Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:47 am

Team Canada ....that was poor...very poor....lucky to win.

This was not a well put together team...its an all star team NOT a hockey team.

I will be surprised if the US doesnt take these primas down again.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:07 am

Ugh, the Slovaks really had a few nice chances during that furious finish. I thought the equalizer was going to pop free for them, but it's not to be. Demitra alone had 2 chances down the stretch, and couldn't convert either.

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 9:22 am

Both the USA and Canada are playing better hockey than when they last met. I expect the USA to win on Sunday for a couple of reasons. First, Canada is not nearly effective on offense when someone gets in their grill. They're awesome against soft defense though since they have so much skill. The USA will not let up on Canada defensively. Second, the USA has the speed needed to get to loose pucks and stick with the Canadians. Canada's speed has, in part, allowed them to dominate possession and get more chances than the other teams. Third, Miller is hot as hell right now. That kind of goaltending combined with competent defense means Canada will have a very tough time scoring more goals than the USA. Miller > Luongo in a big game. Hopefully the USA won't blow out Canada too bad. The semifinals were boring due to the mismatches.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 10:09 am

RobVarak wrote:Ugh, the Slovaks really had a few nice chances during that furious finish. I thought the equalizer was going to pop free for them, but it's not to be. Demitra alone had 2 chances down the stretch, and couldn't convert either.

I called the second shot in before it got there...I still dont know how he missed it.

Thinking about it today(I know I am nuts!) I knew Canada had alot of pressure but damn is it intense...These guys completely froze up the last 5 minutes or so...

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 10:43 am

You're right, Toon. The U.S. will apply ferocious forechecking pressure to the Canadian defense.

The only Canadian D pairing that has moved the puck into the neutral zone effectively has been Doughty and Keith. Pronger and Boyle have sucked, and Niedermayer has looked his age, too.

I think Canada is bigger and more skilled up front, which will put pressure on the U.S. defense, especially if the Canadian D can beat the forecheck and start a breakout.

Miller will need a similar performance to last Sunday, but I've almost come to expect near-perfection from him. He'll deliver. Problem for American fans is, Brodeur won't be in goal for Canada. Bobby Lou will, and he has been close to Miller's equal except for a short stretch last night against Slovakia.

If the U.S. can forecheck ferociously and effectively, it wins. If Canada's D men can beat the forecheck, it wins because it is superior up front. The only change to that equation is if either Miller or Luongo lays a Kiprusoff-sized egg, and I don't see that happening.

Can't wait for the game! What a sports weekend for me -- Syracuse vs. Villanova tonight at home here in the Dome, followed by the U.S. vs. Canada for the gold tomorrow afternoon in their sport and in their barn.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:05 pm

I can't wait for this game.

dougb · Post by **dougb** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:19 pm

The US should come out fast against Canada
as I think Canada will probably start put more
quite nervously.

Canada will need Luongo to raise his game and
Crosby will have to play better - he should
be the best player on the ice but has
been pretty quiet.

Heart says Canada but head says United States
coming through with the win. I've just
been enormously impressed with the play
of the US - especially Parise. With a name
and game like that he should be playing for Canada

Best wishes,

Doug

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:21 pm

I'd love to see the US win, but I am going to have to go with Canada here. I think the US is due for a letdown. I don't know why, but I just see Canada jumping out to a quick 1-0 or 2-0 lead and then playing a defensive minded game. I hope I am wrong, but at this point I think it's going to be Canada 4 USA 2.

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:54 pm

If Canada were smart they would start Marc-Andre Fleury. He has proven he has big game ability, while Luongo has the rep of choking in the big games. I know Luongo seems like the obvious choice, but playing Fleury would give Canada a better shot at gold. I'm not taking anything away from Luongo since he is a very good goalie, but Fleury is better, and is certainly better in big games. Luongo's stats so far in the Olympics don't mean crap since he hasn't been really tested that much.

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:02 pm

I may agree with you toon, but this is Luongo's home rink, and he's playing in front of a lot of his home fans. He knows that place better than anyone else in the tournament. Fleury is pretty aggressive playing the puck, and we all know what kind of weird bounces happen there. If this game is played anywhere other than Vancouver arena then I agree with you, but Luongo is the right guy in this rink. He has never been in a HUGE game like this before, so no one really knows if he will choke or not.

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:22 pm

fletcher21 wrote:I may agree with you toon, but this is Luongo's home rink, and he's playing in front of a lot of his home fans. He knows that place better than anyone else in the tournament. Fleury is pretty aggressive playing the puck, and we all know what kind of weird bounces happen there. If this game is played anywhere other than Vancouver arena then I agree with you, but Luongo is the right guy in this rink. He has never been in a HUGE game like this before, so no one really knows if he will choke or not.

These are not the same boards and glass that the Canucks use. Luongo has no advantage to speak of in regard to funky bounces as a result. I say he feels the pressure and chokes.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:38 pm

4-4 tie Miller wins in the shoot out.

Hoping its going to be epic its a no lose situation for neutrals.
Love my Canadian brothers but im cheering for the U.S.

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:30 pm

toonarmy wrote:If Canada were smart they would start Marc-Andre Fleury. He has proven he has big game ability, while Luongo has the rep of choking in the big games. I know Luongo seems like the obvious choice, but playing Fleury would give Canada a better shot at gold. I'm not taking anything away from Luongo since he is a very good goalie, but Fleury is better, and is certainly better in big games. Luongo's stats so far in the Olympics don't mean crap since he hasn't been really tested that much.

I guess you are forgetting about Fleury losing the World Juniors by shooting a puck off a USA player.

