Canadian team looked like it was stuck in mud, Maybe Gretzky was thinking about doubling down or betting the hard eight when he left off Crosby and Spezza off this roster. Once again loyalty to old men has screwed this team.........

 

[speedster]

The fact that the rink is wider is no excuse.It just shows how much more skill the Europeans have than the North Americans.I'm not complaining mind you because I love the fact that it's an all Euro final-four since they are clearly the best teams.It was funny how Wayne Gretzky talked about how Canada needed to get back to hitting when the best hit of the game was Darius Kasparitis' hit of Simon Gagne.As far as skating in mud goes,that is so true.Canada looked so bloody slow.

 

[Don Wassall]

I agree about the bigger rink being no excuse. It didn't prevent the U.S. and Canada from facing off for the gold in Salt Lake City.

Both countries were guilty of sticking with the old guard too long, especially the Canadians. Ovechkin and Malkin were leading the Russians while Staal, Spezza and Crosby were sitting at home twiddling their thumbs. At least the Canadians are still producing young stars that can compete with the best of the Europeans; American hockey looks like it'll be lagging behind for some time.

I imagine Canadian hockey fans aren't real thrilled with Wayne Gretzky's decision making, which won't make the coming travail of the betting scandal any easier for him.

 

[jaxvid]

I'm not surprised that the US/Canada teams did not do well. Hockey is a team sport and a group of guys that play together well will beat another team that has better talent but has not played together.

I'm not a fan of the bigger rink either. NHL hockey is a tight physical game, and it is a blast to watch. The bigger rink is OK for these international matches where each game is huge but for an 82 game season it would be a bore.

 

[white is right]

The US team has been an old folks home or a lifetime achievement award for a few years now.........

 

[Don Wassall]

It's disappointing that the U.S. can still only develop hockey players from the same few areas where they've always come from.

But I did enjoy watching some hockey games where the boards weren't completely plastered with corporate advertising.