Olympic Game Day: Switzerland vs. Canada 7:30PM EST. Thurs. Feb 18, 2010

hemlock wrote:

wprager wrote:Those who are saying this lost point could cost us the tournament should read the rules. The three pool leaders and the next highest point total team get a bye to the quarter finals, but that's only 4 teams, and you need 4 more to have a quarter finals round. The remaining 8 teams then compete for the other 4 quarter finals spots. Sure, if Canada doesn't get a bye they have to play one extra game, but these players are used to having to play as many as 28 games to win the Cup, after playing and 82-game round robin. If anything, it may give them an even better chance to develop some chemistry with their linemates.

That was me who said that. In any event, this lost point does remain potentially costly. I don't care that the extra game could create chemistry, I'd rather have the bye. In a tight tournament like this, especially if Canada does get max points from the round robin, they could end up facing a team like Russia in the quarters instead of a "gimme" game against a team like Latvia. Plus, it's such a condensed schedule playing 6 games in roughly 9 days to win Gold. With Russia losing, things certainly got interesting for sure though. There will be an intriguing 4-5 matchup when the medal round starts.

What if Crosby gets hurt in that "extra game"? Pretty sure everyone and their grand mothers would prefere the bye.

Well, let it be known that I'm cheering for the team although I don't like and can't watch those blow-out games but I'm not cheering for either Pronger or Heatbag. I was secretly hoping that slapshot to the hand would force him to sit out the rest of the tournament ... I know, that's bad.

N4L wrote:

PKC wrote:

N4L wrote:

PKC wrote:

N4L wrote:

M_Christopher wrote:

N4L wrote:ANyways, Ive said my piece, Ill let you go to sleep on your NHLPA, Team Canada pillow covers.

Okay well have fun. Maybe if Canada wins Gold, you'll come around, like you did when you realized Picard wasn't the golden boy you thought he was.

I can care less about The Olympics and Canada winning gold, I would cheer over a team of Swedes wearing a Sens jersey playing against Team Canada without a second thought.

I still think Picard can be a good D man in The NHL but something had to give in Ottawa.

Man, you're unbearable sometimes...

Why is that? Because I value NHL play more then international play? Not like you can tell me Im wrong or you disagree. If you think a team of parts put together for 2 weeks is more important then a group of guys that are like family, spend basically every day together, and go through good and tough times together then that's your call and your opinion.

Me, personally, there is a lot more to be said about a struggle and a grind within a family then "the best of the best" being put on the ice for 2 weeks.

I was too tired to reply to this last night:

Your logic makes absolutely zero sense. You're basically chastising some of the most elite athletes in the world because they don't play together all year. Just as a heads up, more and more teams that compete in hockey at the international level are starting to field rosters replete with as much NHL and professional talent as they can find.

I don't know where you get this NHL teams are like families and Olympic teams are like spare parts pulled out from a bag. If that's legitimately what you think, that these guys who play on the same "club" teams care more about each other than their national teams, then you clearly have a skewed vision of the world.

I also had to allude to something you said earlier in the thread about your country's athletes being the ones who trained in Cypress for 4 years to represent their country for one day.

Hockey players work hard all their lives to become professional athletes. Just because the levels of compensation are so much bigger doesn't make them any less a hard-working group of people.

It's absolutely pathetic to say you'd cheer for the Swiss over the Canadians because they deserved to win the game and then in the same breath say that you won't cheer for Canada because they think they deserve to win all the time.

That's what they are, they are not olympians.

It's pathetic why? Because you dont agree? You dont agree with Canadian hockey in general thinking that we are the absolute best in the world and no one can touch us? I think it's rather pathetic that you and other bash Dany Heatley and all he stands for, yet can cheer for the team he is on and the country he is currently representing. Rather hypocritical in fact. Same with Pronger. As long as those kinds of people represent a team from Canada, I wont be supporting it.

"I hate Dany Heatley, buuuuut he's wearing red and white now so I guess Ill cheer for him." Guess Im just a fool for actually sticking to what I believe and just not cheering for a player or team when it's convient.

You know what's great about you? You genuinely believe that because you buy your own Dung and keep repeating it that it makes it right.

