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2014 Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Tournament | Salt on an international level

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S

Spectral Glider

Member
calder said:
Datsyuk played great. Kovalchuk was pretty good. Ovechkin was a total non-factor (like I predicted), but so was Malkin (which surprised me). Radulov had some points but also was a turn over machine and really hurt the team overall I bet.

Add some questionable roster decisions and your typical shit-tier Russian "coaching" technique and yeah in hindsight the signs were certainly all there. Reminds me of this article I read last week:
Click to expand...

Ovechkin sucks, such a lazy skater and shitty on defense. One of the most overrated "super stars" I've ever seen in the game.
 
F

Fei

Member
Ovechkin has 40 goals in 55 games this year. He sucks? *sees a Pitt avatar* Ah, ok then.

Teppo a little slow on the uptake there, hah.
 
A

agrajag

Banned
Madness said:
Nah, if anything this will light some fires under asses. It's one thing to lose during another Olympics, quite another to lose on home ice, and lose to the US in the same tournament as well.

They've put so much time and money in their other sports and becoming a Winter powerhouse again they need to focus more on ice hockey now. Not necessarily stack the team with superstars with large egos, but players that play great two way hockey, don't necessarily care about the name on the back, but the one on the front. Just sucks for someone like Datsyuk to have to go out this way.
Click to expand...

I don't know, I haven't been keeping up with hockey much lately, especially in Russia. Do they even have homegrown talent worthy of contending with other teams? Doesn't seem like there's any new rising Russian stars anymore in NHL either. All the star players that were on their team this year aren't spring chickens. It's just so shocking that, like you said, they've built so many other sports up for this winter Olympics, but they couldn't get it together with hockey.
 
D

deleted

Member
Stasis said:
Honestly I just see no chance in hell Latvia can win unless all three Canadian goalies are injured in the first 5 mins and they play a D in that position, but even then I'd still bet Canada. Strange shit has happened but that'd be something on a whole other level of crazy.

Czech Rep. Actually have a decent team. I mean it's not at all probable, but it's not impossible either.
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Yep, I like to go with the underdogs - maybe I'll change my mind until the game starts.
 
C

CrazedArabMan

Member
Madness said:
Nah, if anything this will light some fires under asses. It's one thing to lose during another Olympics, quite another to lose on home ice, and lose to the US in the same tournament as well.

They've put so much time and money in their other sports and becoming a Winter powerhouse again they need to focus more on ice hockey now. Not necessarily stack the team with superstars with large egos, but players that play great two way hockey, don't necessarily care about the name on the back, but the one on the front. Just sucks for someone like Datsyuk to have to go out this way.
Click to expand...

He'll be back in 4 years... Hopefully :(
 
D

DopeyFish

Not bitter, just unsweetened
agrajag said:
I don't know, I haven't been keeping up with hockey much lately, especially in Russia. Do they even have homegrown talent worthy of contending with other teams? Doesn't seem like there's any new rising Russian stars anymore in NHL either. All the star players that were on their team this year aren't spring chickens. It's just so shocking that, like you said, they've built so many other sports up for this winter Olympics, but they couldn't get it together with hockey.
Click to expand...

Hockey starts at a very young age, though. You have to get your system working in favor of talent, and that will take longer than 4 years.

The toronto youth system (GTHL) contains almost 3000 teams, for perspective. Thats just one part of the canadian system.
 
A

Antti

Member
Madness said:
They've put so much time and money in their other sports and becoming a Winter powerhouse again they need to focus more on ice hockey now. Not necessarily stack the team with superstars with large egos, but players that play great two way hockey, don't necessarily care about the name on the back, but the one on the front. Just sucks for someone like Datsyuk to have to go out this way.
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to be smug here, but rather think you make a good point. We left Bergenheim out for the exact same reason, despite having a bunch of KHL players in the team, and look where we are now. That's not to say Bergenheim is a superstar, but on an individual level, he's better than many of our forwards. Sure, it caused a stir, but nobody remembers it now.

We left out Jussi Jokinen in Vancouver, too.
 
T

tycoonheart

Member
Fei said:
Ovechkin has 40 goals in 55 games this year. He sucks? *sees a Pitt avatar* Ah, ok then.

Teppo a little slow on the uptake there, hah.
Click to expand...

lol, seriously. Somehow the best goal scorer in the world sucks. Lets forget the fact that Malkin couldn't make a decent pass to save his life.
 
M

MutFox

Banned
I wanted the sexy Russia vs Canada Gold medal game... :(

Love Finland, but they're playing boring Hockey.
Not a good style to showcase at a Gold Medal game if they make it there...
 
C

Cake Boss

Banned
TSN 1200 ‏@TSN1200 49s
Former Sen Kaspars Daugavins OUT of lineup today for Latvia due to illness (Canadian Press)
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K Dawg :(

daugmanmustache.jpg
 
C

Carcetti

Member
I'm just a casual hockey watcher but Finn/Swede big games always destroy me. I'm gonna have a nervous breakdown once again no matter who wins.
 
