[Stun]

Just a note on the goaltending, Bobrovsky was solid, and Quick I thought was really good as well, although he played far from his best game. I'm not sure if he's ever played on international ice before today. It wasn't as obvious, but Quick was great because a ton of Russian shots missed the net due to his aggressiveness.

[username]

The Russia Vs USA game is why I love Olympic hockey, such an intense battle. Even Putin was there watching.

(02-14-2014 07:47 PM)Sugar Wrote:  

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a highly underrated player, one of the few defensemen in the tournament who could neutralize a guy like Malkin, or Crosby, or Kopitar, etc.

I agree, OEL is highly underrated and it comes down to who he plays for, the Coyotes. The hockey establishment doesn't want to admit that Phoenix has one of the best D men in the league.

(02-15-2014 04:08 PM)Akula Wrote:  

I still don't understand why the Russian goal was disallowed in the third period...was it for high sticking or the goal being slightly off it's mooring? If the latter it was a pretty poor reversal.

(02-15-2014 10:45 AM)Avarence Wrote:  

International rules also came into play with the goal that Russia had disallowed. Let's be honest, that shot was going in regardless of whether or not the net was slightly off it's moorings. Definitely a bullet that the US dodged.

Agree with this too, it was shit luck for Russia and the US got a huge break. I think the rules should be more like the NHL rules if that happens.

(02-15-2014 10:45 AM)Avarence Wrote:  

Also, the ability to use the same players was pretty strange.

I don't like it, I think it should be more of a team effort maybe allow them to repeat every 3rd player or so. Like Oshie, Player 2, Player 3, Oshie again. I rather see team vs team rather than 1 shooter vs 1 shooter.

[KorbenDallas]

Is there shootouts in the medal play? Also, tough break for the Russians today. I think they're going to have to play a play in game during the elimination tourney because they failed to beat the Slovaks in regulation.

Slovaks could be dangerous with their goalie playing lights out like that. Going to be a great tourney. I've never gotten into Olympic hockey before, def one of my new favorite sporting events. Lots of emotion out there and you just know Putin is going to give his team some extra motivation to win at home.

I think Canada looks to be the clear cut favorite now with the Americans perhaps as the second favorite the way they're clicking.

Sweden, Finland, Russia in the second tier.

Czechs and Slovaks in the third tier.

Switzerland as a big underdog with an outside chance. Forgive me if I've missed a team.

[Akula]

(02-16-2014 10:24 AM)KorbenDallas Wrote:  

Is there shootouts in the medal play? Also, tough break for the Russians today. I think they're going to have to play a play in game during the elimination tourney because they failed to beat the Slovaks in regulation.

Slovaks could be dangerous with their goalie playing lights out like that. Going to be a great tourney. I've never gotten into Olympic hockey before, def one of my new favorite sporting events. Lots of emotion out there and you just know Putin is going to give his team some extra motivation to win at home.

I think Canada looks to be the clear cut favorite now with the Americans perhaps as the second favorite the way they're clicking.

Sweden, Finland, Russia in the second tier.

Czechs and Slovaks in the third tier.

Switzerland as a big underdog with an outside chance. Forgive me if I've missed a team.

Slovak goalie looked awesome today and Russia barely squeaked by in the shootout. They will have to play better than that if they want to medal. Maybe it was just a letdown after the US game.

Finland giving Canada all they can handle might they be the dark horse going into the elimination games? They have scored 14 goals already (!) which I don't think anyone could have foreseen. Selanne looks almost as good now as he did 10 years ago (when he was 33)!

Edit: 1-1 in the Canada-Finland game going into the 3rd. Think this is the best I've seen two teams play yet - they are both at the highest level I think and not giving anything up easy.

[mikeymike]

(02-15-2014 11:15 PM)Snuke Wrote:  

I don't think the Russian fans have anything to worry about. It suck that they got that game stolen from them. But they looked very good and will have no problem in qualification round. They just got to hope that they get lucky with the brackets, and get another crack at the yanks. Would be one hell of another game.
Mike - you sound like you got a really good head for the game and your breakdown of Crosby is exact. Have you played much or are you just a big fan?
It is going to be very interesting over the next few days seeing how the bracket is going to fill out. Cant wait…… I just love this stuff, its too bad they won't be going to the 2018 game. You guys think that they might bring back an international event like the Canadian Cups of the past if they don't go?

I've played way too much hockey in my life, I've played top tier hockey all my life, played internationally for my country and was drafted to the nhl but ultimately knee injuries took their toll, I never regained my pre injury (4 in total) speed and strength to the same level I needed and was destined for a life of being a fringe player after those, the I'm Canadian and bleed hockey part of me wanted to keep going but the common sense side of me knew I was smart enough to make hockey money elsewhere without putting my body through hell. I also played tennis internationally when I was younger so my body had a lot of miles on it, I should've focused on one or the other but stupid kid thought I could do it all.

