2014 Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Tournament | Salt on an international level
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MrCunningham
Member
Nothing like a rambling bat-shit-insane Don Cherry to start off an OP.
I don't think Finland has ever had an "all-star" team like some other countries, yet has still managed do quite well pretty consistently in recent years. But yeah, those were some big losses for the team. Hopefully they can make up for it with goaltending and good team work. I'm kinda eagerly awaiting for all the "boo, trapping, boo" posts.
Buba Big Guns
Banned
Yea huge losses and it's really too bad. There are actually a shit load of injuries this year. Sweden got fucked too losing Henrik and Franzen.
How is Rask playing lately? Finland has goaltending on lock down.
Canada is going to cruise to the quarters. That group A looks like a bitch though. USA, Russia, Slovakia...someone is going home early.
Rask is shit
Yeah that's true, on paper we don't have the same kind of overall caliber that the super heavyweights do, but we've usually made up for it with some good ol' moxie. We've some solid goalies with Lehtonen, Niemi and Rask but that'll only get you so far.
They could put him with Douglas Murray and he'd be fine.
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Sviatoslav
Member
Our defense is so bad. Ovechkin and the rest of the top 6 are going to have to go HAM to give us a chance.
revolverjgw
Member
Marty St. Louis is going to score the golden goal, you watch
Are we highlighting teams that won't medal now?Ya'll are doing this wrong.
WE JUST WON SILVER
Yeah I'm happy with making the quarter finals.
Also c'mon, who doesn't like looking at a picture of Mike Smith getting beat.
Gold- CAN
Silver- CAN
Bronze- CAN
We're that good lol
Seriously though, this is probably what's going to happen.
Gold- RUS (Dear leader will pull a few strings)
Silver- CAN (Victims of a dubious Russian plot to steal our God given Olympic gold)
Bronze- FIN (These guys will get bronze, and they'll be the happiest bunch of guys I have ever seen. Just like last time)
USA? Hahaha Not making it out of Group A. They'll beat the Slovenians, and then lose to Slovakia and Russia. I'm calling it lol
Silver- CAN
Bronze- CAN
We're that good lol
Seriously though, this is probably what's going to happen.
Gold- RUS (Dear leader will pull a few strings)
Silver- CAN (Victims of a dubious Russian plot to steal our God given Olympic gold)
Bronze- FIN (These guys will get bronze, and they'll be the happiest bunch of guys I have ever seen. Just like last time)
USA? Hahaha Not making it out of Group A. They'll beat the Slovenians, and then lose to Slovakia and Russia. I'm calling it lol
ZeroGravity
Member
Not really sure why everyone's predicting doom and gloom for the US. They were a really young team in 2010 and those young players have gotten even better.
Canadians are delusional. They'll plow through their weak ass group and brag about how great they are.
I don't like their D at all and aside from Kane, their forward group doesn't really have any game breakers.
ZeroGravity
Member
Kessel was pretty much a non-factor four years ago but I think he's going to have a big tournament. Pavelski too.
robertsan21
Member
The OP has it wrong, Sweden is the team to beat, not Canada!
Someone needs to get their facts straight!
Someone needs to get their facts straight!
Not going to argue that our forward group or defense is better than Canada because that would be foolish. But I think that under Bylsma they can be a lot more dangerous than four years ago. That guy is so used to getting every ounce out of his players, especially with how injury riddled the Pens have been this year, that I'm hoping for them to come together as a team really well. And like ZG said, all the returning players are better than they've ever been.
And if our goaltending comes through like it should? Shit is gonna be ridic.
And if our goaltending comes through like it should? Shit is gonna be ridic.
Randy Monk
Member
How does 3 groups work?
Top teams and 1 runner up into the Semis?
Top teams and 1 runner up into the Semis?
KillerMan91
Member
Hey. They had only like 50 billion to spend. You can't get everything!
Top teams + 1 will go to quarterfinals, the rest will duke it out in the qualification playoffs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_2014_Winter_Olympics_–_Men's_tournament#Playoff_round
ConfusingJazz
Member
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_2014_Winter_Olympics_–_Men's_tournament#Playoff_round
Everyone goes to the playoff. Seeded 1-12, with 1-4 getting byes to second round. Seedings are based on the criteria below
Win respective Group
Higher number of points
Better goal difference
Higher number of goals scored for
Better 2013 IIHF World Ranking.
Dastardly Jerks
Banned
Best fucking OP of all. God love 'em, Don Quick.
Games in Australia start from 7pm and go through til 4am. No sleep for days? No sleep for days.
"We got this"
Games in Australia start from 7pm and go through til 4am. No sleep for days? No sleep for days.
"We got this"
ConfusingJazz
Member
I also like how the women's tournament is handled. It's divided into two groups.
Group A, or the two teams going for gold and the two teams that occasionally beat them
Group B, might have a shot at bronze.
The entirety of Group A goes into the playoffs, they are just playing for seeds, top two getting byes.
Only two of Group B goes in.
Therefore, you're likely to have two Canada-USA games.
KillerMan91
Member
These olympics are on big ice though. That already gives Sweden better chance than what Russia had back in 2010. I actually don't know why ''everyone'' thought that russia would take it back in 2010. Both US and Canada had amazing teams and it was NHL sized rink.
russia was hands down the favourite.
canada with crush the swedes, if not ill change my avatar to a hot swedish girl.
Maidenpool?
Member
Yup. NA players beat the tar out of the international players on the small ice in Van... in Sochi with the international ice (which I prefer and hope the NHL adopts one day) it will be a different game.
The NHL will never adopt it, it costs millions to alter the rink sizes and additionally they lose out on seating.
Maidenpool?
Member
One can dream. While they are changing the rink sizes, they can get rid of the trapezoid and the instigator rule too.
KillerMan91
Member
yeah. Neither one is going to adopt the other because of costs.
... and it makes hockey objectively less exciting. Ignore anyone who says the big ice makes hockey anything other than slower and more defensive.
Surely? I mean, no reason not to, right?
Jazzy Network
Member
Go USA. As much as I like Miller I hope Quuck starts.
KefkaPalazzo
Member
All while drinking a mug of their fancy maple syrup and petting their pet beavers.
I just kinda thought most of the Olympic stuff was on a tape delay because of the time difference.
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