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[Parch]

The Gold or nothing attitude isn't widespread. Canada has been seriously into international hockey since '72 and we've taken some tough losses along the way. Disappointing, but enlightening. Now nothing is taken for granted, and the majority are well aware that gold is very far from guaranteed.

It's such a great tournament, and I'd say at least the experienced fans have learned not to be so butthurt about any losses.

 

[Entropia]

RUS lines: Ovechkin-Malkin-Semin, Tarasenko-Anisimov-Kulemin, Radulov-Svitov-Kovalchuk, Popov-Tereschenko-Tikhonov. Datsyuk didn't practice.

Hnng Tarasenko on the second line.

So the guy who didn't make the team originally because of an injury is gonna be on the first line? :lol

 

[SCHUEY F1]

My NHL GAF brethren will tar and feather me for this, but I HATE the "the only sport that matters is hockey/the only gold that matters is hockey" mentality that pervades this country.

I fucking love the Olympics and don't hold one sport above another or value one medal over another. If Canada happens to win 15 golds but no medal for men's hockey, it's still a goddamn great Olympics for Canada.

I still remember Vancouver, where we already had 13 golds and our best Olympics ever and people were saying it was all for nothing if we didn't beat US for gold in men's hockey. Fuck that. Seeing the Dufour-Lapointe sisters win or Hamelin defend this morning? That shit is just as good as winning for hockey.

.

 

[Solo]

3 of 4 lines from Russia are scary. Shit.

 

[MetatronM]

USA lines

JVR-Pavelski-Kessel
Parise-Backes-Oshie
Brown-Kesler-Kane
Callahan-Stastny-Pacioretty

 

[Parch]

Those player losses for Sweden just might be the difference. Still very good, but now their depth is challenged.

Same for Finland. They might have had a decent shot at a medal if healthy.

These tournaments are often about which team finds the chemistry and comes together. When you throw together a bunch of pros at the last minute, those prelim games are important to make sure they come together as a team. It's pretty much disasterous if they don't.

 

[Solo]

Carey Price named NHL First Star of the week heading into Sochi hnnnng

 

[yyzjohn]

USA lines

JVR-Pavelski-Kessel
Parise-Backes-Oshie
Brown-Kesler-Kane
Callahan-Stastny-Pacioretty

Pacioretty not injured?

 

[cube444]

Carey Price named NHL First Star of the week heading into Sochi hnnnng

Was Eller second?

 

[cube444]

Hmmm...guess we know who Quick really is:

Link

 

[Buba Big Guns]

RUS lines: Ovechkin-Malkin-Semin, Tarasenko-Anisimov-Kulemin, Radulov-Svitov-Kovalchuk, Popov-Tereschenko-Tikhonov. Datsyuk didn't practice.

Hnng Tarasenko on the second line.

Ok Russia looks scary as fuck. Pop in Datsyuk with Radulov and Kovalchuk and holy shit.

And I didnt realize Semin was playing.

 

[cube444]

Ok Russia looks scary as fuck. Pop in Datsyuk with Radulov and Kovalchuk and holy shit.

And I didnt realize Semin was playing.

Russia won't even get a medal. Inferior defence and coaching.

 

[Cake Boss]

Ok Russia looks scary as fuck. Pop in Datsyuk with Radulov and Kovalchuk and holy shit.

And I didnt realize Semin was playing.

Yeah but look at their defense and you find a Gonchar-Volchenkov first pairing.

 

[Buba Big Guns]

Yeah but look at their defense and you find a Gonchar-Volchenkov first pairing.

Oh god

 

[equippedwithtowel]

Yeah but look at their defense and you find a Gonchar-Volchenkov first pairing.

:lol

Pylon bros 4 lyfe

edit: apparently not i guess

 

[GSG Flash]

Yeah but look at their defense and you find a Gonchar-Volchenkov first pairing.

