2010 Olympics - Men's hockey gold medal winner.
- Thread starter G1GBallday
- Start date
If you are smart you would put some serious coinage for Team USA to win the gold, trust me your favorite escort will be happy that you did.
Hello all,
Ahhhh, there's nothing like playing both sides by rooting for both teams one way or another so no one can say you were wrong...again...LOL!
If Canada makes it, I'm pretty sure they will...lol, a U.S.A. v Canada final should be brutal. There is no more possible motivation for Canada. National honor and a thirst to avenge a loss will have their adrenalin running as high as their intensity and determination. Of course the U.S.A has already proven it has all the tools.
What may be the decisive factor is the extra game played by team Canada. The kind of intensity and adrenalin rush they will start with may also use up their energy reserves more quickly since they have to be more tired from the extra game. Too much intensity could could easily wear them out by the end of the second period, and if they don't score well early they may not have enough left to score late, no matter how motivated. But, of course it's also a matter of who plays better and makes fewer mistakes, so we'll see.
In any case, The U.S.A. was not expected to be in the top tier of teams according to what I have read and heard from commentators and analysts. So we have done better than expected, and beaten the statistically best team in the world when we were on even terms considering the number of games played at the time. This should be a very close game.
Cheers,
Merlot
Ahhhh, there's nothing like playing both sides by rooting for both teams one way or another so no one can say you were wrong...again...LOL!
Here's hoping that Doc's streak from his last predictions hold true and that this is the 1 time in 10 that the curse of Joe.t does not apply...he's due...lol
If Canada makes it, I'm pretty sure they will...lol, a U.S.A. v Canada final should be brutal. There is no more possible motivation for Canada. National honor and a thirst to avenge a loss will have their adrenalin running as high as their intensity and determination. Of course the U.S.A has already proven it has all the tools.
What may be the decisive factor is the extra game played by team Canada. The kind of intensity and adrenalin rush they will start with may also use up their energy reserves more quickly since they have to be more tired from the extra game. Too much intensity could could easily wear them out by the end of the second period, and if they don't score well early they may not have enough left to score late, no matter how motivated. But, of course it's also a matter of who plays better and makes fewer mistakes, so we'll see.
In any case, The U.S.A. was not expected to be in the top tier of teams according to what I have read and heard from commentators and analysts. So we have done better than expected, and beaten the statistically best team in the world when we were on even terms considering the number of games played at the time. This should be a very close game.
Cheers,
Merlot
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These guys are used to playing on consecutive nights and sometimes 3 games in 4 days in the NHL. That extra game won't be a factor whatsoever.
It's classic Joe.t...the quandary is figuring out whether he is serious or sarcastic...whats cool about being a waffle is you never know which side is up...and you are never wrong...LOL!
The scary part is I think I may be starting to understand his posts....
Do you think Fred will ever listen about the smileys
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At least I have the balls to make a prediction unlike you, I wish, I hope, I want, etc, sound familiar oh fearless one.
At least I have the balls to make a prediction unlike you, I wish, I hope, I want, etc, sound familiar oh fearless one.
I pick Russia...uh no wait a minute...The USA is gonna win....buttt ...uh.....Canada is my team....
Yup...you made a prediction...
Stones of granite!!!
PS My vote was for the USA, and it hasn't changed.
Canada looking great right now.....3-0 for Canada over Slovakia in the 2nd period.
A final between Canada & the US will be fantastic on Sunday!!!!
A final between Canada & the US will be fantastic on Sunday!!!!
Hello JB,
Of course all people who follow hockey at all know how the games run tightly together often. But I cannot see how you can be so sure that having played most of the regular hockey season already, and having the pressure and intensity of national honor the Canadians and their team have put on themselves, that this situation will not wear on them more due to the extra game. Now the game we just saw seemed to follow generally the scenario I described. Canada survived tonight after early dominance with the Slovakians dominating the 3rd period Slovakia just missed a tie on two last second shots that shaved the net as they held Canada generally in their own end for most of the last period. Coincidence maybe. The Canadians tiring...maybe that too. Good thing there is a day of rest for your team. Anyway, there's a great game ahead.
Cheers,
Merlot
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illiterate ****
Does sitting on the bench for almost all of the tournament as a back up really = “competing”? I guess not too many dictionaries are floating around in your trailer park.
Does sitting on the bench for almost all of the tournament as a back up really = “competing”? I guess not too many dictionaries are floating around in your trailer park.
Exactly!, these guys are not tired in the least , trust me , if anything the extra game will help Canada as there used to playing this type of schedule in the NHL this season. there bodies are used to it plus most of them are playing less minutes in each game than they normally due on their NHL teams.
I don't know if you've noticed, but there's a pretty good hockey tournament going on at the Olympics. If you're gonna keep on acting stupid & trying to goad others into flame wars (just for the sake of starting a flame war) with your name-calling, you're not wanted here. So go wait for us in the other NHL threads & we'll see ya in a few days!!