Why don't you go look in the other threads where people are saying I can't stand Dany Heatley and where I reply that we cheer for him because he's representing the country.

Better yet, I did the work for you:

http://www.gmhockey.com/general-hockey-talk-f49/olympic-game-day-canada-vs-norway-730pm-est-tues-feb-16-2010-t4194-15.htm#153774

http://www.gmhockey.com/general-hockey-talk-f49/olympic-game-day-canada-vs-norway-730pm-est-tues-feb-16-2010-t4194-30.htm#153780

The point is, you speak in such sweeping generalizations and use so many logical fallacies - ie. professional athletes aren't Olympians - that you take away any validity that your points might have.

Just an fyi, but almost every single Olympian is a professional athlete in some capacity. They either compete on professional circuits or join clubs to play with. Saying that hockey players don't deserve to be Olympians is just about the most ignorant and fallacious comment I've ever heard.

TheAvatar wrote:Well, let it be known that I'm cheering for the team although I don't like and can't watch those blow-out games but I'm not cheering for either Pronger or Heatbag. I was secretly hoping that slapshot to the hand would force him to sit out the rest of the tournament ... I know, that's bad.

Me too.

N4L wrote:

PKC wrote:

N4L wrote:

PKC wrote:

N4L wrote:

M_Christopher wrote:

N4L wrote:ANyways, Ive said my piece, Ill let you go to sleep on your NHLPA, Team Canada pillow covers.

Okay well have fun. Maybe if Canada wins Gold, you'll come around, like you did when you realized Picard wasn't the golden boy you thought he was.

I can care less about The Olympics and Canada winning gold, I would cheer over a team of Swedes wearing a Sens jersey playing against Team Canada without a second thought.

I still think Picard can be a good D man in The NHL but something had to give in Ottawa.

Man, you're unbearable sometimes...

Why is that? Because I value NHL play more then international play? Not like you can tell me Im wrong or you disagree. If you think a team of parts put together for 2 weeks is more important then a group of guys that are like family, spend basically every day together, and go through good and tough times together then that's your call and your opinion.

Me, personally, there is a lot more to be said about a struggle and a grind within a family then "the best of the best" being put on the ice for 2 weeks.

I was too tired to reply to this last night:

Your logic makes absolutely zero sense. You're basically chastising some of the most elite athletes in the world because they don't play together all year. Just as a heads up, more and more teams that compete in hockey at the international level are starting to field rosters replete with as much NHL and professional talent as they can find.

I don't know where you get this NHL teams are like families and Olympic teams are like spare parts pulled out from a bag. If that's legitimately what you think, that these guys who play on the same "club" teams care more about each other than their national teams, then you clearly have a skewed vision of the world.

I also had to allude to something you said earlier in the thread about your country's athletes being the ones who trained in Cypress for 4 years to represent their country for one day.

Hockey players work hard all their lives to become professional athletes. Just because the levels of compensation are so much bigger doesn't make them any less a hard-working group of people.

It's absolutely pathetic to say you'd cheer for the Swiss over the Canadians because they deserved to win the game and then in the same breath say that you won't cheer for Canada because they think they deserve to win all the time.

That's what they are, they are not olympians.

It's pathetic why? Because you dont agree? You dont agree with Canadian hockey in general thinking that we are the absolute best in the world and no one can touch us? I think it's rather pathetic that you and other bash Dany Heatley and all he stands for, yet can cheer for the team he is on and the country he is currently representing. Rather hypocritical in fact. Same with Pronger. As long as those kinds of people represent a team from Canada, I wont be supporting it.

"I hate Dany Heatley, buuuuut he's wearing red and white now so I guess Ill cheer for him." Guess Im just a fool for actually sticking to what I believe and just not cheering for a player or team when it's convient.

That's pathetic.

You have no idea what kind of sacrifices these guys make to be here. While most of their teamates are sipping pina coladas on the beach these guys are busting their balls for their country for free and all you can do is trash them?

No I don't agree that we think we're the best. In fact the concensus among my group of friends and people that I know seemed to be that Russia and Sweden (and Finland in my mind) have just as good a chance at medalling that we do. That being said, is it far fetched for someone to think we can win gold? You can't base everyone's opininon on the 1 or 2 stupid people who say Canada is gonna win every game 10-0. What's the old saying? "There's always 1 in a group..." although you would know all about that.

