OFFICIAL MEN'S OLYMPIC HOCKEY THREAD

[Humphrey Bogart]

Big upsets today in the Olympics

Slovenia beating Slovakia 3-1 and Switzerland beating Czech Republic 1-0.  The tournament is looking like it's going to be ultra competitive.  Canada plays Finland tomorrow and that should give us a good litmus test of where the boys are at.

 

[OldSolduer]

It was nice to see Carter with a hat trick.

Now Sid has to get on track. He has to open it up a bit and show everyone why he is the best in the world.

Martin St Louis has been a pleasant surprise - kinda like the corporal - or Captain - you can depend on to get stuff done!

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

It was nice to see Carter with a hat trick.

Now Sid has to get on track. He has to open it up a bit and show everyone why he is the best in the world.

Martin St Louis has been a pleasant surprise - kinda like the corporal - or Captain - you can depend on to get stuff done!

I am very happy with St Louis so far.  Like I said though, the real test will be when Canada plays the Finland tomorrow.  Both teams will have had two games to warm up and TBH Canada had the easiest pool compared to other teams. 

The games have been very even, every team is competing, right now the Swiss are my darkhorse team to have the potential to win a medal.  They don't score a lot but they have solid defense and elite goaltending.  Hiller will steal games for them.

It pisses me off when I am hearing every day someone else call for NHL players to be pulled from the Olympics.  Professional Hockey at the Olympics is a notch above anything the NHL puts out and it's awesome seeing the best players in the world play each other.  I wish the NHL would get more behind the international game.

 

[Goose15]

The games have been very even, every team is competing, right now the Swiss are my darkhorse team to have the potential to win a medal.  They don't score a lot but they have solid defense and elite goaltending.  Hiller will steal games for them.

Which I am very pleased about. It is excellent to see the rest of the world's game improving as it has. It is great for the sport and the Games themselves.

It pisses me off when I am hearing every day someone else call for NHL players to be pulled from Sochi.  Professional Hockey at the Olympics is a notch above anything the NHL puts out and it's awesome seeing the best players in the world play each other.  I wish the NHL would get more behind the international game.

I agree for sure, seeing the best in the world face-off is what the Olympics is all about! The NHL needs to realize that the Olympics not only leads to more international players of the game of hockey but it can actually grow its fan base.

Also I can honestly say if the NHL pulls its players from the Olympics at any time in the future: I will NOT be watching ANY games, as it will no longer be a competition of the best in the world. Hockey would just be a competition of the best of the rest.

 

[OldSolduer]

I not so fondly remember the Soviet domination by the Red Army hockey team and how they constantly whipped North America prior to the NHL players being allowed to compete internationally.
We do not want to go down that road again. Its bad enough Ovechkin and Malkin are there, never mind 11 other clones of them.

 

[Goose15]

I not so fondly remember the Soviet domination by the Red Army hockey team and how they constantly whipped North America prior to the NHL players being allowed to compete internationally.
We do not want to go down that road again. Its bad enough Ovechkin and Malkin are there, never mind 11 other clones of them.

I am lucky enough to have missed that particular period. I definitely have no interest in witnessing it in my generation. Especially, as it's not a true representation of the real best of the best international competition that the Olympics are supposed to be.

 

[lestock]

Don Cherry said that he believes that this is last Olympics for NHL players since the owners, (spit on floor a la Corner Gas) can't afford to have their rinks sit empty. As well, he said that the only reason they caved this year is because notable non North American born players, (eg. Ovechkin) said they were going anyway.
To his credit, Don said that he would like to see the NHLers play, but he understood where the owners, (see above) were coming from.


Happy 80th Don

 

[vonGarvin]

It pisses me off when I am hearing every day someone else call for NHL players to be pulled from the Olympics.  Professional Hockey at the Olympics is a notch above anything the NHL puts out and it's awesome seeing the best players in the world play each other.  I wish the NHL would get more behind the international game.

I agree that this is top-notch hockey.  But professional athletes have, in my opinion, no place in the Olympics.  The Olympics now are about $ and nothing else.  Fortius, etc etc have gone by the wayside. 

The Olympics ought to be about the hero, the national hero.  Think "Eddie the Eagle" in 1988.  I haven't got a clue who won the ski jump that year, but Eddie the Eagle gave it his all and the people loved him for it.  Another group: the Jamaican bobsled team.  They went on to further fame via Hollywood. 

Having said all this, I say: "Bring back the Canada Cup!"  *That* was an international showcase of the best of the best of hockey that the world has ever seen.  Better than Canada/USSR in 1972.

Edit to add: other international events, such as the Spengler Cup, the World Juniors, etc, are also top-notch events.  Yes, the old USSR dominated with their "amateur" members of the Red Army.  I'm certain that in that timeframe, Canada could have recruited from its CF ranks to form a team that could have competed at that level.  Of course, they would no longer be Vandoos in Germany, but they would still have formed one hell of a team.  >

 

[Transporter]

Babcock is over-coaching them. Can't expect a stable full of thoroughbreds to win races when you keeping pulling on the reins. They don't know what they're supposed to be doing when they're out there. Just let them play... like team USA. And they're going to have to shorten their bench in the big games.

 

[lestock]

2-1 for Finland over Russia at the end of the 1st period. Yikes!

 

[lestock]

Russia is gone...Finland is in. Ovechkin, Malkin et al straight to the gulag

 

[Remius]

Wow.  Good for Finland.  They've been playing very well so far.  This will be a huge disapointment for Russia.  They had big expectations.

 

[Goose15]

Wow.  Good for Finland.  They've been playing very well so far.  This will be a huge disapointment for Russia.  They had big expectations.

Very pleased! The Fins are my 2nd choice, behind Canada of course ;D 

To make it perfect, let's have USA lose too!

 

[Remius]

It's hard not to root for a team that has been showing that much heart.

 

[Goose15]

Wow, 1-1 after 1. Latvians are showing they belong here, good for them.

 

[lestock]

CANADA WINS 2-1

 

[dimsum]

Wow, 1-1 after 1. Latvians are showing they belong here, good for them.

Their goalie stopped 52 of 54 shots.  Part of me (a small part) almost wanted Latvia to win, but I'm chalking that to still being half-asleep when the game finished at 5am local  :nod:

 

[Goose15]

Their goalie stopped 52 of 54 shots.  Part of me (a small part) almost wanted Latvia to win, but I'm chalking that to still being half-asleep when the game finished at 5am local  :nod:

Haha, I actually had the same feeling. They put their heart and souls into that game and had a great overall tournament. I guess I could try and blame it on lack of sleep from all the late night Olympics :nod:

 

[OldSolduer]

Russia is gone...Finland is in. Ovechkin, Malkin et al straight to the gulag

you mean they are Maple Leafs now?

Yikes.....

 

[2ndChoiceName]

I gotta say, I'm nervous going into the semis against USA. Kessel and JvR have been lighting it up and we've been struggling to score. First Finland now Latvia?