2014 Olympics

[Victor 11,021]

LATVIA!!!!

[Sandro 251]

HOLY SHIT DANIEL SEDIN SCORED A GOAL. THEN HE FELL OVER LIKE "OMG I ACTUALLY SCORED A GOAL"

 

[Devise 4,475]

Backstrom has been great with Sedin this Olympics, about time that line got some on the scoreboard.

 

Latvia could upset Canada...I wish I wasn't speaking the truth but I am. Ted has that team playing hard defensive hockey. Boring? Yes, but tough to play against and can steal a game even from a top flight team like Canada. Underdogs doing damage this tourney is pretty much the theme here. 

[Devise 4,475]

I love Ovechkin, but man....what an awful Olympics for Russia. Who would of thought it was their defense and goaltending that would of been their best trait throughout these Olympics? Honestly they struggled to get any offense going all tournament. I'm not going to lie, as the pressure got on in the Fin game they just got lazier and lazier. Players just drifting around. Sure maybe they still wouldn't of won, but every single player on that bench should of been pushing until they couldn't push no more in that situation. Zero heart.

 

Ovechkin sadly for me as a Caps fan and a fan of his natural ability embodies that. He has zero emotional or mental understanding of the game of hockey. It's all natural ability. If the natural ability gets stopped in a game, he has no idea what else to do. More heart, more work ethic, more will, more commitment. All things he and most of that Russian team simply don't understand. 

[Beketov 9,102]

Must be rough for the Russian fans at home but you basically covered it Devise, they had the talented players but thought that would be enough. Russia never really got it going to match the level they were playing at.

I do give Ovechkin credit in one way though. I just watched a post-game interview with him and the interviewer said (as he cut back to the studio) that Ovechkin was the only Russian to stop at the media booth. The rest of the team stormed by. It's a disappointment for him I'm sure but at least he was willing to stand there, with a camera on him, and admit they didn't deserve the win.

[Devise 4,475]

Must be rough for the Russian fans at home but you basically covered it Devise, they had the talented players but thought that would be enough. Russia never really got it going to match the level they were playing at.

I do give Ovechkin credit in one way though. I just watched a post-game interview with him and the interviewer said (as he cut back to the studio) that Ovechkin was the only Russian to stop at the media booth. The rest of the team stormed by. It's a disappointment for him I'm sure but at least he was willing to stand there, with a camera on him, and admit they didn't deserve the win.

 

Ovechkin to me is like...Bam Bam from the Flinestones. Overly gifted with natural ability to play the sport. Gets in a position to shoot the puck and can still rocket it even when everyone expects it and score. Physical, strong skater etc. But he has no hockey IQ or any other intangible that is required to play the game. In a way I feel sad for him. He is trying so hard to do what people think is right for him and his career. Hence why he stopped at the media booth. Because that is what a leader does, they face the music even when things don't go right.

 

He tries to quiet the criticisms but the fact will always remain...Ovie does not have the emotional or mental equipment when the going gets tough. He needs great coaches, great locker room leaders and teammates that work great. It's no secret that the Caps best playoff run came when Hunter was behind the bench and Ovie was not relied on with all the minutes all the time. It's simply a team game, and while all the focus from Canadians may be on Crosby we still recognize that Crosby can play like crap in a tournament (like he did in Vancouver for example) but we have a team filled with hard working committed hockey players who know how to get the job done. 

 

The rest of the European teams who were underdogs seem to have molded the Canadian style as well. Work hard, play hard defense and rely on more than just all star scoring ability. Team game essentially. 

Edited February 19, 2014 by Devise22

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Going to miss the 1st period of the US-Czech game because of class, but it should be an entertaining game.

 

If the Czech Republic and Slovakia were still Czechoslovakia, where do you guys think they'd rank?

[Smarch 3,194]

bam bam? lol

[Sandro 251]

BREATHE PEOPLE, BREATHE... IT'S OVER FOR NOW.

 

That said, Canada needs to get their act together if they don't want the US to steamroll them.

[Devise 4,475]

BREATHE PEOPLE, BREATHE... IT'S OVER FOR NOW.

 

That said, Canada needs to get their act together if they don't want the US to steamroll them.

 

Be honest, it wasn't that Canada wasn't good in that game. Latvia was playing hard nosed to the grind physical defensive hockey and had some great goal tending to back them up. I just want to take a moment to applaud that Latvian team, that goalie, Ted Nolan behind the bench. They worked their tails off and every single one of them earned the ice they were on. Way to go to them, what a huge step forward for them after this showing. Sure they don't medal, but that performance was stellar! 

Edited February 19, 2014 by Devise22

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

LATVIA!!!!

 

So close, yet so far.

[Guest]

Time for me to start listening to these games on the radio and put the television broadcast on mute. Glenn Healey is the biggest homer ever and the way he described that game would be that Latvia was never even in it from the start. That Latvian team showed up to play and not only that, they played hard, dedicated to their game and had everyone on the edge of their seats. I also applaud them and put my thumbs down to Healey. Maybe that is why a lot of countries want to smack Canada around, because the media expects them to win. Yes Canada is very talented, but a game still has to be played off paper too. Oh well, pretty stupid on CBC's part to include him.

 

Good job Canada, tough match ups coming.

[Devise 4,475]

Time for me to start listening to these games on the radio and put the television broadcast on mute. Glenn Healey is the biggest homer ever and the way he described that game would be that Latvia was never even in it from the start. That Latvian team showed up to play and not only that, they played hard, dedicated to their game and had everyone on the edge of their seats. I also applaud them and put my thumbs down to Healey. Maybe that is why a lot of countries want to smack Canada around, because the media expects them to win. Yes Canada is very talented, but a game still has to be played off paper too. Oh well, pretty stupid on CBC's part to include him.