Finally, I'm not cheering for Dany Heatley, or Chris Pronger or any other name you bring up. I don't cheer for the name on the back when it comes to my country, I cheer for the name on the front, and that is Canada.

Being out of the loop I'm wondering how long it took for people to question having Bergeron, Morrow and Staal on this team. I know I personally questioned Bergeron and was told very forcible that he was there due to his greate chemistry with Crosby at the WJHC.

He lasted 2 shifts, and then was down to the 4th line. For me I personally think there would have been better people to play on the 4th line if you weren't sure he could crack it with Crosby.

I am absolutely shocked at the lack of physical play, very little hitting, and how many of these guys are passing the puck rather than shooting.

I'll say one thing about Heatley, his only thought is shooting and I think he's the only guy who is thinking shoot first and pass second. Hell how many times did the guys make that one extra pass last night rather than shoot and have the other forward drive the net for a rebound.

I PVR'd that game and plan to have my team come over to the house to watch it again and dissect where things could be done better.

Devo wrote:Being out of the loop I'm wondering how long it took for people to question having Bergeron, Morrow and Staal on this team. I know I personally questioned Bergeron and was told very forcible that he was there due to his greate chemistry with Crosby at the WJHC.

He lasted 2 shifts, and then was down to the 4th line. For me I personally think there would have been better people to play on the 4th line if you weren't sure he could crack it with Crosby.

I am absolutely shocked at the lack of physical play, very little hitting, and how many of these guys are passing the puck rather than shooting.

I'll say one thing about Heatley, his only thought is shooting and I think he's the only guy who is thinking shoot first and pass second. Hell how many times did the guys make that one extra pass last night rather than shoot and have the other forward drive the net for a rebound.

I PVR'd that game and plan to have my team come over to the house to watch it again and dissect where things could be done better.

The Swiss were tenacious and competitive as hell, they were outhitting, outskating and outhustling our guys all over the ice.

The Canadian players need to step up the intensity level just a notch, we all know with guys like Crosby, Iginla, Thornton, Morrow, Staal, Pronger, Weber, etc. that we can bring the physical element just as well as we can bring the skill element.

stempniaksen wrote:

N4L wrote:

PKC wrote:

N4L wrote:

PKC wrote:

N4L wrote:

M_Christopher wrote:

N4L wrote:ANyways, Ive said my piece, Ill let you go to sleep on your NHLPA, Team Canada pillow covers.

Okay well have fun. Maybe if Canada wins Gold, you'll come around, like you did when you realized Picard wasn't the golden boy you thought he was.

I can care less about The Olympics and Canada winning gold, I would cheer over a team of Swedes wearing a Sens jersey playing against Team Canada without a second thought.

I still think Picard can be a good D man in The NHL but something had to give in Ottawa.

Man, you're unbearable sometimes...

Why is that? Because I value NHL play more then international play? Not like you can tell me Im wrong or you disagree. If you think a team of parts put together for 2 weeks is more important then a group of guys that are like family, spend basically every day together, and go through good and tough times together then that's your call and your opinion.

Me, personally, there is a lot more to be said about a struggle and a grind within a family then "the best of the best" being put on the ice for 2 weeks.

I was too tired to reply to this last night:

Your logic makes absolutely zero sense. You're basically chastising some of the most elite athletes in the world because they don't play together all year. Just as a heads up, more and more teams that compete in hockey at the international level are starting to field rosters replete with as much NHL and professional talent as they can find.

I don't know where you get this NHL teams are like families and Olympic teams are like spare parts pulled out from a bag. If that's legitimately what you think, that these guys who play on the same "club" teams care more about each other than their national teams, then you clearly have a skewed vision of the world.

I also had to allude to something you said earlier in the thread about your country's athletes being the ones who trained in Cypress for 4 years to represent their country for one day.

Hockey players work hard all their lives to become professional athletes. Just because the levels of compensation are so much bigger doesn't make them any less a hard-working group of people.

It's absolutely pathetic to say you'd cheer for the Swiss over the Canadians because they deserved to win the game and then in the same breath say that you won't cheer for Canada because they think they deserve to win all the time.

