[Avarence]

Had a feeling there'd be a point in the tournament where Canada's talent would prove to be overwhelming.
I didn't think the effort from the Americans was poor. They had chances. Canada's defense is simply world class.

[rudebwoy]

Haha people here are so happy, even had some Indian gal talk to me about the game out of nowhere.
They are glad to have beaten the evil empire.

[Suits]

[FrenchCanadian]

Happy to be a Habs fan right now. I think we have the best goalie in the world.

[mikeymike]

(02-21-2014 06:51 PM)FrenchCanadian Wrote:  

Happy to be a Habs fan right now. I think we have the best goalie in the world.

Always had a lotta respect for Price as a tender but wasn't sure how he'd handle the big stage, thought initially Luongo should've been the call but Price has been nothing short of world class when called upon. He's definitely stepping up to show he's in the top tier of tenders in my mind, that defense in front of him is helping a little bit but I can't take away anything based on his play.

[Vicious]

The 2014 Olympic games hockey finals between Sweden and Canada will be referred by Kelly Sutherland... a Canadian?

I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS

[KorbenDallas]

I think I'm going to bet on Canada. They're better overall, plus, they got the ref.

[Akula]

(02-20-2014 10:43 PM)DWF Wrote:  

I did tune in to the end of that game today, and while the drama was there, man, compared to real hockey, it's like watching it in slow motion. The difference in terms of speed, strength, agility, quickness, and overall athleticism between men and women tends to get amplified in team sports like hockey, basketball, and soccer.

Man I'm more in this camp - I turned off the ladies game early in the 2nd period due to how different and poorer hockey it seems versus the men's game. I've watched a logo of hockey so maybe that was part of it, but I couldn't get up for the game like I do for the men's tournament. I guess it was Choke City for the US women given they had a 2-goal lead with less than 4 minutes to play.

On the men's side the US just didn't have the depth end of the day that Canada did and when Canada is on defensive lockdown man that is just too tough to beat. US is fast and can score but we're still behind Canada.

Finland was my dark horse too until they lost their centers and then Rask. They seem to be one of the best 'teams' (from a collective teamwork perspective at least) but I think losing that many players is just too much to overcome. They can still beat the US in the bronze medal game if Rask is playing and/or Lehtinonen gets hot. Should be a good game today.

(02-22-2014 05:25 AM)Vicious Wrote:  

The 2014 Olympic games hockey finals between Sweden and Canada will be referred by Kelly Sutherland... a Canadian?

I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS

WTF how can the Olympic committee allow this? Don't get it.

Canada is clearly the favorite here but Sweden can win if Henrik the Great plays off the charts and Karlsson stays hot on offense. Should be a good game don't count the Swedes out.

[Akula]

geez - US down 4-0...embarrassing for the US....Selanne on fire....gg Finland

[Nonpareil]

Tough breaks for the USA; sad to see such a good team not medal. I knew Russia wouldn't medal (too many individual players, too many guys from the second-rate KHL, okay D, only forward who knows that the game is sometimes played inside your own zone is Datsyuk, etc,.), but the US was a serious heavyweight.

Which leads us back to some questionable personnel decisions.

Wheeler over Okposo?

Orpik over a pylon (or Yandle/Trouba)?

Dustin Brown sucks. So called 'leadership' at the expense of a guy who when he's busy not scoring, is diving and taking bad penalties. Callahan is way better.

The only forwards that showed up all tournament were Kessel, Backes, Oshie, Kesler, JVR and Pavelski (Kessel, Oshie and Kesler all had strong tournaments). Kane did fuck all (though I'm sure he got tons of pussy in the village), and Parise did fuck all. Suter and McDonagh had good tournaments up until this game (1st goal is on Suter, 2nd on McDo), everyone else was acceptable...but you don't win medals when over half your roster is 'acceptable'.

I like Canada's chances but don't like to count my chickens before they hatch. That D...every one of them (aside from Bouw, in stretches, and Hamhuis who shouldn't even be there anyways) has been stellar and Price behind them has been great; look at yesterday, yeah it was just 1-0, but if you watched, USA couldn't do shit. They're in tough against the Swedish team (that's essentially a more-skilled version of the Finnish team who gave them their biggest scare), but if they play smart, neutralize Karlsson and capitalize on any chances they get, they should take it.

...but 7:00 AM? Fuck off. I'll be glad when the NHL is back.

