No Canada v USA Thread??

[Vinny P.]

Originally Posted by bababui

It was live on CNBC; Sweden v Finland in two hours.

Really? Maybe I should be there instead.

Not only did they have such a terrible spoiler, apparently not showing a tape delay of it, but they also had to cut away from bobsledding for that crap.

The LEAST they coulda done, was to just keep showing bobsledding, and show the tape delay of the Canada-USA game tomorrow at some point or whatever.

[bababui]

Originally Posted by Vinny P.

Really? Maybe I should be there instead.

Not only did they have such a terrible spoiler, apparently not showing a tape delay of it, but they also had to cut away from bobsledding for that crap.

The LEAST they coulda done, was to just keep showing bobsledding, and show the tape delay of the Canada-USA game tomorrow at some point or whatever.

CNBC is an American channel. They and MSNBC and USA have all the hockey live.

[Vinny P.]

Originally Posted by bababui

CNBC is an American channel. They and MSNBC and USA have all the hockey live.

I know that. I meant "there" meaning on that channel. Not just plain NBC.

[Afino]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

I was under the impression that Miller was terrible the prior 2 weeks up to the Olympics while Brodeur is Broduer. Their goals against average is close 2.16 to 2.32 while Brodeur leads the NHL in shutouts.

Luango's GAA is 2.35. I dont know that any coach could bench Brodeur in a game like this.

The goalie matchup looks pretty damn even on paper.

I thought RchW was comparing Brodeur and Luongo.

Because yeah, Miller's been terrible the last few weeks (believe me, I've watched ), because he's been overused in Buffalo and just showing signs of being tired.

[actionjackson]

Originally Posted by RchW

Full marks to the US. They had a game plan, stuck to it and rode a hot goaltender to victory. I was not impressed by the tentative nature of the Canadian game. It seemed slow and predictable.

Nope. They ran into a brick wall named Ryan Miller, while Brodeur flopped around like an out of water salmon during spawning season. Period. 44 to 22 in shots on goal in favour of Canada. Miller stole the show and Brodeur wasn't up to the task. Let's not repeat Torino again by sticking with the grizzled vets: Put Luongo back in. At least he's still 30 years old. If you look at the playoffs, Brodeur has been heading downward over the last couple of years. Might have something to do with his backup only seeing playing time in practice and the extremely rare game. He's had a great career and has delivered time and again for us, but this is no time to get sentimental. Make the switch Canada. Please.

[Vinny P.]

Originally Posted by actionjackson

Nope. They ran into a brick wall named Ryan Miller, while Brodeur flopped around like an out of water salmon during spawning season. Period. 44 to 22 in shots on goal in favour of Canada. Miller stole the show and Brodeur wasn't up to the task. Let's not repeat Torino again by sticking with the grizzled vets: Put Luongo back in. At least he's still 30 years old. If you look at the playoffs, Brodeur has been heading downward over the last couple of years. Might have something to do with his backup only seeing playing time in practice and the extremely rare game. He's had a great career and has delivered time and again for us, but this is no time to get sentimental. Make the switch Canada. Please.

I would probably make some kind of small bet that the USA will win gold this year. I dunno why, I just kinda have a feeling....

[Le Grande Orange]

Team Canada lost. Heh, hardly surprising to me, considering they had to go to a shootout to beat Sweden.

"Own the podium" indeed. Maybe that slogan meant the 2014 Winter Olympics...

[Storgers]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

Team Canada lost. Heh, hardly surprising to me, considering they had to go to a shootout to beat Sweden.

"Own the podium" indeed. Maybe that slogan meant the 2014 Winter Olympics...

I think you mean the Swiss...

Canada was the better team tonight, by far. Except in one important position...goalie.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by Storgers

I think you mean the Swiss...

Canada was the better team tonight, by far. Except in one important position...goalie.

better team tonight, by far

Canada 3
USA 5

Are you sure you didnt mean USA was the better team tonight, by far?

USA played harder and wanted it more. The game isnt played on paper.

[Erik W.]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

better team tonight, by far

Canada 3
USA 5

Are you sure you didnt mean USA was the better team tonight, by far?

USA played harder and wanted it more. The game isnt played on paper.

Shots on goal: Canada 45, USA 23.

I'm not sure how that translates to "play(ing) harder and want(ing) it more". Seems to me that it was a hot goalie vs a sloppy one.

[Vinny P.]

Originally Posted by Erik W.

Shots on goal: Canada 45, USA 23.

I'm not sure how that translates to "play(ing) harder and want(ing) it more". Seems to me that it was a hot goalie vs a sloppy one.