That's what they are, they are not olympians.

It's pathetic why? Because you dont agree? You dont agree with Canadian hockey in general thinking that we are the absolute best in the world and no one can touch us? I think it's rather pathetic that you and other bash Dany Heatley and all he stands for, yet can cheer for the team he is on and the country he is currently representing. Rather hypocritical in fact. Same with Pronger. As long as those kinds of people represent a team from Canada, I wont be supporting it.

"I hate Dany Heatley, buuuuut he's wearing red and white now so I guess Ill cheer for him." Guess Im just a fool for actually sticking to what I believe and just not cheering for a player or team when it's convient.

That's pathetic.

You have no idea what kind of sacrifices these guys make to be here. While most of their teamates are sipping pina coladas on the beach these guys are busting their balls for their country for free and all you can do is trash them?

No I don't agree that we think we're the best. In fact the concensus among my group of friends and people that I know seemed to be that Russia and Sweden (and Finland in my mind) have just as good a chance at medalling that we do. That being said, is it far fetched for someone to think we can win gold? You can't base everyone's opininon on the 1 or 2 stupid people who say Canada is gonna win every game 10-0. What's the old saying? "There's always 1 in a group..." although you would know all about that.

Finally, I'm not cheering for Dany Heatley, or Chris Pronger or any other name you bring up. I don't cheer for the name on the back when it comes to my country, I cheer for the name on the front, and that is Canada.

Not just teammates, according to him "family." The guy doesn't have a clue, but he thinks just because he keeps repeating what he says that it will eventually come true and everyone should be drinking the Dung Kool-Aid.

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Babcock+sends+Team+Canada+message+taking+ineffective+Iginla+line/2585014/story.html

So Iginla wasn't hurt, but he got benched by Babcock? I don't understand anymore, why not leave him on Crosby's wing, with Nash on the other? Is he not one of the top snipers in the world?

Very, very odd choices being made by Babcock. While I don't live and die with the results like some, I still want to win for national pride - and Babcock is making me nervous.

Iginla was not playing well and deserved to be benched. That move may help Canada more than you know. He basically said (and may have also said in the dressing room after), you may be a star on your team but you're just like everyone else in this room. If you're not going to play hard every shift, then plant your Donkey at the end of the bench.

Funny enough I did the same thing to the captain of the team I coach...benched him for the last 1/2 of the 2nd and 3rd period. He is by far our best player and one of the top 3 in the league, and we were losing by 2 goals at the time (both his fault).

The guys responded with 3 3rd period goals and dominated the other team.

PKC wrote:
The Swiss were tenacious and competitive as hell, they were outhitting, outskating and outhustling our guys all over the ice.

The Canadian players need to step up the intensity level just a notch, we all know with guys like Crosby, Iginla, Thornton, Morrow, Staal, Pronger, Weber, etc. that we can bring the physical element just as well as we can bring the skill element.

I don't want to sound like I don't respect what the Swiss did. They were full value for the point they got and while Canada outshot them, I never felt like the game was ever out of their control. I am totally shocked that in the 3rd period that Canada didn't just send a message and physically punish the Swiss. I am also shocked how poorly Neidermayer and Pronger are playing. Although really with their age and how they've played in the last month it shouldn't be a huge surprise.

Devo wrote:

PKC wrote:
The Swiss were tenacious and competitive as hell, they were outhitting, outskating and outhustling our guys all over the ice.

The Canadian players need to step up the intensity level just a notch, we all know with guys like Crosby, Iginla, Thornton, Morrow, Staal, Pronger, Weber, etc. that we can bring the physical element just as well as we can bring the skill element.

I don't want to sound like I don't respect what the Swiss did. They were full value for the point they got and while Canada outshot them, I never felt like the game was ever out of their control. I am totally shocked that in the 3rd period that Canada didn't just send a message and physically punish the Swiss. I am also shocked how poorly Neidermayer and Pronger are playing. Although really with their age and how they've played in the last month it shouldn't be a huge surprise.

Yeah, Pronger's been a little disappointing so far. I know Yzerman was trying to build a team with star players and "role" players, but they really haven't performed to expectations yet.