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not to bright are ya goscabsgo? the Monster actually got the Win in the game he played and "COMPETED" in, man it is easy making you look silly. and for the record, speaking of trailers, i keep taking out the trash but it keeps coming back to the hockey threads , must be this time of year, late in the nhl season, there seems to be alot of empty molson's and sandwich wrappers under the wagon , clean it up, you gotta live there, AGAIN, soon.
, must be this time of year, late in the nhl season, there seems to be alot of empty molson's and sandwich wrappers under the wagon , clean it up, you gotta live there, AGAIN, soon.
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U.S. success solidifies status of Burke, Wilson
by Damien Cox
VANCOUVER
The Leaf Nation can rest easy.
Apparently, Brian Burke does knows how to construct a strong hockey team.
And Ron Wilson knows how to coach one.
From the 6-1 thrashing Team USA laid on Finland on Friday in the Olympic semifinals, fans of the Maple Leafs could take a renewed sense of confidence that while their team may still, well, stink, the two men in charge of getting the club back to competitiveness appear to be well-equipped for the task.
Back-to-back horrible seasons under Wilson had, to many, brought into question his ability to turn the Leafs around and handle the scrutiny of coaching in Toronto after experiencing success in smaller-market Anaheim, Washington and San Jose. But this U.S. side has appeared well-organized and well-coached from the outset, remaining the only unbeaten and untied squad in the competition.
"When you've got great goaltending, very mobile defencemen and skill up front, you just try to stay out of the way," Wilson, who coached the U.S. to victory in the 1996 World Cup, said after the resounding victory over the Finns.
Then he added, "I didn't come into the tournament to prove my coaching abilities."
Burke, meanwhile, had attracted increasing criticism in only his first full season in Toronto, particularly after a deal last fall in which he dealt two first-round picks and a second-rounder to Boston for scoring winger Phil Kessel. With incumbent Vesa Toskala awful and rookie Jonas Gustavsson injured, sick or inexperienced, the team's goaltending was weak, costing the club points in the early part of the season.
But trades with Calgary to acquire defenceman Dion Phaneuf and with Anaheim to bring in veteran netminder J.S. Giguere were encouraging to most Leaf fans. Now, the way in which this American team has played, and the fact it will win gold or silver in what many have called the best hockey tournament in history, has fortified Burke's reputation.
It's not just that the Americans have played well. It's that Burke built the roster with a specific blueprint, which meant high-profile U.S. veterans like Mike Modano, Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin were excluded, not to mention Scott Gomez, Tim Connolly, Kyle Okposo and T.J. Oshie.
But it wasn't just about going with a new generation of new American stars. Burke believed the team had to have more than talented all-stars and needed to have enough grit and size to be able to handle the higher-seeded teams from Sweden, Russia and Canada.
So he named players like 33-year-old centre Chris Drury and speedy winger Ryan Callahan, as well as big centre David Backes. When defencemen Mike Komisarek and Paul Martin went down with pre-Olympic injuries, Burke went for more size in Tim Gleason and Ryan Whitney.
The result has been a team that has congealed around the superb goalkeeping of Ryan Miller and has had a sense of identity from the beginning that helped them to a 3-0 start and an easier path to the final.
Again, Burke could have chosen a very different squad, either one honouring the warriors of the past or one featuring more talented attackers. He didn't, sticking to his concept of what would work, and the results have been tremendous.
It hasn't been an easy time for Burke as he deals with the shocking death of his 21-year-old son, Brendan. The Leaf GM has been a constant presence throughout the Games in a show of personal fortitude rivalling that of bronze medal-winning Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette.
It was probably more important for Wilson to have success here than Burke. Now, regardless of what happens the rest of the way during another disappointing Leaf campaign, it seems inconceivable that Wilson would be dumped at the end of the season.
Despite what Wilson says, he did need to prove himself at these Games. He has. So has his boss.
by Damien Cox
VANCOUVER
The Leaf Nation can rest easy.
Apparently, Brian Burke does knows how to construct a strong hockey team.
And Ron Wilson knows how to coach one.
From the 6-1 thrashing Team USA laid on Finland on Friday in the Olympic semifinals, fans of the Maple Leafs could take a renewed sense of confidence that while their team may still, well, stink, the two men in charge of getting the club back to competitiveness appear to be well-equipped for the task.
Back-to-back horrible seasons under Wilson had, to many, brought into question his ability to turn the Leafs around and handle the scrutiny of coaching in Toronto after experiencing success in smaller-market Anaheim, Washington and San Jose. But this U.S. side has appeared well-organized and well-coached from the outset, remaining the only unbeaten and untied squad in the competition.
"When you've got great goaltending, very mobile defencemen and skill up front, you just try to stay out of the way," Wilson, who coached the U.S. to victory in the 1996 World Cup, said after the resounding victory over the Finns.
