Olympic Hockey Thread

[What Would Durruti Do?]

Any other hockey fans here?

Can't wait for this one. Crosby and Ovechkin, arguably two of the best players (if not THE best) to play the game dressing for Canada and Russia respectively.

As an American, I'll be cheering for Team USA but I don't think we stand much of a chance against the favorites (Canada, Russia, Sweden)

I'm ready to see some of the best hockey ever played in the history of the game. The Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry on the international stage will be great.

[Guerrilla22]

Crysby sucks. Go Russia or Sweden.




http://www.revleft.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=345&pictureid=2940

[Die Neue Zeit]

Naturally, I can't help but root for the home team and its depth! :D

[aty]

I hope Sweden wins just like we won the last olympics in Turin, but Canada and Russia also have strong teams, Finland or USA can win with some luck. The olympic hockey is really the greatest thing about the olympics, nothing else matters.

Sweden will start against Germany tomorrow and i expect an easy victory.

[eyedrop]

Norway suffered a 9-0 defeat to Canada, I should probably just erase the whole hockey-thing from my counsciousness and consentrate on cross-countryskiing where we do actually win some things.

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

I'm not that patriotic, but I still have some leanings towards my home county of Canada. That's just part of how things go. Arbitrarily rooting for a team because you were born there. As long as we remember it's all in fun, I say.

This is an interest situation. Here are all the possibilities I would enjoy seeing:

1. Canada loses because the Olympics wasted a lot of money and, from a sadistic side, it would be extremely hilarious. We tend to be a bit elitist about our hockey sometimes, and it gets a bit annoying.
2. Canada wins. We lost last year. It's in Vancouver. Everything will be exciting and such. Potential property damage will ensue.
3. United States wins. Normally, I don't cheer for the United States. It's nothing personal. It's just Canada doesn't cheer for the U.S. for the most part. We define ourselves in terms of not being you, despite the fact we're more similar than different. I'd be interested in seeing the United States win because (1) it is the win most likely to annoy Canada and (2) the GM's son died, and it would be a nice hallmark moment.
4. Russia wins. Ovie is my favorite player in the NHL. Charismatic. Russian hockey is pretty interesting. I like a lot of Russian players. Russia has the Olympics next year. Russia would probably annoy Canada and the U.S.
5. Sweden wins. Being in Vancouver, I became a Canucks fan. It wasn't hard to drop my previous Toronto loyalties. I like the Sedin's. Forsberg was my favorite player growing up. I like Sweden as a country. I like the name Sweden. I have a kind of inside joke concerning my love of Sweden and everything Swedish. Accent is great. A lot of cool players here, too.

So out of the 4 teams that will win gold, assuming a statistical fluke doesn't happen, I will get enjoyment from any result.

Talent wise, it's probably Canada in the lead. Then I have a hard time deciding, but if I had a gun to my head, I'd say Russia. Then I'd say Sweden. While Sweden and Russia have non-NHL players, they aren't necessarily bad. I don't know much about them. Secondly, the all-stars more than even out things. I'd put the U.S. next. The States do well, but there team (at least this year) is not as good as you'd think. Most of their players wouldn't make the NHL all-star game and few (if any) are point a game players.

-is Canadian and likes hockey. I am a stereotype in action. Looking at Finland, they're good enough to compete as well. Not at the same level as the other teams, in my view, especially as a lot of their players aren't in their prime.

It's really a lot of luck despite the "best team wins" attitude everyone has. A single game deciding a result does nothing to maximize the probability of the "real" best team winning.

[What Would Durruti Do?]

Norway suffered a 9-0 defeat to Canada, I should probably just erase the whole hockey-thing from my counsciousness and consentrate on cross-countryskiing where we do actually win some things.

Unfortunately Norway is in the group of death as Canada, the U.S., and the Swiss are all good teams.

The Swiss don't really have any offense though, so Norway might be able to pull an upset against them.

The Czech/Slovakia game last night was great. Love seeing Jagr on North American ice again. Germany was also pretty impressive against Sweden, they just need to work on their shooting.