[Chaos]

Good game today. What a great way for Selänne to end Olympics.
Raising my toast for #8!

[mikeymike]

You could feel this us finn game going down like this, after the disheartening loss to the Canadian team the US packed it up, it was gold medal game or nothing. They played like a team who wanted to just head home while the finns played with pride and a great gets to walk out with a medal. On to the gold medal game. Should be a fun one, the swedes should play smarter than the Americans, play below the goal line and try to open the ice up instead of trying to blow past the Canadian d, there is no breaking them down that way. I still cant see the Swedes winning this one if both teams are on but there is no guarantee of that, if Lundqvist is on top of his game thisll go down to the wire, not as deep a Swede team as in years past but still never one you can look over. Heres to a good game.

[Emancipator]

(02-22-2014 05:25 AM)Vicious Wrote:  

The 2014 Olympic games hockey finals between Sweden and Canada will be referred by Kelly Sutherland... a Canadian?

I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS

He's from Richmond, BC (Suburb of Vancouver), never helped the Vancouver Canucks (he's been a horrible ref when reffing Vancouver games, 2011 SCF, 2012 Playoffs)

http://www.straight.com/blogra/379661/cl...es-canucks

[FrenchCanadian]

Happy for Teemu, he's been a great leader, role model for hockey.
One of the game's greats.
As for the US, I feel Burke not taking Bobby Ryan & Keith Yandle, and possibly Okposo.. was a mistake.

I think the USA squad is better and more skilled than Finland.... but their lack of effort and energy cost their country a medal. Canadian defeat or not, as an athelete... this is unacceptable.

[Snuke]

(02-21-2014 06:51 PM)FrenchCanadian Wrote:  

Happy to be a Habs fan right now. I think we have the best goalie in the world.

Yeah the kid has only performed on the big stage at every level. Its funny though because he will let in one goal on 60 shots in his first game back from the Olympics and Habs fans will take a shit on him. Feel sorry for the kid lol.

Fucking American team. No way they should of lost that one. I had a 4000.00 parlay on them and Canada together (out the window now). Was thinking there was no way that they lost that game. I still think if they played tomorrow, they win. Just needed a day to recoup after that loss last night. Oh well back to the drawing board, because tomorrow is going to be a beauty.

[Stun]

Embarrassing Americans don't show up for the Bronze game. I get it that they are bummed out they didn't get to play for gold, but should have been better against Finland. Full marks to Teemu and Finland for their medal!

[Laner]

(02-22-2014 02:37 PM)mikeymike Wrote:  

You could feel this us finn game going down like this, after the disheartening loss to the Canadian team the US packed it up, it was gold medal game or nothing. They played like a team who wanted to just head home while the finns played with pride and a great gets to walk out with a medal. On to the gold medal game. Should be a fun one, the swedes should play smarter than the Americans, play below the goal line and try to open the ice up instead of trying to blow past the Canadian d, there is no breaking them down that way. I still cant see the Swedes winning this one if both teams are on but there is no guarantee of that, if Lundqvist is on top of his game thisll go down to the wire, not as deep a Swede team as in years past but still never one you can look over. Heres to a good game.

I noticed this as well. Things that hockey has always taken seriously like walking into the arena in a suit, groomed and professional (US men walked into the arena wearing sweat suits). Not ever throwing a stick in a temper rage (American womens goaltender). It just seemed there was some unsportsmanlike attitude from the US this Olympics.

Anyways, back to the hockey.

Finland deserved that win, no question. I am confident in the Canadians, but Sweden is no slouch and could certainly stop the Canadians from scoring if they have their shit together.

But that Canadian defense is something else as well.

I need to go nap. Its going to be a long night for me. The game is at 4am here. The city is ready to party!

Where you watching the game Mikey?

[Stun]

Price looks very good, I never really thought about him as a top goalie, but he might change my mind, especially with a dominant performance against Sveden.

[Stun]

(02-22-2014 03:22 PM)Emancipator Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 05:25 AM)Vicious Wrote:  

The 2014 Olympic games hockey finals between Sweden and Canada will be referred by Kelly Sutherland... a Canadian?

I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS

He's from Richmond, BC (Suburb of Vancouver), never helped the Vancouver Canucks (he's been a horrible ref when reffing Vancouver games, 2011 SCF, 2012 Playoffs)

http://www.straight.com/blogra/379661/cl...es-canucks

It's off-topic a little, but I have mention the Kings raped Vancouver in that 2012 series and it had nothing to do with the officiating. I think LA had 5 SH goals vs 4 PP goals, so you could argue giving Vancouver a power play was actually an advantage Kings.

