U-S-eh! The World Cup of Hockey thread

Go Team

  • Canada!

    Votes: 6 21.4%
  • Czech Republic!

    Votes: 1 3.6%
  • Team Europe!

    Votes: 1 3.6%
  • United States!

    Votes: 15 53.6%
  • Finland!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sweden!

    Votes: 2 7.1%
  • Russia!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • North America!

    Votes: 3 10.7%

  • Total voters
    28

scotian1

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Well Team North America had their way with Finland downing them 4-1 and it could have been worse. If they can beat Russia tomorrow they will pretty well knock them out of contention and probably make it to the crossover game.
 

Dummy Hoy

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I think NA has been the better team, brief stretch of garbage goaltending aside. Hoping they can pop a couple in the third and knot this thing up.
 

TFP

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That was a laser off the post by Ghost at the end there. I love Team NA so much.
 

scotian1

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NA was done in by a let down and some shaky goaltending in the 2nd period. Plus one of the goals the result of a puck that on an attempted clearance hit a stanchion and came back to a wide open Russian in front of the net. I thought NA dominated the third and it took a great performance by Russian goalie Bobrovsky to ensure the win.
 

McDrew

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Marchand and Bergeron do not belong in preseason scrums because of Ryan Kesler and Justin Abdelkader.
 

McDrew

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I think at one point I talked optimistically about a trade for Dustin Byguflien.

Wow, that got ugly quick.
 

cshea

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Thanks for playing our worst goalie, Torts!

Buff is still a stud. Fireable offense that he was a scratch earlier.
 

TFP

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I can't root for any team coached by Tortorella. Him combined with the idiotic player selection along with Bergeron, well....
 

McDrew

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When their respective leagues give up on them this season, Rex Ryan and John Tortarella are going to make spectacular TV analysts, but only on the subject of their respective sports.
 

Dummy Hoy

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I can't root for any team coached by Tortorella. Him combined with the idiotic player selection along with Bergeron, well....
I can't root for Canada over the US, but this is probably my least likable USA squad. Niskanen, Kane, Pacioretty, Kesler, JVR, Jack Johnson, even Abdelkader is kind of a douche. And with Torts leading the charge coaching and politicking like a neanderthal...ugh. They are getting what's coming to them.
 

McDrew

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Tortarella is Trumpian in his ability to getting offended in response to clearly being in the wrong.
 

cshea

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Torts has set USA hockey back a few years with this performance. Awful team building, awful coaching decisions.

Laviolette should be the USA coach.
 

cshea

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Saw this floating around last night....possible alternate US Team. Way better than the one they chose.

Chris Kreider - Tyler Johnson - Phil Kessel
Bobby Ryan - Paul Stastny - Kyle Okposo
Jason Pominville - Alex Galchenyuk - Kevin Hayes
Brock Nelson - Nick Bonino - Craig Smith

Keith Yandle - Kevin Shattenkirk
Nick Leddy - Justin Faulk
Torey Krug - Jake Gardiner

Ryan Miller
Jimmy Howard
Craig Anderson

I think they beat the actual team. What a poor job by Lombardi, Torts and co.
 

reggiecleveland

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I'll defend Crosby. He has done the best with "the next one" status of anybody. If you think of all the "next Jordan's" I give Lebron similar credit for not cratering under the pressure and hype. For those not in Canada it is hard to explain the idea of an 11 year old celebrity, but it happens in Hockey all the time. I used Lebron because my experience with hoops leads me to see the AAU middle school superstars as being a good comp to the preteen phenoms that grace hockey north of the border. first of all, like any elite endeavour the exponential odds facing people at each step up the ladder eliminate almost everybody. Despite the thinly veiled racism of the "hockey guys are so much better citizens than the NBA and NFL" a lot of these kids, families, etc become unbearably arrogant.