[Guerrilla22]

Czech Republic owned Slovakia.

[LOLseph Stalin]

Canada will win. Enough said.

[Woland]

Czech Republic owned Slovakia.

And Slovakia owned Russia. Russia is having its worst winter olympics ever, just 1 gold medal.

[Guerrilla22]

Yes. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. The US might win a medal afterall.

[What Would Durruti Do?]

Canada will win. Enough said.

It took them a shootout to win against the Swiss, what will they need to beat Sweden or Russia?

The U.S. has looked decent, but not medal worthy. I'm going to predict Slovakia wins a medal though after another big upset.

This is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Olympics ever. It seems almost every team except Norway can put up a fight.

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

Canada is still justifiably the favorite despite the poor showing against the Swiss. The problem is that sports has variables that can't be controlled for in any perfect way. Statistically, a team of five year old players might beat team Canada if they played an infinite amount of games. Swiss is a decent team - not near the skill set of Canada, but decent - so it's certainly plausible to see something like what happened occur a few times in the Olympics. Look at Russia, too. That was an unusual occurrence and the better team did not win. Many sports events are decided by "good fortune" so to speak, especially single game events or single run events. Hence why the Olympics is arguably not always the best test of talent depending on the event. I think hockey has enough games to even out, for the most part.

The U.S. could win because it has a balanced team. It has people who know how to play important roles that don't involve scoring. Everyone for the most part on team Canada is a scoring machine or playmaker. That leaves a lot of players who don't know how to play a more physical game, do screens, etc. Now training camp deals with this, and they are "good" players, but it certainly forces many of them to play out of their element.

U.S. is balanced and has a lot of underappreciated role players. By taking the "best" players, Canada actually sacrifices some advantages that would come from taking random people know for grit, grinding, checking, fighting, morale, shot blocking, etc. Though they are still quite balanced as Canadian hockey is very well supported.

I think Canada will win because I think, especially tomorrow, there will be a lot of pressure on Canada. We really obsess an unhealthy amount about beating the U.S. There is probably some sort of back-pocket "reward" to just about everyone from the coach to the janitor if Canada wins.

[Guerrilla22]

This Canadian olympic team is pretty overrated. They just got beaten 5-3 by the US of all countries. It seems doubtful they will even win a medal at this point.

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

This Canadian olympic team is pretty overrated. They just got beaten 5-3 by the US of all countries. It seems doubtful they will even win a medal at this point.

It's hard to judge "teams." If you go by players alone, Canada's team is by far the best team if you average out the skill of each person. The United States doesn't have a bad team. Even the worst teams upset other teams. And the U.S. is far from the worst team. I agree that the team is overrated, but that's what happens to most teams - especially as host countries.

Canada will beat Germany assuming a fluke doesn't occur. Then they play Russia. It's completely possible they will lose to Russia, but they could win. It's also possible they could win. They played quite well against the U.S. tonight. Miller stole the game, and Rafalski was phenomenal.

[Misanthrope]

And Slovakia owned Russia. Russia is having its worst winter olympics ever, just 1 gold medal.

Stalin wouldn't have put up with that bullshit.

[What Would Durruti Do?]

Still can't get over the big win last night. I went to a sports bar and everyone was watching hockey, in Florida no less. Crazy.

First Olympic win against Canada since 1960. I still doubt we can get a medal though.

My predictions: Gold - Russia, Silver - Sweden, Bronze - Slovakia

[Guerrilla22]

Everyone here was watching the game. All the best players from the US team are from Michigan. I'm predicting the US will ride Miller to a gold, Sweden- silver and Russia bronze

[GatesofLenin]

I love Team Canada especially when they lose teehee. Timbits hockey! :laugh:

[What Would Durruti Do?]