[Emancipator]

(02-22-2014 08:19 PM)Sugar Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 03:22 PM)Emancipator Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 05:25 AM)Vicious Wrote:  

The 2014 Olympic games hockey finals between Sweden and Canada will be referred by Kelly Sutherland... a Canadian?

I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS

He's from Richmond, BC (Suburb of Vancouver), never helped the Vancouver Canucks (he's been a horrible ref when reffing Vancouver games, 2011 SCF, 2012 Playoffs)

http://www.straight.com/blogra/379661/cl...es-canucks

It's off-topic a little, but I have mention the Kings raped Vancouver in that 2012 series and it had nothing to do with the officiating. I think LA had 5 SH goals vs 4 PP goals, so you could argue giving Vancouver a power play was actually an advantage Kings.

Typo, meant 2013 vs the Sharks (Canucks were weaker team, but Sutherland was still iffy)

2012 Kings were way too dominant, had nothing to do with officiating, apologies.

But 2011 SCF, Sedin getting penalized for getting punched? common.

[FrenchCanadian]

I find officiating as a whole has struggled in the tournament, and let's not mention this game...

[Akula]

1-0 to the Canucks....not looking good for Sweden as Canada looks quicker for sure and more on their game. Lundquist just a little bit out of sorts no? He's still hanging in there though.

I think Sweden's nightmare scenario would be to go down a goal early and have to battle back offensively and get through Canada's uber-tough D. Little early to say 'it's over' but so far it's not going they way they probably wanted it. Still two periods to go and anything can happen.

BTW the Russian Olympic team locked up the medal count victory this am going 1-2-3 in the men's 50K x-country race and then winning the 4-man bobsled. That's golds and total medals -- well done Russia.

[Vicious]

Congrats Canada.

I'm stunned to learn that Nicklas Bäckström has tested positive for doping. Very little details right now but the implications of this are immense. Sweden might lose the medal.

Being the most important center on the team losing him before the game was damning. I'm hoping that this is just a flu medicine registering on the doping test, if anything else he will be a pariah and will have to bear the blame for this loss. Whether fair or not. I can't imagine the morale hit it is to learn that a team mate is called for doping just before a game.

[Nonpareil]

Overall an underwhelming tournament; Canada had an easy walk to the QF, Russia choked, USA stopped giving a fuck when they couldn't get gold and both Finland and Sweden were depleted. The 7 AM and 12 PM starts helped nothing, I couldn't catch all the games I wanted, but what can be done about it?

Nonpareil's top 5 performers:

1) Drew Doughty (CAN) [difference maker in every game]
2) Erik Karlsson (SWE) [Doughty wins because I heard Karlsson's name maybe twice against Canada]
3) Phil Kessel (USA) [leading scorer, good even in the last two games]
4) Carey Price (CAN) [had help, but you can't knock the numbers]
5) Olli Määttä (FIN) [even if he was 27 he would be up there, but he's 19!]

HM: Shea Weber (CAN), Alexander Radulov (RUS), Mikael Granlund (FIN), TJ Oshie (USA), Jonathan Toews (CAN), Henrik Lundqvist (SWE), Michael Grabner (SUI), Jamie Benn (CAN), Daniel Sedin (SWE)

Nonpareil's goats:

1) Alex Ovechkin (RUS) [habitual big-game vanisher, dragged Malkin down with him]
2) Patrick Kane (USA) [more focus on winning, less on partying and smashing pussy]
3) Zach Parise (USA) [captain invisible]
4) Nicklas Backstrom (SWE) [it was Pesudoephedrine from allergy meds, but still...this is why you ask someone who knows the rules before taking pills]
5) Jaroslav Halak (SVK) [shit the bed]

DHM: Evgeni Malkin (RUS), Dustin Brown (USA), Nino Neiderreiter (SUI), Semyon Varlamov (RUS), Chris Kunitz (CAN), Gabriel Landeskog (SWE)

Extremely close to putting Crosby into the goats...but he was out for blood in the gold medal game, best player on the ice by far, creating chances every time he was on the ice and came away with a goal. Not enough to bump him up into the top echelon (though I think he had an okay tournament - better linemates would have helped), but enough to keep him out of the dog house.

[Vicious]

Biggest prophet of the 2014 Olympic games: Niklas Bäckströms grandma!