 

Good job Canada, tough match ups coming.

 

I find it hilarious how the Russians have the same offensive zone time and get a high shot advantages like the Canadians but when they fail to score it's because they aren't doing it right. Yet when the Canadians don't get to the middle and don't have tons of high quality chances somehow they are doing everything right and have thrown it all out there. So I agree with you, the Latvians played their system and while the goalie played great they as a team played great too. They were blocking tons of shots, playing hard to the man, physical. So they had less scoring chances? Almost all the Latvian scoring chances were grade a chances created by smart coaching, set plays, or set up by a great defensive play. Canada was generating something from nothing and it frustrated them. 

 

Credit has to be given to Ted Nolan for sure, what a fantastic coaching effort for him and a great team effort from Latvia. 

[Beketov 9,102]

Be honest, it wasn't that Canada wasn't good in that game. Latvia was playing hard nosed to the grind physical defensive hockey and had some great goal tending to back them up. I just want to take a moment to applaud that Latvian team, that goalie, Ted Nolan behind the bench. They worked their tails off and every single one of them earned the ice they were on. Way to go to them, what a huge step forward for them after this showing. Sure they don't medal, but that performance was stellar! 

 

100% Agree

 

Yes, Canada shouldn’t be squeaking out a win against a team like Latvia but wording it solely like that gives no credit to the Latvian’s. Canada actually had a pretty strong game. 57 (I think, correct me if I’m wrong) shots on net, dominated the faceoffs, went strong on the forecheck, etc. We just happened to run into a goalie on fire and a coach who knew how to get the most out of a surprisingly strong team.

 

There are certainly more tests to come but I don’t think Canada should feel bad at all with only winning 2-1 against that team. They played amazing.

[Sandro 251]

Be honest, it wasn't that Canada wasn't good in that game. Latvia was playing hard nosed to the grind physical defensive hockey and had some great goal tending to back them up. I just want to take a moment to applaud that Latvian team, that goalie, Ted Nolan behind the bench. They worked their tails off and every single one of them earned the ice they were on. Way to go to them, what a huge step forward for them after this showing. Sure they don't medal, but that performance was stellar! 

 

Latvia played fantastically, but for all the talent Canada has on their roster they are seriously underperforming IMO. They haven't been able to score a ton this tournament overall, Babcock keeps fucking around with the lineup, I don't think Price has looked very comfortable in net for the most part, and now Tavares is out and Kunitz has to play.

 

The USA is going to be a whole other level from the competition they've been up against so far, and I'm not overly confident they're going to be up to it.

[Frank 5,259]

USA soon to be eliminated. 

 

[Megster 63]

So am I the only one who thinks Bilyletidnov should take the brunt of this loss?  I mean he took one of the best offensive teams and tried to make them play defensively and then was like "oh I don't know why we didn't score".  He took a player who couldn't even make it in the NHL and had to run back to the KHL and put him on the top line sending Semin to the bottom six for no apparent reason because he was playing well with Malkin and Ovie up until that point.  He started Semyon Varlamov over the reigning Vezina trophy winner in their most important game after Bobrovsky had a freaking shutout.  And when it came to the powerplay they didn't hit ovie for an ovie shot from the ovie spot at all except for once.  Instead they focused on getting shots to Kovalchuck and Radulov.  When it comes to Ovechkin it's no secret he isn't the greatest in hockey IQ but instead of taking a single lesson from his past they gave Ovie the puck in the neutral zone to make plays instead of hitting him while he is already in the offensive zone.  This is like 87% on the coach imo, yeah they had a great offense but when you deploy them in ways that aren't inducive of scoring no wonder they don't score.  Just like a good system can make mediocre players good, a bad system can make great players mediocre and that's exactly what happened.  He didn't use his resources and refused to adapt his game plan when he saw the results weren't what they wanted.  Russia would be better off getting a foreign coach next olympics, you know one who might actually understand that if something isn't working how you want it to you can't keep doing it the same way.

[Guest]

Who couldn't cut it in the NHL and went back to Russia?

[Megster 63]

Who couldn't cut it in the NHL and went back to Russia?

Radulov

[Guest]

Radulov

I wouldn't say he couldn't make it in the NHL. He was talented and was gifted over here. He left for the money

[Megster 63]

I would say he was mediocre and he left because he got benched for a game in the playoffs for acting like an ass and that really bruised his ego

Edited February 20, 2014 by Megster

[Guest]

I would say he was mediocre and he left because he got benched for a game in the playoffs for acting like an ass and that really bruised his ego

Acting like an ass and having an ego didn't mean he couldn't cut it over here skill wise. You make it seem like he is some fourth line scrub who couldn't do anything. Radulov went home for the money after he was offered a major contract and had a falling out with Trotts. It's not that "he couldn't cut it over here" because of his skills.

[Victor 11,021]

Radulov took the two most bone headed penalties against the US. Liability.

And Damn, gutted for Latvia. But easily the best Olympic performance to date (got lucky facing the Swiss again tbh). Good semi finals in the end. Scandinavia and North America.

[Seth 92]

Fuck you Latvia!

 

Sincerely,

 

Every Islanders fan in the world.

[Devise 4,475]

Fuck you Latvia!

 

Sincerely,

 

Every Islanders fan in the world.

 

Was a clean hit. Should blame the Canada coach, the Latvians were coming out hard hitting that whole game, specifically with their fourth line. Why Tavares played fourth line minutes against the Latvians hardest forechecking line makes no sense. If anything that game was a testament to how Ted Nolan completely out coached Babcock. Although that isn't saying much as Nolan pretty much out coached everyone in the tournament he played against.