Crosby v.s. Ovechkin / Canada v.s. Russia in less than 24 hours! Can't wait, although I'll miss the beginning because of class unfortunately

[Guerrilla22]

Ovechkin>Crosby

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

Crosby v.s. Ovechkin / Canada v.s. Russia in less than 24 hours! Can't wait, although I'll miss the beginning because of class unfortunately

I'm a huge Ovechkin fan. I'm pretty excited about this one. I bet I'll end up cheering when Canada scores, but I'll probably also be cheering whenever some of the Russia player scores. I like Kovalchuk and some others as well. Russia and Canada have both been disappointing some of their home fans. It should be a good game.

This is probably the most interesting game for me. Well, aside from a potential U.S Canada gold medal game. I would've liked a Russia/Canada medal final just as much, but the rivalry is a bit more interesting on the Canada/US front. People don't have the tensions toward Russia as much as they did in the past.

[Guerrilla22]

I'm a huge Ovechkin fan as well. Canada spanked Russia tonight though. Looks like Canada vs. Sweden and US vs. Czech Rep/Finland.

[eyedrop]

Bah, screw hockey.

Hockey is a bourgeois sport, in that it requires so much expensive equipment. (Let's conveniently ignore that I played hockey while I was a kid.)

BTW, does hockey clubs have free equipment players can borrow over the pond?

[What Would Durruti Do?]

Bah, screw hockey.

Hockey is a bourgeois sport, in that it requires so much expensive equipment. (Let's conveniently ignore that I played hockey while I was a kid.)

BTW, does hockey clubs have free equipment players can borrow over the pond?

Yeah, usually rinks will have some equipment that you can borrow. I started playing goalie after borrowing all the equipment from my youth team's rink.

I played hockey when I was younger too. My mom could barely afford it, but it was my life. It is expensive and kind of bourgy, but not all players come from wealthy backgrounds. A lot of Canadians come from working class areas of inner cities like Montreal and Toronto, and even from the countryside like the Staal brothers are all from a farm in the middle of nowhere.

Plus, look at countries like Slovakia moving on to the medal round. Slovakia isn't exactly a rich country, but they love hockey and develop a lot of good players.

Semi-finals are:

USA - Finland
Canada - Slovakia

Should be good. Slovakia has been unbelievable, first beating Russia then Sweden last night. It's hard not to cheer for them.

USA will be looking to get revenge on Finland for the 2006 Olympics in Torino.

[Die Rote Fahne]

Crysby sucks. Go Russia or Sweden.




http://www.revleft.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=345&pictureid=2940\


Hahahaha. Sweden and Russia are both out.

Also, the picture looks like Kariya or Tootoo.

[eyedrop]

Yeah, usually rinks will have some equipment that you can borrow. I started playing goalie after borrowing all the equipment from my youth team's rink.

My post was mainly sarcastic (with a slight thouch of thruth) and whining that Norway has such a poor team in the only Olympic sport I genuinely care about.

My team always had plenty of full sets of equipment (probably necessary to get people starting), but we only had an outside rink so we only got ice on the rink after 3-4 games into the season.

Goalie equipment is damn expensive though.

[Guerrilla22]

\


Hahahaha. Sweden and Russia are both out.

Also, the picture looks like Kariya or Tootoo.

Yup. Anyways that pic is old. Go Slovakia go.

[Guerrilla22]

I think it is now safe to assume the US will be in the gold medal game

[eyedrop]

Canada won :)

[RedStarOverChina]

Canada won :)
Shit, more smug Canadians on the way.

[LOLseph Stalin]

Canada won :)

Hell yes! Great game. Domination in hockey=one of the only things I like about my home country.

[Wanted Man]

Doing it right:

http://www.ad.nl/static/FOTO/pe/5/16/9/media_xl_112029.jpg?20100226153625

http://www.ad.nl/static/FOTO/pe/4/0/12/media_xl_112047.jpg?20100226153254

:lol:

[RedStarOverChina]

^Are those Cuban cigars? :lol:

[Wanted Man]

Probably. This would not have been possible if the USA had won.

[Invincible Summer]

Evidently the women's team got into a lot of shit for having that impromptu party on ice and had to apologize

[Guerrilla22]

I am revising my predictions:

Gold- Canada
Silver- USA
Bronze- Finland

:D