Mind you, they are pros, so I'm assuming they will get it going by the next game.

Devo wrote:Being out of the loop I'm wondering how long it took for people to question having Bergeron, Morrow and Staal on this team.

I am absolutely shocked at the lack of physical play, very little hitting, and how many of these guys are passing the puck rather than shooting.

I'll say one thing about Heatley, his only thought is shooting and I think he's the only guy who is thinking shoot first and pass second.

1) Immediatly. I also questioned some of the higher profiles guys too though so I could be dead wrong.

2) That has been a staple of Canadian hockey for years. You'd have to think the physicality will go up against the states or Brown, Backes, Kesler, Opik, ect will have a field day.

3) Only redeaming quality on the guy. Hate him with a passion, but he's here for a reason and he knows his role.

PKC wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:

N4L wrote:

PKC wrote:

N4L wrote:

PKC wrote:

N4L wrote:

M_Christopher wrote:

N4L wrote:ANyways, Ive said my piece, Ill let you go to sleep on your NHLPA, Team Canada pillow covers.

Okay well have fun. Maybe if Canada wins Gold, you'll come around, like you did when you realized Picard wasn't the golden boy you thought he was.

I can care less about The Olympics and Canada winning gold, I would cheer over a team of Swedes wearing a Sens jersey playing against Team Canada without a second thought.

I still think Picard can be a good D man in The NHL but something had to give in Ottawa.

Man, you're unbearable sometimes...

Why is that? Because I value NHL play more then international play? Not like you can tell me Im wrong or you disagree. If you think a team of parts put together for 2 weeks is more important then a group of guys that are like family, spend basically every day together, and go through good and tough times together then that's your call and your opinion.

Me, personally, there is a lot more to be said about a struggle and a grind within a family then "the best of the best" being put on the ice for 2 weeks.

I was too tired to reply to this last night:

Your logic makes absolutely zero sense. You're basically chastising some of the most elite athletes in the world because they don't play together all year. Just as a heads up, more and more teams that compete in hockey at the international level are starting to field rosters replete with as much NHL and professional talent as they can find.

I don't know where you get this NHL teams are like families and Olympic teams are like spare parts pulled out from a bag. If that's legitimately what you think, that these guys who play on the same "club" teams care more about each other than their national teams, then you clearly have a skewed vision of the world.

I also had to allude to something you said earlier in the thread about your country's athletes being the ones who trained in Cypress for 4 years to represent their country for one day.

Hockey players work hard all their lives to become professional athletes. Just because the levels of compensation are so much bigger doesn't make them any less a hard-working group of people.

It's absolutely pathetic to say you'd cheer for the Swiss over the Canadians because they deserved to win the game and then in the same breath say that you won't cheer for Canada because they think they deserve to win all the time.

That's what they are, they are not olympians.

It's pathetic why? Because you dont agree? You dont agree with Canadian hockey in general thinking that we are the absolute best in the world and no one can touch us? I think it's rather pathetic that you and other bash Dany Heatley and all he stands for, yet can cheer for the team he is on and the country he is currently representing. Rather hypocritical in fact. Same with Pronger. As long as those kinds of people represent a team from Canada, I wont be supporting it.

"I hate Dany Heatley, buuuuut he's wearing red and white now so I guess Ill cheer for him." Guess Im just a fool for actually sticking to what I believe and just not cheering for a player or team when it's convient.

That's pathetic.

You have no idea what kind of sacrifices these guys make to be here. While most of their teamates are sipping pina coladas on the beach these guys are busting their balls for their country for free and all you can do is trash them?

No I don't agree that we think we're the best. In fact the concensus among my group of friends and people that I know seemed to be that Russia and Sweden (and Finland in my mind) have just as good a chance at medalling that we do. That being said, is it far fetched for someone to think we can win gold? You can't base everyone's opininon on the 1 or 2 stupid people who say Canada is gonna win every game 10-0. What's the old saying? "There's always 1 in a group..." although you would know all about that.

Finally, I'm not cheering for Dany Heatley, or Chris Pronger or any other name you bring up. I don't cheer for the name on the back when it comes to my country, I cheer for the name on the front, and that is Canada.

