2010 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team

[GaijinGolfer]

The goaltending for the USA was solid, but you cant discount the defense. They did a good job of clearing the puck out and limiting Canada's scoring opportunities. Not to mention the offense took advantage of opportunities and made Canada pay dearly for their mistakes.
IMO, Canada believed too much of their own hype and thought the the gold medal was a lock for them.

[sean_miller]

The goaltending for the USA was solid, but you cant discount the defense. They did a good job of clearing the puck out and limiting Canada's scoring opportunities. Not to mention the offense took advantage of opportunities and made Canada pay dearly for their mistakes.

I think the goaltending debate begins and ends with 2 bonehead plays by Marty Brodeur that led directly to goals, whereas Miller allowed hid defensemen to do their jobs. Miller played solidly, making 39 saves - and many key ones in the final 5 minutes. Canada may still have lost the game with Luongo or Fleury in net, but Brodeur spotting the US 2 easy goals was a factor.

PS. It's a couple TV stations (TSN, Sportsnet, and the Don Cherry network) brainwashing the Canadian hockey fan who doesn't really know their a$$ from a hole in the ground when it comes to the NHL and all it's players (let alone the KHL). Do you know how many people I've talked to this week who probably couldn't name 5 players on the US, Swedish or Russian teams? Combined!!! The average Canadian has no idea how good the rest of the world is at hockey, but the Canadian players, coaches, and management know it though - they're never spoken in absolutes when speaking of their chances.

[Big_M]

Canada got off to a rough start in Salt Lake City in 2002 too, and then went on to win gold. Looking forward to the hockey over the next 6 days.

Yeah... it's way too early to count them out. I was sooo glad Yzerman carried himself better than Gretzky in Salt Lake. Gretzky is great and all, but he acted like a little baby in Salt Lake... made me sick watching it.

Regardless, the US will cruise to the semi-finals where as the Canadians,

That's going to be a hell of a game... definately worth missing work. Also, I think NBC Olympic website might have a live feed if you must work.

It's not directly related, but I saw my first ever live Ice Hockey game the other day (UK)... It was effectively the lower of the 2 main leagues here in the UK, and I watched the Swindon Wildcats vs Slough Jets so I expect the standard was well below what you're used to.

yeah... 15-20 minute break is to resurface the ice... which gets pretty chewed up. My 2 cents, but hockey is by far the most exciting team sport to watch... very fast paced and not full of stopages in play. In football and basketball (especially at the end) you have constant stopping of play with commercials. In hockey most commercials are between periods, so if you have a DVR you can watch a hockey game in about 75-80 minutes... and you don't have to FF all the time, mostly just between periods and 1-2 commercials per period. I am biased, but hockey is about the only sport I really follow on TV other than golf.

[apex53]

How in the wide world of sports does a puck go through the net and the net not have a hole in it? I've watched hockey for 35 years and never seen that before. That was a freaking blow gun by Weber. Wow!

[gogolfing]

How in the wide world of sports does a puck go through the net and the net not have a hole in it? I've watched hockey for 35 years and never seen that before. That was a freaking blow gun by Weber. Wow!

That was crazy; so clean through that no one really noticed until the stop in play.

[gogolfing]

How in the wide world of sports does a puck go through the net and the net not have a hole in it? I've watched hockey for 35 years and never seen that before. That was a freaking blow gun by Weber. Wow!

That was crazy; so clean through that no one really noticed until the stop in play.

[apex53]

I've joked at times about a shot blowing the back of the net out and damned if that one didn't...

Looking forward to the games tomorrow

[Divot Tool]

It's a couple TV stations (TSN, Sportsnet, and the Don Cherry network) brainwashing the Canadian hockey fan who doesn't really know their a$$ from a hole in the ground when it comes to the NHL and all it's players (let alone the KHL). Do you know how many people I've talked to this week who probably couldn't name 5 players on the US, Swedish or Russian teams? Combined!!! The average Canadian has no idea how good the rest of the world is at hockey, but the Canadian players, coaches, and management know it though - they're never spoken in absolutes when speaking of their chances.