That all depends on the quality of the shots though. Were the 45 Canadian shots sloppy, and the American goalie just lucked out, and the American shots were right on target, and the Canadian goalie did not?

[Storgers]

Originally Posted by Vinny P.

That all depends on the quality of the shots though. Were the 45 Canadian shots sloppy, and the American goalie just lucked out, and the American shots were right on target, and the Canadian goalie did not?

Canada had double the amount of scoring chances as well. At least according to the stats that were announced.

[Storgers]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

better team tonight, by far

Canada 3
USA 5

Are you sure you didnt mean USA was the better team tonight, by far?

USA played harder and wanted it more. The game isnt played on paper.

Unfortunately for Canada, the goalie is part of the team so when you add in the goalie, the US was the better team.

Apart from the goaltending, Canada had double the scoring chances, double the shots, a big edge in positional play and they had more hits. So if (and a huge if) you take away the goaltending play, Canada was better.

The US did dominate in the face-off circle which helped their cause greatly.

[Storgers]

Trola,

A quote from the US coach -

"In fairness, Canada out-chanced us two-to-one for most of the game and our goalie played excellent," said Wilson. "We've still got a long ways to go here. There are some great teams out there. Personally, I think Canada is the best team - and Russia is right behind them with all the skill they have up front."


Although I am not sure I agree that Canada is the best team right now....

[actionjackson]

I can't believe this is being debated. Ryan Miller was out of this world tonight and frequently is. He played like Ken Dryden, Terry Sawchuk, or Dominik Hasek (whatever all-time great is your favourite). Martin Brodeur played like Andre "Red Light" Racicot, Damian "Dusty" Rhodes, or Dan Cloutier (or any of your other favourite all-time sieves). Period. End of story. Aside from the goaltenders, the ice was on a tilt in favour of Canada. If you can't see that you're deluding yourself, or you didn't watch the game, but reveled later in the result. The goaltenders are a very important part of the team, particularly in a one-off situation. Canada still has two world class goalies behind Brodeur. If they choose to shoot themselves in the face by not starting one of them in the next game out of a sense of loyalty to the guy who backstopped them to their first Olympic gold in fifty years (8 damn years ago), it would not be unreasonable for the entire management team and coaching staff to be dumped into English Bay.

"Own The Podium" is just a stupid catch phrase designed to get wealthy patrons/corporations to pony up for the amateur athletes who have basically been ignored until these games, which were barely awarded to Vancouver back in 2003. "Winter" Olympics indeed - when you have to truck in snow from all over hell's half acre in order to make the games work, you shouldn't have the games. So let's see here's the "formula for success" that my country has adopted so far:

1) Don't bother funding athletes (pre-2003 when games were awarded to Vancouver)
2) Get ticked off when said athletes fail to live up to expectations
3) Win right to host games in 2010
4) Invent catchy phrase and throw money at athletes, failing to realize that said catchy phrase will tick off every other competing country and put even more ridiculous pressure than ordinary host country pressure
5) Navel gaze, hand wring and wonder: "Wha happen?"

It takes steady, long term investment to see a good return in every other business endeavour. Why would this one be any different? Slap dash, haphazard investment is the path of the idiot everywhere else. Why did people think that wouldn't be the case here?

Catch phrases that rile up the opponent have another name in the other sports. They're called blackboard material. Only problem in this case is you've got about 80 different opponents to tick off. It is a no win strategy. Don't talk smack unless you can back it up with results. Unfortunately the smack talking came from media blowhards, political blowhards, VANOC blowhards, Joe Canadian blowhards etc. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Then again when you go looking for financial support: "We're going to give it a good ole Canadian effort eh! blah blah blah" just doesn't have as much of a ring to it as "Own The Podium".

"OTP" has absolutely zero to do with the millionaire set of athletes on the stronger teams in the mens' hockey tournament LGO. It's mainly to help the amateur athletes, by allowing them to focus on their training without worrying about money, so I don't know why you would reference it when talking about the hockey tournament.

Vinny P., I wouldn't want to place a bet on anybody in this tournament. Truthfully any of Canada, USA, The Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, Finland and Slovakia could wind up on any of the three podium spots in this tournament. It's that close. Just look at the last three finals:

1998 - Czech/Russia
2002 - Canada/USA
2006 - Sweden/Finland

Six different teams. We all marvel at how in best of 7 game series' the "best" team doesn't always win. In one game (I know it's cliche, but...) absolutely anything can happen. Save your money for OOTP.