I'm not sure if my sarcasm meter is broken.... But neither of those two made the team

 

[MetatronM]

USA D pairings

Fowler-Suter
McDonagh-Carlson
Shattenkirk-Martin
Orpik-Faulk

PP1: Shattenkirk-Pavelski-Parise-Kesler-Kane

 

[shadowkat]

My NHL GAF brethren will tar and feather me for this, but I HATE the "the only sport that matters is hockey/the only gold that matters is hockey" mentality that pervades this country.

I fucking love the Olympics and don't hold one sport above another or value one medal over another. If Canada happens to win 15 golds but no medal for men's hockey, it's still a goddamn great Olympics for Canada.

I still remember Vancouver, where we already had 13 golds and our best Olympics ever and people were saying it was all for nothing if we didn't beat US for gold in men's hockey. Fuck that. Seeing the Dufour-Lapointe sisters win or Hamelin defend this morning? That shit is just as good as winning for hockey.

I feel the same. I love all Olympics.

 

[Socreges]

So apparently Sportsnet One is airing certain games, like Sweden/Czechs. I didn't know the Olympics were airing on TSN and TSN2, as well.

That OP! What a beauty!

 

[Acid08]

USA lines

JVR-Pavelski-Kessel
Parise-Backes-Oshie
Brown-Kesler-Kane
Callahan-Stastny-Pacioretty

#1 Center Joe Pavelski. Shit is just too magical, man.

 

[Kave_Man]

My NHL GAF brethren will tar and feather me for this, but I HATE the "the only sport that matters is hockey/the only gold that matters is hockey" mentality that pervades this country.

I fucking love the Olympics and don't hold one sport above another or value one medal over another. If Canada happens to win 15 golds but no medal for men's hockey, it's still a goddamn great Olympics for Canada.

I still remember Vancouver, where we already had 13 golds and our best Olympics ever and people were saying it was all for nothing if we didn't beat US for gold in men's hockey. Fuck that. Seeing the Dufour-Lapointe sisters win or Hamelin defend this morning? That shit is just as good as winning for hockey.

Amen brother.

It'll be fun joining forces with sworn enemies of NHL-GAF for a few weeks.

 

[TheVisualizer]

Nice job on the OP Quick

 

[Cake Boss]

Oh god

:lol

Pylon bros 4 lyfe

edit: apparently not i guess

I'm not sure if my sarcasm meter is broken.... But neither of those two made the team

Hehehehehehe

Stupid Sens Gaf.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Guys Jokinen made it to Sochi

 

[zedge]

Guys Jokinen made it to Sochi

Oli! Have a Big Mac.

 

[ActStriker]

USA! USA! USA!

 

[Fata1moose]

I was wondering where everyone in NHL-Gaf went. I'll be rooting for Canada with Duchene on the team, but the Avs have four players on the four best teams, so we could have three players that could medal and that's awesome.

Also, who are all of these hockey fans who don't post in the NHL bubble?!

 

[Curufinwe]

Raffl eating a waffl.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Barkov lookin fine! Finland's 1C playing with Teemu and Granlund on his wing

 

[Fata1moose]

Landeskog is an alternate captain for Sweden, pretty awesome with all the good veterans they have. Of course this is in lieu of Henrik Sedin going down with an injury.

 

[Dr.Acula]

This sweater is so amazingly ugly. I kind of want one.

Oh man, it's sold out (price was $395 *barf*)

 

[Smiley90]

So apparently Datsyuk didn't skate in Team Russia's first practice....

 

[Trey]

Let's fucking go, America.

 

[zroid]

This sweater is so amazingly ugly. I kind of want one.

Oh man, it's sold out (price was $395 *barf*)

so deliciously gaudy

I would buy a version of that with maple leaves instead of stars in an instant

Spoiler

if I actually had money

 

[Freyjadour]

Steen with Zetterberg and Landeskog, Berglund with Alfie and Nyquist.

Surprised that Backes and Oshie are on the second line.

 

[Quick]

Late acknowledgements: Thanks to ZeroGravity for the design inspiration and NHL-GAF for my salt.