I can't see them going back to the Canadian cups, the nhl doesn't want it's players at non nhl events so if you're going to showcase them there really is no better time than the olympics, the biggest stage it's the medal of all medals at the biggest stage so if they can't get the nhl to agree to that then the other competitions have little chance. It really is a shame that the powers that be are making this call but you have a lot of owners stuck in the dark ages and unfortunately they're the ones with power, the Jeremy Jacobs, Ed Snider types who are hard liners when it comes to their bottom line instead of the growth of the game.

Canada just owning this game with the fins but the fins putting together the recipes that's foiled Canada many times before, shut down everything be opportunistic when you get your chance and have a top end goalie, the ice has been tilted in finlands end all game, but few real chances, they're just comfortable to keep canada to the outside... gonna go down to the wire.

[mikeymike]

(02-15-2014 11:34 PM)Sugar Wrote:  

(02-15-2014 10:23 PM)Akula Wrote:  

(02-15-2014 06:12 PM)Brosemite Wrote:  

^^ Akula. Commentators (NBC) thought it was a high stick call in-game. Journalists in postgame analysis however indicate goalie accidentally knocked his own goal posts slightly off it's moorings.

Well if it's the moorings thing then it kinda sucks they disallowed it. First of all, the refs let the play go, all the players played it out and the goal was legit. Second, the US goalie Quick is the one who actually slightly knocked it off its moorings, so you don't want to set that precedent that you can do that and even if it's slightly ajar you're off the hook on a goal. (of course I don't think Quick did it on purpose, but it's just the principle of it).

Typically when the goal gets taken off it's moorings it's an immediate stoppage of play and the game stops. That didn't happen here and its lame the way it worked out. I'm a US fan but if I was Russian I'd be pissed. Never should have gone to OT/Penalties.

The shootout mechanics kinda blow too and having Oshie/Kovalchuk & Datsyuk able to just fire away after the first 4 rounds is lame...takes away from the concept of a 'team' game...clerarly Oshie was almost unstoppable and one guy should not be able to dominate the final result like that. Sorry but that's a big time fail for Olympic hockey and I sure hope the medals don't hinge on some of these sorts of vague/bizarre rules...then we're heading into football (soccer) World Cup sort of unfairness/wackiness.

Akula I will disagree with you and Mike a little bit in the sense that every team knew the rules in advance of the tournament. Russia knew the medals could come down to a shootout, USA knew the games could come down to a shootout, Sweden knew it, all teams knew it. The US chose Oshie on their roster for specifically that reason. If another country didn't choose to roster a shootout ace, and then loses after 65 minutes, I don't feel sorry for them.

I'm not saying it's unfair or one team has an advantage as you did point out everybody knew what the deal was I just as a hockey purist do not like the shootout to decide such a pivotal game, let the players decide the outcome. I couldn't imagine in baseball them going into extra innings and saying alright lets do a homerun derby to pick a winner, or nba overtime going to a slam dunk competition, and that's what this amounts to. It is what it is tho I'd just prefer nhl rules like they have in the playoffs.

[Akula]

^^^

Agree with this, particularly since the olympic overtime period is only 5 short minutes.

In international football (soccer) it's even worse where they decide World Cups via penalty shootouts (that are even more random than they are in hockey). NHL-style OT would be better in the olympics I think.

[KorbenDallas]

At least make the gold medal game sudden death with no shoot out.

[Akula]

(02-16-2014 02:16 PM)KorbenDallas Wrote:  

At least make the gold medal game sudden death with no shoot out.

Yeah that sounds more reasonable.

J*sus Drew Doughty scored AGAIN for Canada winning it for them in OT...that guy is on a roll..good game Finland though.

[mikeymike]

Canada deserved the win based on play but those ones can go either way, good thing for Canada, having to meet up with the Russians that early would've been nasty, Swiss will be a much more comfortable match up but a game that should look a lot like the Fin game. Doughty is just a beast on olympic ice, all that room he's everywhere.

[Vicious]

The Finns pushed pretty hard in the 3rd. It could have gone either way. A more close match than USA-RUS I say.

[Brosemite]

(02-16-2014 01:47 PM)mikeymike Wrote:  

I can't see them going back to the Canadian cups, the nhl doesn't want it's players at non nhl events so if you're going to showcase them there really is no better time than the olympics, the biggest stage it's the medal of all medals at the biggest stage so if they can't get the nhl to agree to that then the other competitions have little chance. It really is a shame that the powers that be are making this call but you have a lot of owners stuck in the dark ages and unfortunately they're the ones with power, the Jeremy Jacobs, Ed Snider types who are hard liners when it comes to their bottom line instead of the growth of the game.