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:43 pm

Zlax45 wrote:
toonarmy wrote:If Canada were smart they would start Marc-Andre Fleury. He has proven he has big game ability, while Luongo has the rep of choking in the big games. I know Luongo seems like the obvious choice, but playing Fleury would give Canada a better shot at gold. I'm not taking anything away from Luongo since he is a very good goalie, but Fleury is better, and is certainly better in big games. Luongo's stats so far in the Olympics don't mean crap since he hasn't been really tested that much.
I guess you are forgetting about Fleury losing the World Juniors by shooting a puck off a USA player.

You are bringing up World Juniors? Are you kidding?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:56 pm

toonarmy wrote:
fletcher21 wrote:I may agree with you toon, but this is Luongo's home rink, and he's playing in front of a lot of his home fans. He knows that place better than anyone else in the tournament. Fleury is pretty aggressive playing the puck, and we all know what kind of weird bounces happen there. If this game is played anywhere other than Vancouver arena then I agree with you, but Luongo is the right guy in this rink. He has never been in a HUGE game like this before, so no one really knows if he will choke or not.
These are not the same boards and glass that the Canucks use. Luongo has no advantage to speak of in regard to funky bounces as a result. I say he feels the pressure and chokes.

The glass was changed? Seriously? Why? I understand the boards because the Olympics prohibit advertising. But why the glass?

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:57 pm

pk500 wrote:
toonarmy wrote:
fletcher21 wrote:I may agree with you toon, but this is Luongo's home rink, and he's playing in front of a lot of his home fans. He knows that place better than anyone else in the tournament. Fleury is pretty aggressive playing the puck, and we all know what kind of weird bounces happen there. If this game is played anywhere other than Vancouver arena then I agree with you, but Luongo is the right guy in this rink. He has never been in a HUGE game like this before, so no one really knows if he will choke or not.
These are not the same boards and glass that the Canucks use. Luongo has no advantage to speak of in regard to funky bounces as a result. I say he feels the pressure and chokes.
The glass was changed? Seriously? Why? I understand the boards because the Olympics prohibit advertising. But why the glass?

Not sure, but the announcers were talking about it the other day, and how there is different reinforcement behind some of the Olympic glass which causes different types of bounces.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 3:01 pm

There's no way Babcock brings in Fleury cold to play goal, nor should he. It doesn't matter if Fleury has a big-game rep or not; the guy hasn't faced live game action in nearly two weeks.

Luongo has looked very good other than a small stretch last night against Slovakia. And Fleury is NOT a better goalie than Luongo. Bobby Lou played for some piss-poor teams in Florida, yet his career numbers for GAA and save percentage are better than Fleury's.

Fleury was outstanding last season, no doubt. But don't forget he had Scuderi, Gill and Orpik playing in front of him, three of the better stay-at-home defensemen in the NHL.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 3:01 pm

Interesting about the glass, man. Didn't know that!

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 3:35 pm

toonarmy wrote:
Zlax45 wrote:
toonarmy wrote:If Canada were smart they would start Marc-Andre Fleury. He has proven he has big game ability, while Luongo has the rep of choking in the big games. I know Luongo seems like the obvious choice, but playing Fleury would give Canada a better shot at gold. I'm not taking anything away from Luongo since he is a very good goalie, but Fleury is better, and is certainly better in big games. Luongo's stats so far in the Olympics don't mean crap since he hasn't been really tested that much.
I guess you are forgetting about Fleury losing the World Juniors by shooting a puck off a USA player.
You are bringing up World Juniors? Are you kidding?

He choked back then against most of these USA players.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 5:04 pm

I've heard that the boards were different at GM place for this particular tournament, causing all kinds of weird bounces, but not the plexiglass.

J.M. Fleury has no chance of starting tomorrow, zero. And say Louie was injured, Babcock would go back with Marty for sure. Nothing to do with smartness what not, this is the Golden game. All along, team Canada was expected to be in the finals, sure it took them a bit longer to get here but I don't see them losing to the Americans two times in a row.

Team USA must repeat the little things they did so well last week by pressuring Canada's D, especially when Pronger and Seabrook are on the ice and cycle the puck down low. Team Canada will impose their
more physical presence whenever they can and will try to tired down the smaller USA forwards. But speed kills and that's one element that worked for the Americans so well when they upset the Canadians last week.

It'll come to goaltending I think. Miller has the edge over Luongo and if he plays standing in his head again, it'll be tough. Team Canada must create a lot of traffic in front of him, so that he doesn't see the shots. No one is going to blow anyone away in this quest for Gold, I am hoping for a tight, physical game where the winning goal may come from the likes of Kesler or Morrow.

Canada has won a lot of Gold so far but you know that the one the whole nation wants more, is the Hockey gold.

Apparently tickets are going as high as $4.000 for the lower seats, 3 times as much as when the Canucks played the Rangers in the epic Stanley Cup final in 94. Some 15 million Canadians are expected to watch this final game, the most ever sport event involving a maple leaf flag.

Can't wait, GM place will be rocking.

Gangrel · Post by **Gangrel** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 5:33 pm

The glass was changed from the heavy stuff to plexi glass, but I'm pretty sure this was done before the NHL season, not just for the Olympics.

I would rather have Lou in nets then Fleury. MA hasn't played all tournament, so starting him now is ludicrous, plus Lou will step up, I guarentee it. Brodeur looked old and slow this time, and I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't his swan song.

I predict 5-3 Canada on an emtpy netter........

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:33 pm

USA - 3
Canada - 2

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 8:24 pm

Didn't know pajamas were allowed in men's curling.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 8:56 pm

10spro wrote:Didn't know pajamas were allowed in men's curling.

I like it!.... I feel more in touch with the 'athletes' as I watch it in my pajamas.

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 10:28 pm

Has any winter olympic sport ever received as many hours of tv coverage as curling this year. It seems like curling has been on at least one of the NBC channels almost every day of the olympics, at all hours.