Hmmm...guess we know who Quick really is:

Link

What is this I don't even

 

[Tabris]

LETS GOOOOO USA

WE HAVE ARGUABLY THE BEST FORWARD IN THE GAME.

GOGOGOGO USA USA

You're joking right?

Ignoring the Crosby's, Stamkos' and Ovechkin's of the world.

Toews > Kane

 

[kingslunk]

Late acknowledgements: Thanks to ZeroGravity for the design inspiration and NHL-GAF for my salt.



What is this I don't even

FRAUD!

 

[kingslunk]

You're joking right?

Ignoring the Crosby's, Stamkos' and Ovechkin's of the world.

Toews > Kane

Minus Toews. Kane has more cup wins than all three combined brah. Not only that but his play in the playoffs is phenomenal.

(Also I'm just mainly stirring the US vs Canada pot, yes I know Kane is on a ridiculous team etc etc)

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

Kane is top 5 in the game for sure. Toews is not far behind but I would easily take Kane on my team before Toews.

 

[Quick]

My NHL GAF brethren will tar and feather me for this, but I HATE the "the only sport that matters is hockey/the only gold that matters is hockey" mentality that pervades this country.

I fucking love the Olympics and don't hold one sport above another or value one medal over another. If Canada happens to win 15 golds but no medal for men's hockey, it's still a goddamn great Olympics for Canada.

I still remember Vancouver, where we already had 13 golds and our best Olympics ever and people were saying it was all for nothing if we didn't beat US for gold in men's hockey. Fuck that. Seeing the Dufour-Lapointe sisters win or Hamelin defend this morning? That shit is just as good as winning for hockey.

You have my sword, Solo.

 

[Parch]

This sweater is so amazingly ugly.

Perfect for one of those ugly sweater christmas parties.

 

[Blader]

So apparently Datsyuk didn't skate in Team Russia's first practice....

Hasn't he been injured a lot the last month or two?

 

[Parch]

There is a very strong possibility that the next olympics will not have NHL players. The PA wants it because the players want it, but the NHL owners do not. There is no profit in it, and messing with the NHL schedule and injury risks right before the playoff run really bugs ownership. They would much rather have off-season World Cups, mainly because they can make good cash from that.

This could be the last time we see pro dream teams for olympic hockey.

 

[Solo]

They say that every Olympics though. And each time they cave.

 

[ShaneB]

There is a very strong possibility that the next olympics will not have NHL players. The PA wants it because the players want it, but the NHL owners do not. There is no profit in it, and messing with the NHL schedule and injury risks right before the playoff run really bugs ownership. They would much rather have off-season World Cups, mainly because they can make good cash from that.

This could be the last time we see pro dream teams for olympic hockey.

I thought it was confirmed already that they wouldn't be going? edit: A little early to say so, but as Solo said, just as likely they could cave, but I'm sure I read a confirmation somewhere.

 

[equippedwithtowel]

Minus Toews. Kane has more cup wins than all three combined brah. Not only that but his play in the playoffs is phenomenal.

How many Hart (nomations or wins)/Art Ross/Richard/Smythe/Pearsons is he sitting on?

 

[Quick]

There is a very strong possibility that the next olympics will not have NHL players. The PA wants it because the players want it, but the NHL owners do not. There is no profit in it, and messing with the NHL schedule and injury risks right before the playoff run really bugs ownership. They would much rather have off-season World Cups, mainly because they can make good cash from that.

This could be the last time we see pro dream teams for olympic hockey.

The PA will make enough of a ruckus about it to get the NHL to sign on for the next Olympics.

Then there's the threat of major European talent moving back to their home countries to get a chance to participate, too.

Ovechkin wasn't shy about making his intentions to move back known if the NHL didn't sign off on it. The KHL already offers a lot of money, too. Kovalchuk retiring in the NHL and promptly moving back to Russia to play for SKA St. Petersburg probably gave a few Russians/Europeans in the league an option in the future.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

This thread feels so empty without this guy:

[A]merica!

 

[Kak.efes]

12,000 max seating capacity? That's going to suck so much of the excitement out of everything.