This...is very important. What a lot of these owners don't realize is that the Olympics heavily contribute to the growth and publicity of the game in the long run while exposing the NHL's best talent to non-traditional hockey audiences. This is especially even more important for most American markets as I believe this has been one catalyst to higher league revenues & increasing caps for every franchise over time yeah?

Do the big shot owners think that way? No. They're unfortunately more concerned with "2 weeks" of immediate profits & it doesn't exactly help that Ed Snider is one of the more butt hurt owners seeing how Claude Giroux didn't make Team Canada either.

[Akula]

Man gotta say Russia doesn't look all that convincing against Norway. They are passing too many times and foregoing the decent shot to get something more perfect (which doesn't seem to be happening) and it just looks like they are not completely in sync. So much talent but it was 0-0 after the first and 2-0 after 2 but pretty frustrating watching them play.

Sure Norway is playing a neutral zone trap and not being very offensive-minded, but the way Russia looks right now I'd say they will have a very difficult time against the Finns if they win this game. Finland are a better team at this point I think.

[KorbenDallas]

I think the Russians will get it together. The Finns are tough, but I bet they pull it out. They haven't looked too convincing, but they'll dominate control of the puck and if they can score a couple early its over.

[KorbenDallas]

I took the Czechs tonight against the Slovaks, so, we'll see how that goes.

[Stun]

The Russians sure look like they have their head in their ass. The American announcers seem to think the pressure of playing at home is getting to them, but I'm not sure...it seems to me like they're just not playing that well. You can tell it's been a long time since a lot of these guys have played with each other.

[Stun]

Does anyone give Anze Kopitar and the surprising Slovenians a chance against Sweden? I wonder what kind of odds you could get on that bet.

[KorbenDallas]

25-1 to win in regulation. 100 to win 2500 not bad.

[Vicious]

Sweden is definitely not the most convincing team right now but they should have no issue with the Slovenians. Too many weapons.

[Akula]

(02-18-2014 11:14 AM)Sugar Wrote:  

Does anyone give Anze Kopitar and the surprising Slovenians a chance against Sweden? I wonder what kind of odds you could get on that bet.

No I think they have peaked and Sweden is just too strong. But who the hell knows its been a tight tournament.

Czechs barely pulled it out after being up 4-0 at one point. Surprised Switzerland lost.

[Snuke]

(02-18-2014 11:22 AM)KorbenDallas Wrote:  

25-1 to win in regulation. 100 to win 2500 not bad.

Yeah man, not bad at all. That's what makes these tourneys so exciting. Its one game. All you need is a goalie to go Ben Scrivens on the opposition and make over 60 saves for a shutout and get a lucky goal from someone and you could be up 2500 bucks player. I don't think its going to happen vs Sweden, but you never know.

[Stun]

(02-18-2014 06:47 PM)Snuke Wrote:  

(02-18-2014 11:22 AM)KorbenDallas Wrote:  

25-1 to win in regulation. 100 to win 2500 not bad.

Yeah man, not bad at all. That's what makes these tourneys so exciting. Its one game. All you need is a goalie to go Ben Scrivens on the opposition and make over 60 saves for a shutout and get a lucky goal from someone and you could be up 2500 bucks player. I don't think its going to happen vs Sweden, but you never know.

If any goalie was going to do that I thought it would be Hiller, but it looks like the Swiss are now Swiss cheese.

I can see Quick or Henrik winning a game where their respective team doesn't play that well.

[Chaos]

2-1 FIN-RUS after first period. Way to go captain Selänne!
Goddamn, I need to go to my kickboxing training after the second period. I'm seriously considering skipping it tonight.

[Akula]

(02-19-2014 08:17 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

2-1 FIN-RUS after first period. Way to go captain Selänne!
Goddamn, I need to go to my kickboxing training after the second period. I'm seriously considering skipping it tonight.

3-1 Finland now! I kinda thought this might happen. We'll see but Finland look better. Russia will have to step it up. Selanne's had the first goal and assisted on the 2nd (at 43)! If Russia loses this there will be hell to pay - maybe this will stop them from taking so many KHL players next time?

Swedes killed Slovenia 5-0....interesting day of hockey today...

[KorbenDallas]

Yea, Russia's defense simply doesn't look that good. NHL players are superior to KHLers in general, I didn't know they were insistent on taking more KHLers. Stupid. Also, not starting Sergei was stupid as well.

This is Canada's tourney to loes in my opinion. I hope they lose, but they are going to be tough to beat. I think Finland, if they make it, which it looks like they will, will take down Sweden.