P

pringles

Member
agrajag said:
I don't know, I haven't been keeping up with hockey much lately, especially in Russia. Do they even have homegrown talent worthy of contending with other teams? Doesn't seem like there's any new rising Russian stars anymore in NHL either. All the star players that were on their team this year aren't spring chickens. It's just so shocking that, like you said, they've built so many other sports up for this winter Olympics, but they couldn't get it together with hockey.
Click to expand...
Tarasenko, Nicushkin, Yakupov, Kuznetzov, probably a few others are potential future stars. Talent is never an issue with Russians, but the way they develop that talent is. Way too many one-dimensional players. Seems like almost every country apart from Russia has figured out that to be successful you need your players to work hard defensively no matter how good they are on offense.
 
M

MetatronM

Unconfirmed Member
So happy to see Russia out. Ovi and Malkin looked like garbage (predictable for Ovechkin), Datsyuk and Radulov looked like the only players who gave a shit, for better or for worse. No idea why Varlamov started the game when it seemed clear that Bobrovsky was supposed to be their "big game" goalie. Really just a confusing team all around.

Sweden-Finland should be awesome.

USA wearing their "easily mistaken for Slovakia" jerseys today against the Czechs.
 
S

Spectral Glider

Member
Fei said:
Ovechkin has 40 goals in 55 games this year. He sucks? *sees a Pitt avatar* Ah, ok then.
Click to expand...

Yeah, cause scoring goals is the be all end all of hockey...right. I'm waiting for another Caps playoff failure this year though there's decent odds they don't even make the playoffs. 40 goals and sub .500 record, woo, catch the fever!
 
Y

yuraya

Member
Spectral Glider said:
Ovechkin sucks, such a lazy skater and shitty on defense. One of the most overrated "super stars" I've ever seen in the game.
Click to expand...

Looking at Ovechkin's NHL career stats and his age. He has good chance to finish in top 3 all time goal scorers in history if he plays average to above average hockey for the next 10 years. He does choke a lot in the playoffs but he is still young.


tycoonheart said:
lol, seriously. Somehow the best goal scorer in the world sucks. Lets forget the fact that Malkin couldn't make a decent pass to save his life.
Click to expand...

I would take Malkin over Ovechkin any day of the week but Ovechkin is still really good. Maybe he needs to pull a Lebron and leave the Caps..he should go to Detroit ;)
 
C

calder

Member
MutFox said:
I wanted the sexy Russia vs Canada Gold medal game... :(

Love Finland, but they're playing boring Hockey.
Not a good style to showcase at a Gold Medal game if they make it there...
Click to expand...

No matter who plays in the gold medal game it can never be as awful and defensively boring as Russia vs the Czechs in '98, a game so dreadful it almost killed the sport of hockey.

Even Finland at it's defensive best it would still be playing the US or Canada, and I think either team would create a more exciting game than if Finland was playing the Smellies or something.
 
Z

zroid

Banned
Carcetti said:
I'm just a casual hockey watcher but Finn/Swede big games always destroy me. I'm gonna have a nervous breakdown once again no matter who wins.
Click to expand...

It's the same tension with US and Canada. Assuming they both get through today's games, it's gonna be a stressful pair of semis for the participating teams' respective fans. :p
 
K

KillerMan91

Member
MutFox said:
I wanted the sexy Russia vs Canada Gold medal game... :(

Love Finland, but they're playing boring Hockey.
Not a good style to showcase at a Gold Medal game if they make it there...
Click to expand...

Even as a Finn I admit that Canada game was rather boring from time to time but I really don't think this game was that similar. We had our time of offense and when you have two goal lead of course you start to play more defensively.
 
F

Fei

Member
Spectral Glider said:
Yeah, cause scoring goals is the be all end all of hockey...right. I'm waiting for another Caps playoff failure this year though there's decent odds they don't even make the playoffs. 40 goals and sub .500 record, woo, catch the fever!
Click to expand...

Best goal scorer of his generation. Sucks. Yep. No one here is arguing he's a complete player. There's just no question he is a great player.

And a Pitt fan talking about playoff failure after the last couple years? Come on.
 
S

Syph Medwes

Member
You can't buy heart.

edit: ^coaching wasn't great either.

Nice to see Ovi do the postgame interview though he gets points for that.
You know the Russians fucked up when even Radulov is forced to try. Or maybe that was a camera trick.
 
D

Dr.Acula

Banned
xyla said:
Hey Olympic GAF, I seek some information regarding the Icehockey games later today. Is there a realistic chance of either the USA or Canada losing?

I have no knowledge in this regard, but I know that the USA and Canada should both be the favorites of their respective game. It's for a bet among friends.
Click to expand...

Just reading this thread now but I want to comment.

If you were betting on Czech and Sui to win those games I'd be screaming "noooooooooo," so taking Can/US to win isn't the worst idea. It's betting on a sporting event, nothing is 100%.
 
R

Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Hard to believe Ovechkin is a captain of a NHL team. Don't see any team he leads winning any championship.
 
dem

dem

Member
I like how broadcasters are now just allowed to take free shots at Radulov because he gave the middle finger to the NHL...

They would never talk about other players like they do Radulov. Its hilarious.
 
S

Syph Medwes

Member
dem said:
I like how broadcasters are now just allowed to take free shots at Radulov because he gave the middle finger to the NHL...

They would never talk about other players like they do Radulov. Its hilarious.
Click to expand...

Are you watching CBC? If Glenn Healy is talking I'd advise just muting the TV.
 
E

eyeless

Member
am i crazy or is there no stream of the canada game on cbc's website right now where is it pls send help

edit nvm i am dumb i found it
 
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