Storgers, Ron Wilson (Team USA coach) is just covering his ass. He'd like nothing better than to gloat about it, but he knows that when the Olympics are over he has to return to the "hockey mecca" that is Toronto, aka "Centre of the (Canadian) Universe".

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by actionjackson

"Own The Podium" is just a stupid catch phrase designed to get wealthy patrons/corporations to pony up for the amateur athletes who have basically been ignored until these games, which were barely awarded to Vancouver back in 2003.

Well, the government here does actually pay money to support its athletes. Unlike, say, the U.S. speed skating team, which had to rely on Stephen Colbert to step in and help with funding.

Originally Posted by actionjackson

...Ron Wilson (Team USA coach) is just covering his ass. He'd like nothing better than to gloat about it, but he knows that when the Olympics are over he has to return to the "hockey mecca" that is Toronto, aka "Centre of the (Canadian) Universe".

As if Vancouver hasn't been patting itself on the back for getting the Olympics and gloating about what a great & superior place it is.

As for Wilson, I almost feel sorry for him. He's stuck handling the Maple Leafs, which, no matter who's put behind the bench or up in the GM's office, will be anything other than craptacular for many seasons to come.

[Vinny P.]

Originally Posted by actionjackson

Vinny P., I wouldn't want to place a bet on anybody in this tournament. Truthfully any of Canada, USA, The Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, Finland and Slovakia could wind up on any of the three podium spots in this tournament. It's that close. Just look at the last three finals:

1998 - Czech/Russia
2002 - Canada/USA
2006 - Sweden/Finland

Six different teams. We all marvel at how in best of 7 game series' the "best" team doesn't always win. In one game (I know it's cliche, but...) absolutely anything can happen. Save your money for OOTP.

Well, I did say I would wager a small bet. You know, something friendly, just to make the tournament that much more exciting.

If you REALLY want, we could place a bet as much as buying the other person OOTP 12!

I certainly wouldn't place a million bucks on the US. I would probably place as much as $20 in a friendly wager, but no more.

I just have a feeling the US could just pull this off. And not because of the win against Canada tonight. I had that feeling from before the tournament started.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by Erik W.

Shots on goal: Canada 45, USA 23.

I'm not sure how that translates to "play(ing) harder and want(ing) it more". Seems to me that it was a hot goalie vs a sloppy one.

What defines a hot goalie and a sloppy goalie?

In February prior to the Olympics Miller was 1-3 3.13 GAA .901 SV
while Brodeur was 2-3 3.14 GAA .871 SV

In other words they both appeared playing evenly poor coming into the games. Perhaps the USA just took better shots and made more of their chances? Is it because they beat Canada that suddenly Miller is now a "hot" goalie?

Its fair if that is how you classify it, most "experts" do the same. Myself I find it kind of ammusing to take a very small sample size over the larger sample size to judge a player. The larger sample size says both goalies are having great years while the small 1 month sample size says the are both having a terrible year. If we break it down into 1 game then yes Brodeur is playing sloppy right now while Miller is playing very well.

My point is you really cant judge whether a goalie is hot or sloppy based on one game.

Canada has had over 40 shots the past 2 games and scored 3 in each. Perhaps they are taking bad shots or not hitting their targets and its really not the goalie making all of the plays?

[Jonzard]

I gotta say, Brodeur's goals were pretty tough. He hardly had a bad night. He made some huge saves one those back to back 1on1's in the 2nd (I think) that were probably the biggest saves of the night.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by actionjackson

I can't believe this is being debated. Ryan Miller was out of this world tonight and frequently is. He played like Ken Dryden, Terry Sawchuk, or Dominik Hasek (whatever all-time great is your favourite). Martin Brodeur played like Andre "Red Light" Racicot, Damian "Dusty" Rhodes, or Dan Cloutier (or any of your other favourite all-time sieves). Period. End of story. Aside from the goaltenders, the ice was on a tilt in favour of Canada. If you can't see that you're deluding yourself, or you didn't watch the game, but reveled later in the result. The goaltenders are a very important part of the team, particularly in a one-off situation. Canada still has two world class goalies behind Brodeur. If they choose to shoot themselves in the face by not starting one of them in the next game out of a sense of loyalty to the guy who backstopped them to their first Olympic gold in fifty years (8 damn years ago), it would not be unreasonable for the entire management team and coaching staff to be dumped into English Bay.

What makes you so sure they would do better? Brodeur has been outplaying both of them on the season.

Would you bench Albert Pujols if he had an 0-4 game in the world series.

You Canadians have an over reaction problem. It's one game and I would bet anyone even money that the winner of Russia/Canada wins the gold.