I have never met Crosby but have talked to many people, literally 100s of people that have had various levels of contact with his through the years. I mean meeting 12 year old Syd Crosby was big deal. He was also, as far a Canada goes, a great bseball prospect and played ball a lot longer than hockey star would normally dabble in a second sport. Not one time have I heard a negative thing about him. He is always reported as being blandly polite, more giving of his time than other guys in the same situation. You may think this is because of hero worship, but NHL fandom in Canada runs deep, and few Canadians are long term Penguins fans. there are a few that grew up in the Mario era, but it is mostly original 6( 5 maybe I don't know any Ranger fans), plus the Canadian teams. For example, I like that Price was dominant and Canada won the gold but I would prefer a non-Hab was in the net, So a lot of Hab , Bruin, WIngs, Canucks fans would like a 'Syd was dick" story to tell (as a Bruin fan I was pleased to learn from a guy I know that played with Lafleur, that 'the flower' was exceptionally selfish) they come away impressed. I get he doesn't compare to them as a player but there are a lot of 'Gretzky was a dick' stories, and even some'Orr was a dick' but the latter's status as the only scientifically proven case of God's existence renders him immune from criticism.

Plus there was the time he scored that overtime winner that temporarily delayed the inevitable ascension of USA hockey.
 

TFP

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and even some'Orr was a dick' but the latter's status as the only scientifically proven case of God's existence renders him immune from criticism.
Good post. My only quibble is that I've literally never once heard anyone say Bobby Orr was a dick. Ever. Everyone goes out of their way to always say he's the nicest superstar they've ever encountered in any sport.
 

scotian1

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As a Nova Scotian, I certainly appreciate Crosby for the time he puts in his home town running a hockey school program for many youngsters who normally would not be able to afford such a thing. McKinnon's and Crosby's presence in their home town during the off season is pretty special. Also through personal knowledge Crosby's reaching out to a young boy in our region of Nova Scotia who lost his father in a tragic skiing accident in Maine was pretty special and meaningful to that family as well. I don't think this is unusual in hockey, regardless of where they come from hockey players are a pretty special group of people. Interestingly enough some of the so called "goons" are the nicest and kindest guys around off the ice.
 

scotian1

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It seems that there are many in the hockey world that don't appreciate Phil's humour. Larry Brooks, noted hockey writer, for one saying stuff like this is why Kessel wasn't chosen. A bit harsh it seems to me.
 

cshea

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Phil can tell them to go pound sand. Everyone had a good time pointing and laughing at Phil with the whole last pick in the All -Star Game thing. This time he gets the last laugh. It was an excellent zinger directed at the powers that be in USA Hockey. Good for him.
 

TheRealness

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USA was doomed the minute they hired Torts to coach the team. They came in trying to be 'gritty' and 'tough', and lost both games by multiple goals. They also stuck with Quick the second game when they should have gone with Bishop.

I think the quote from Oshie (I think) where he says "if the game is about talent, they (Canada) wins; if the game is about toughness, we win" says it all. It's like Claude Julien is coaching them. This game is about speed, speed, speed, speed these days.

Still, the fact this tournament is a bit of a joke with Team NA and Team Europe (and I love watching Team NA), I am not even the close to disappointed. I just don't care, and I don't think apathy is what the NHL and ESPN were driving for here, especially from a die hard hockey fan like myself.
 

reggiecleveland

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Good post. My only quibble is that I've literally never once heard anyone say Bobby Orr was a dick. Ever. Everyone goes out of their way to always say he's the nicest superstar they've ever encountered in any sport.
Most about Orr go back to younger days when he had a few outbursts where his temper flared. Most of these stories are unfair about any famous person, refusing an autograph, ignoring, wanting special treatment, etc. My point is unfair or otherwise there are stories about Orr, and there just are not about Crosby. I hear similar good things about Andrew Wiggens, but AW seems a much more professionally managed and staged.
 

Spacemans Bong

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Phil can tell them to go pound sand. Everyone had a good time pointing and laughing at Phil with the whole last pick in the All -Star Game thing. This time he gets the last laugh. It was an excellent zinger directed at the powers that be in USA Hockey. Good for him.
The butthurt in Brooks's article is off the charts. The whining from a bunch of dudes who played caveman hockey is way more distasteful than snark from a dude who has not only been shit on by most of the grit crowd, but has risen above it to play some really good hockey and should have been one of the first names on the roster.

Hopefully USA Hockey cleans house and embraces a new philosophy, but if they don't and they come cap in hand to Kessel for the Olympics (if that's happening), I hope he tells them to kiss his ass.