Then he added, "I didn't come into the tournament to prove my coaching abilities."
Burke, meanwhile, had attracted increasing criticism in only his first full season in Toronto, particularly after a deal last fall in which he dealt two first-round picks and a second-rounder to Boston for scoring winger Phil Kessel. With incumbent Vesa Toskala awful and rookie Jonas Gustavsson injured, sick or inexperienced, the team's goaltending was weak, costing the club points in the early part of the season.
But trades with Calgary to acquire defenceman Dion Phaneuf and with Anaheim to bring in veteran netminder J.S. Giguere were encouraging to most Leaf fans. Now, the way in which this American team has played, and the fact it will win gold or silver in what many have called the best hockey tournament in history, has fortified Burke's reputation.
It's not just that the Americans have played well. It's that Burke built the roster with a specific blueprint, which meant high-profile U.S. veterans like Mike Modano, Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin were excluded, not to mention Scott Gomez, Tim Connolly, Kyle Okposo and T.J. Oshie.
But it wasn't just about going with a new generation of new American stars. Burke believed the team had to have more than talented all-stars and needed to have enough grit and size to be able to handle the higher-seeded teams from Sweden, Russia and Canada.
So he named players like 33-year-old centre Chris Drury and speedy winger Ryan Callahan, as well as big centre David Backes. When defencemen Mike Komisarek and Paul Martin went down with pre-Olympic injuries, Burke went for more size in Tim Gleason and Ryan Whitney.
The result has been a team that has congealed around the superb goalkeeping of Ryan Miller and has had a sense of identity from the beginning that helped them to a 3-0 start and an easier path to the final.
Again, Burke could have chosen a very different squad, either one honouring the warriors of the past or one featuring more talented attackers. He didn't, sticking to his concept of what would work, and the results have been tremendous.
It hasn't been an easy time for Burke as he deals with the shocking death of his 21-year-old son, Brendan. The Leaf GM has been a constant presence throughout the Games in a show of personal fortitude rivalling that of bronze medal-winning Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette.
It was probably more important for Wilson to have success here than Burke. Now, regardless of what happens the rest of the way during another disappointing Leaf campaign, it seems inconceivable that Wilson would be dumped at the end of the season.
Despite what Wilson says, he did need to prove himself at these Games. He has. So has his boss.
so many people just dont understand the draft pics for Kessel scenario, Burke has aquired guys that were either first rounders (Paridis, Aulie, etc) recently, and college kids who could pan out to be of equal value as first rounders, and in the case of the college guys (bozak, stalberg and hanson) he gave up NOTHING for them, plus he signed the Monster who is the future hopefully, and remember a huge amount of NHL teams wanted him, and adding Phaneuf. Giguere, and Sjostrom while getting rid of overrated and expensive players was pure genius... anyways, Burke and Wilson are continuing to show that USA Hockey has improved by leaps and bounds over the last decade... good job guys!
PS. dont forget that Burke drafted Nadri, who after a slow start is ripping up the OHL and progressing nicely and should be a very good NHL'er, possibly the centre Kessel needs? could be. i was there when he was drafted last year, thanks Techman!
PS. dont forget that Burke drafted Nadri, who after a slow start is ripping up the OHL and progressing nicely and should be a very good NHL'er, possibly the centre Kessel needs? could be. i was there when he was drafted last year, thanks Techman!
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It's great to see the positive "there's always next season" mentality...but while you guys are lamenting the genius of your team leaders ... the Laffs are well, still the Laffs. I'm not a hockey guy by any stretch and I'm not looking to start a flame war Iggy...so calm down...I just think its cool to find people talking positively about their team even when they suck. It's sooo not like most Yankee fans(that was a complement). LOL.
Anyway...while it's apparent that these two guys have had success in a short tournament and it is also obvious that they can spot talent and pair it well against a limited international roster(and the teams weaknesses)...the question is can they do the same thing over a long NHL season with a bunch of "paid" assassins for the entire season in a highly competitive league...I guess we'll see next year.
Enjoyed the posts gents, thank you.
Anyway...while it's apparent that these two guys have had success in a short tournament and it is also obvious that they can spot talent and pair it well against a limited international roster(and the teams weaknesses)...the question is can they do the same thing over a long NHL season with a bunch of "paid" assassins for the entire season in a highly competitive league...I guess we'll see next year.
Enjoyed the posts gents, thank you.
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Ryan Miller Impostor Pranks MSNBC; MSNBC Forced To Apologize
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/va...d-by-fake-Ryan-Miller-offers-o?urn=oly,224640
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/va...d-by-fake-Ryan-Miller-offers-o?urn=oly,224640
The one game, to the mighty hockey powerhouse of Belarus - “the Monster” even allowed 2 goals to someone called Dmitri Meleshko – good luck with that.
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