Some pretty harsh words in that blanket statement don't you think? Try to empathize if you can, a nation which loves a sport. That love for a particular sport, drives them to invest for the future, promoting grassroots activities to professional careers. So when they lose, one can imagine the disappointment. As for Canadians, they do love their hockey and going into the Olympics they had great expectations. There are those who watch the occasional hockey game Saturday night, catch 2 minutes of Coach's Corner with Ron MacLean and Don Cherry and take if for gospel. Then there are those who know hockey and understand the game internationally is growing leaps and bounds. If that wasn't the case, Sunday's Canada vs. USA hockey match tickets would not be selling for $2000 a piece. Given that it is the Olympics, the Canadian public naturally will cheer for their team as I imagine Americans cheer for it's athletes. While it's true that we expect to win in hockey, I fail to see how you came to the conclusion that we somehow we were foolish enough to guarantee a win? Perhaps I missed something.

[sean_miller]

Some pretty harsh words in that blanket statement don't you think?

I'm a Canadian who was responding to a blanket statement made by an American about the national team - my comments about marginal hockey fans who know nothing about non-Canadian hockey players is 100% true. I know and work with a lot of very knowledgable hockey fans - they do well in pools and were very nervous about playing both the US and the Swiss. I suspect you're not one of the hockey fans I was talking about - based on your own description of a marginal fan. Good for you.

I've read and watched a lot of hockey pundits in this country in the past 24 months - they too have spoken so many times about how "we" should expect to win. That's great, except they're not playing and neither are we. Hope for the 23 men sent to represent us, but be sure to smell the coffee. Canada may have more top players - a deeper pool - but only a small fraction of the very best players in the world. It's up for grabs - no sure things - to "expect" implies certainty. I hope Canada wins. I'm also tired of quasi-fans. People will somehow be disgusted at the players representing Canada if they don't dispose of the weak Russians and Swedes. They're already sure the sky is falling because the US game wasn't a red and white blowout.

[Divot Tool]

Wow. 7-3 Canada.

Great energy to that game. Physical, gritty Canadian style hockey. What surprised me was how effectively Canada clogged the neutral zone and defended the blue line, giving the Russians everything on the boards and then taking it away. This nullified the Russian attack. Afinogenov's goal was a result of a superb pass by Kovalchuck who threaded the puck past two Canadians behind the defenceman, other than that, there was little the Russians could do strategically.

Luongo took a page from Ryan Miller not trying to do too much, stopping pucks, then trusting the rest to his defenceman. Jonathan Toews, although not on the scoresheet played very well setting up two crucial goals.

Looking forward to the semi-finals.

[gogolfing]

What a game tonight. I was criticizing Babcock for line juggling earlier, but he seemed to nail it tonight, and the Canadian team looked so well prepared. My guess is that has a lot to do with the work of Ken Hitchock.

Great intensity and smart hockey by the Canadians. Go figure, a 7-3 game and both Crosby and Ovechkin are held off the score sheet.

Looking forward to Friday night now!!!

[DavidFehertysBike]

The canadians are crazy with thier sticks..

[Jay-Bird]

I've never been so excited for a hockey final four...

[apex53]

Just outstanding... I stayed up late last night to watch Slovokia vs Sweden... What a great tournament so far... Can we get lucky and have a USA vs Canada gold medal game?

[murphmjm]

would love to see USA and Canada again, although I feel that the Canadians would get the better of USA next time around.

[Divot Tool]

would love to see USA and Canada again, although I feel that the Canadians would get the better of USA next time around.

If the Canadians play like they play tonight, they won't be winning Gold. That was a weak finish by the Canadians. If it were not for the glove of Luongo, the Canadians would have been playing for Bronze Saturday. WEAK! I'd imagine that Babcock is giving them an earful after leading by 3 goals going into the 3rd period. I am passionately pissed off at the Men's hockey team.

[bogeyhitter25]

As long as the US doesn't put Tim Thomas in goal they should do alright.

totally agree. ryan miller is nasty, and im a bruins fan.

they honestly should just keep tuukka rask in all the time and usa is gonna rock the canadians. can you say OVERRATED

[senorchipotle]

are y'all watching this game!?! we've got momentum going into OT, we're about to pwn canada.