Not just teammates, according to him "family." The guy doesn't have a clue, but he thinks just because he keeps repeating what he says that it will eventually come true and everyone should be drinking the Dung Kool-Aid.

Nope, just not a complete hypocryte.

As for cheering for the name on the back vs the logo on the front, they still represent you as Canadians. They dont represent myself, thank God for that.

So keep cheering for your "hero's" haha. I'll cheer for the true athletes in this Olympics, the ones where their life long goal is to compete in them. The ones that represent what I believe. As for working their Donkey off to get to the Olympics, no they dont, they work their Donkey off to play in The NHL and play for their clubs teams, thats what they are supposed to do. I'll even through out a scenario, say The NHL doesnt take a break for Russia in 2014, how many Canadians are goign to skip out? I would say close to none, how many Russians or Swedes will...? garenteed there will be more then The Canadians.

As for the same Dung kool-aid, meh, I dont care if you or anyone else buys what I say, fact of the matter is I know exactly who I want representing me and it is for sure not that Canadian Olympic Hockey Team.

Devo wrote:I don't want to sound like I don't respect what the Swiss did. They were full value for the point they got and while Canada outshot them, I never felt like the game was ever out of their control. I am totally shocked that in the 3rd period that Canada didn't just send a message and physically punish the Swiss. I am also shocked how poorly Neidermayer and Pronger are playing. Although really with their age and how they've played in the last month it shouldn't be a huge surprise.

This could all come down to Neidermayer IMO, he's been brutal. Can he pull it together?

I'm quite impressed with the Swiss as well, that should be said loud and clear. They played a tight game.

N4L wrote:Nope, just not a complete hypocryte.

As for cheering for the name on the back vs the logo on the front, they still represent you as Canadians. They dont represent myself, thank God for that.

So keep cheering for your "hero's" haha. I'll cheer for the true athletes in this Olympics, the ones where their life long goal is to compete in them. The ones that represent what I believe. As for working their Donkey off to get to the Olympics, no they dont, they work their Donkey off to play in The NHL and play for their clubs teams, thats what they are supposed to do. I'll even through out a scenario, say The NHL doesnt take a break for Russia in 2014, how many Canadians are goign to skip out? I would say close to none, how many Russians or Swedes will...? garenteed there will be more then The Canadians.

As for the same Dung kool-aid, meh, I dont care if you or anyone else buys what I say, fact of the matter is I know exactly who I want representing me and it is for sure not that Canadian Olympic Hockey Team.

You're so off and so clueless I'm starting to feel bad for you. Let me re-introduce you to a word that you may or may not know: expectations.

Expectations - that's what the Olympics are about. While some athletes are naturally more gifted than others and others use insane amounts of hard work to become good at their respective sports - the defining characteristic of Olympians is expectations.

They expect the best out of themselves. And while they are there wearing their countries flag on their uniforms and helmets, they are still there to win.

Do you think athletes like Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, Jeremy Wotherspoon, Michael Phelps, etc. are there exclusively to represent their country? Maybe initially, before they become the best at their respective sports, there is a certain awe factor associated with being chosen to represent their country at the Olympics - but, here, today and now? These guys are here to win. They are here to represent themselves just as much as they are here to represent their countries.

And to cluster hockey players into one sweeping generalization - and frankly it's hilariously hypocritical that you think you can speak to their state of mind as if you are in the know and are privy to information that everyone else isn't - is ridiculous and dumb.

To be honest, I don't care what your nationality is, because the values you represent leave you in a pretty well-represented group of people - idiots.

Devo wrote:Iginla was not playing well and deserved to be benched. That move may help Canada more than you know. He basically said (and may have also said in the dressing room after), you may be a star on your team but you're just like everyone else in this room. If you're not going to play hard every shift, then plant your Donkey at the end of the bench.

Funny enough I did the same thing to the captain of the team I coach...benched him for the last 1/2 of the 2nd and 3rd period. He is by far our best player and one of the top 3 in the league, and we were losing by 2 goals at the time (both his fault).

The guys responded with 3 3rd period goals and dominated the other team.

Laughing during the shootout with a few others guys was sickening to me. You would never see another country laughing like that in a shootout against a team they should be beating. Just a microcosim of what's wrong with Team Canada.