Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

[blackmac11]

As for the avatar baggss, I thought I'd help even it out.

And I thought I would tip things our way

 

[baggss]

And I thought I would tip things our way

Might as well, at this point you guys need all the help you can get....

Anyone else find it ironic that the coach of team Canada normally coaches a US based NHL team (Detroit) and that the team USA coach normally coaches a Canadian based NHL team (Toronto)?

 

[blackmac11]

Might as well, at this point you guys need all the help you can get....

lol Just you wait...the last 10 minutes of the game proved we can walk all over any team, we just need to do it consistently...

Oh and someone needs to kidnap Ryan Miller.

 

[vansmith]

Might as well, at this point you guys need all the help you can get....

It's all about lulling you into a false sense of security.

Anyone else find it ironic that the coach of team Canada normally coaches a US based NHL team (Detroit) and that the team USA coach normally coaches a Canadian based NHL team (Toronto)?

The GM for the American team is also the GM for Toronto and our executive director is an ex-Red Wing (Steve Yzerman).

 

[baggss]

So it looks like it will the USA and Canada again on Thursday for the Gold. Here we go....

You Canucks gonna bring a good goalie this time maybe?

 

[vansmith]

The women's hockey isn't much of a surprise - I think everyone expected these kinds of outcomes well before the games started. And I have to say, despite the focus on the men's hockey that inevitably comes with international tournaments, the women's gold medal game is going to be a really good one. Here's to hoping for a repeat of the 2006 games (and 2002 games)!

So it looks like it will the USA and Canada again on Thursday for the Gold.

You mean like the gold medal game in 2006? Wait...

 

[vansmith]

Well, I wasn't expecting that but it was a very welcome surprise. There are so many things that went wrong for the Russians and so many things that right for us. Let's see how the semis go.

 

[blackmac11]

Yup. I was extremely shocked to see Russia dropping in and out of the game; and only offering a fight for a few minutes at a time. But Canada stuck to the game plan for the full sixty minutes, it was a great game to watch.

 

[stans34]

I was impressed by all of the countries performances... Canada did fine too

 

[vansmith]

Yup. I was extremely shocked to see Russia dropping in and out of the game; and only offering a fight for a few minutes at a time. But Canada stuck to the game plan for the full sixty minutes, it was a great game to watch.

Nabokov was just terrible. If they had played Bryzgalov from the start, it would have been a very different game. That said, our offense was finally starting to play the way I think everyone was expecting them to play. We just have to keep this going.

 

[ZorroAMG]

I was impressed by all of the countries performances... Canada did fine too

Fine? We ROCK.

 

[baggss]

Nabokov was just terrible. If they had played Bryzgalov from the start, it would have been a very different game. That said, our offense was finally starting to play the way I think everyone was expecting them to play. We just have to keep this going.

I agree, Bryzgalov did an excellent job. Even so, I think the Russians would have dropped the game. They just were't playing hard as a team, although guys like Ovechin stood up others like Datsyuk were fairly ineffectual and almost lazy. For the life of me I can't figure out why they didn't play Datsyuk in the faceoff more, he can steal the puck from anyone, anywhere, anytime and use it....

 

[the8thark]

Well Australia got itself another gold medal. This time in the Womens Arial Skiing.
Which is something considering how these Canadian Olympics are and we are a country with little snow. This just further improves our status as the southern hemisphere country with the most winter olympics medals ever.

 

[vansmith]

For the life of me I can't figure out why they didn't play Datsyuk in the faceoff more, he can steal the puck from anyone, anywhere, anytime and use it....

You have to wonder if teams are putting to much pressure on a few players to step up and be the clear leader. Russia had Ovechkin (and again, Malkin gets quietly acknowledged), we have Crosby, you have Miller and maybe Parise (you would be better at commenting on this). Everyone on these teams is good and there needs to be a better team dynamic as opposed to a "let's go to this guy" attitude. As for the Russia game, they lost the will to play about 10 minutes into the first period. They picked up a bit in the third but by then it was way too late.

Well Australia got itself another gold medal. This time in the Womens Arial Skiing.
Which is something considering how these Canadian Olympics are and we are a country with little snow. This just further improves our status as the southern hemisphere country with the most winter olympics medals ever.

Congrats! I watched a bit of it last night and at the point I was watching, Australians were occupying three of the four top spots.

 

[baggss]

6-1 Blowout US VS Finland. Unbelievable first period for the US. After the 4th US goal in the first I felt bad for the Fins, after the 6th US goal in the first it was just embarrassing. They should have pulled their goalie after the 3rd goal, at least he had the sense to pull himself after the 4th goal. 6 unanswered goals in one period is just plain bad hockey on the part of the Fins.

I thought the US pulling Miller at the end of the 3rd just to give his backup some ice time was a nice touch, even though it killed the shutout. At least the Fins got on the board I guess.

Now it's on the Finals vs....well...we'll see. The Canadians are the favorite, but I'm not sure the Slovaks know that they are not supposed to win that game. If there's an underdog the rest of the world will be pulling for in all of these games, it's going to be the Slovaks against the Canadians tonight.

 

[vansmith]

I don't expect this to be a blowout and apparently the Canadian team is very well aware of the fact that the Slovaks are a solid team. They lead the tournament in PP and PK and I would be surprised to see them get beat easily.

I don't think anyone was expecting the Fins to be beat so easily. This tournament though seems to be filled with all sorts of surprises. Hopefully, we win and the surprise of the gold medal game is a bad game on Miller's part.

 

[baggss]

Well, the Slovaks slept for most of the game and then woke in the last 10. Maybe if they had woken up in the last 15 they could have taken it to OT. Not a blowout game, and it looked like they had a real chance in the last 2 min of play, it was close.

Sundays game should be fun!

 

[blackmac11]

Another great game, came down to an amazing ending. Luongo played very well except for the first Slovakian goal. Gold medal game is gonna be fantastic, can't wait

 

[baggss]

Goal tending on both sides was excellent. Not like the Fins...

 

[vansmith]

That was a great game but my fear of Team Canada getting complacent at the end came true. Not only did the Slovaks pour it on in the last 10 minutes, the Canadians just seemed to try and run down the clock. Only in the last two minutes did they seem to realize that they needed to play hard. I'm hoping that the loss to the Americans in the RR will prevent any complacency in the gold medal game.

I agree with you danc - the first goal was a bit weak. But, both goalies did play well. Did you hear the crowd cheering in the third period - "we want the USA"? Sunday's going to be a fantastic game.