The Official Olympics Hockey Thread

[batdad]

Nah, the ref was not wonderful, but not one sided. Bodychecking is not supposed to be allowed, but body contact is. There is a fine line between the two and the ref had a hard time finding it. Not really surprised, as the ref is from......


ENGLAND.


So...yeah...

The slashing penalty for the USA in OT on the goalie...the Americans had been warned several times about that, and they kept doing it. I think there was at least 3 times where you can even see the ref telling them "Do not do that"

The penalty on Canada--was a clear penalty. The cross check call against US on WIckenheiser was not a good call, it was at best tripping, and even that is debatable, but it was a call she HAD to make.

[CJ]

Tuukka Rask has fever! Lehtonen will play against Sweden..

[Peter_Doherty]

Looking good, apart for the horrible refs that is

[Peter_Doherty]

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Never seen so much diving before in hockey, Finland reminded me of Barcelona.

[Lazion]

Never seen so much diving before in hockey, Finland reminded me of Barcelona.

Wow..
Gl in finals, Sweden were clearly better team.

[Primis]

I will say this about the women's gold medal game:

I had to go get kids from school so I missed the last 8:00 or so of regulation, I didn't see it again until OT was underway. Seeing live comments on sites at the time before I left, and judging by my Twitter feed I could check on my phone though before it all went down, I saw a looooooot of people saying the U.S. was sitting back too much and almost asking for a comeback. That's why you don't go into a shell and continue attacking because momentum changes fast (like the CHI-BOS SCF last year). "2 goal lead, the worst lead in hockey".

I can't comment on the rest having not seen it, other than I heard the US hit an empty net goalpost that could have put it away. Once I heard CAN had tied it up though to go to OT, I figured CAN had it won at that point. US was unlikely to be able to kick it back into high gear after that letdown.


For the men I'd imagine a SWE-CAN gold medal game now. I don't know that the U.S. has had a hard enough time yet in the tourney, hitting some adversity might make them implode. We'll see I guess.

[ForNever]

Once every four years, once every four years... Lindros this.

[philou21]

Good job Sweden!

[batdad]

One can safely say...this is a hell of a game

So far best players on ice

1. Quick
2. Price
3. Crosby

Since SId has decided to show up...look out.

Too bad Kunitz still looks like Kunitz.

Great start, real hockey. Love it.

[batdad]

So tired of the whining about Subban vs Hamhuis dressing. First of all....

Hamhuis even get on the ice in period 1?
So..that means Subban has to supplant one of the other guys. Canada running 6 dmen only. Subban is not top 6 the way the others have been playing. Weber, Doughty, Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester, Keith, Vlasic.

Of those 6 only 1 of them has not been stellar in this game and the tournament...and that is another Norris Winner...Duncan Keith.

Bouwmeester would be the next in line.

Stop saying Subban should play ahead of Hamhuis Canadian media...maybe he should, but Hammer is not playing either.


Also..St Louis...any shifts period 1? Never saw him. Canada basically going 3 lines, Duchene had 3 Chelios and created something every time on the ice.

Duchene is the one guy that they need to look at giving more time to, and fast. Man he is fast.

[batdad]

What a play by Benn.

[nino33]

I don't look to the media for much thoughtful hockey opinion myself...they're "entertainment" and they're part of the marketing machine meant to make those involved (including themselves) rich...I'm guessing the "reaction" is exactly what they want (attention/ratings)', kinda like "trolls" on the internet

I remember watching some online streaming earlier in the tourney, and (not sure why) Healy wasn't heard, and it was great! And I haven't listened to Pierre McGuire in years! I can't stand his "style"


Good game so far! I thought the US would have provided more offence...I think Canada's D has looked good, Price/Quick and Benn have looked good... Go Canada!

[batdad]

Through two, zero shifts for Hammer and St Louis. Good...and of course Subban not dressed.

Healy is hideous. McGuire is annoying but cracks me up.

And yeah media looking for reaction.


Through 2 best players on the ice...

1. Benn
2. Price
3. Crosby
4. Weber
5. Getz
6. perry

and I really hate to say it as pucks are bouncing off his stick and things just are not getting finished by him. But

darn Chris Kunitz was good in both ends in that period.

American players with the exception of Kane and perhaps Backes....

Invisible.

[bruins72]

Trying to watch while at work. I hate this time difference.

[nino33]

Trying to watch while at work. I hate this time difference.

I've been fortunate that my recovering from surgery time coincided with the Olympics!

[Primis]

American players with the exception of Kane and perhaps Backes....

Invisible.

McDonagh has been good too I thought, better than even his partner Suter. Kane has done a lot in the tourney but it hasn't resulted in much to be honest, he gets the puck into the zone with speed and then... just not much else. USA needs something more from Kessel and Parise.

USA is getting only good, not great, chances though.

[batdad]

Ryan has been okay, but the Canadians are dominating down low and the US D is completely worn out. Basically USA D has to chip and dump out like the Euro teams have had to. In comparison to the Canadian boys the Ryan's are nowhere near at this point what they can do.

If Kuntiz could finish, he would have 12 goals in this game. He just cannot finish. Sid has been unreal.

Toews in this third has really got his game going to.

Kane and Kessel scary...

[batdad]

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[batdad]

Love the way Canada played aggressive and held the US in their own zone so much. Great work down low, and on forecheck. Great moving the puck out of their own zone.

There was not a Canadian who had a BAD game. They all know their roles, and played them to the tee.

It was sort of Hitchcock hockey which I hate, but it was not...because so much aggression on the US in the forecheck, on the pk, and just solid support of puck carrier everywhere. Always an option for the players to move the puck.

That is one of the most solid team performances I have seen in a long long time.


And OMG--Kunitz bury those chances. Sheesh.

[Primis]

Yeah not enough talent for the USA. Pretty clear. Quick was great and I thought the defense did fine, but the scorers couldn't score. Price was good but USA never challenged him the way Canada challenged Quick either.

Unless the US gets some more real scorers, the best they can hope for is to catch the Canadas and Swedens on an off-night or something. Canada showed how to simply shut them down. Just not enough to do it.

I'd be shocked if USA beats the Finns either. Having lost this, they'll probably just mail the next game in.

[batdad]

no..the talent is there in a few of the forwards. It was the "want" that was not there. There was not a point in that whole game where I ever feared them. The Canadians were just solid in every aspect. It was not about USA being bad or not having goal scorers (they do in Kessel, Kane, Kesler, Parise, and the list goes on) it was about Canada doing absolutely everything right.

Move the puck, support the puck, back check, forecheck.

The weakness of the USA was NOT the forwards, it was the D. The D did not move the puck well enough or quick enough. Canada was all over them.

It is easy to shut down forwards when they do not get the puck moved to them quickly enough. The chances the USA had were ALL one and done. That is nothing to do with American goal scorers...that is to do with how amazing the CAnadian D is.

There are tons of guys on team USA that bring the fear of scoring elite level goals. But Canada played so darn well it just never came about.

All teams including Canada can use goal scoring ability. Always can. But....the reason you win or lose is usually not that. It is...that the other team deserves the credit.

it is not about USA weaknesses it is about in this case the Canadian strength.

[philou21]

So..that means Subban has to supplant one of the other guys

Only thing I'm going to say because I agree with you with what you said. How can Subban show something when he barely played a game? My guess it's that he was there to "learn" more about the Olympics and be more ready in 4 years. Anyway it's still far and maybe he won't even be there.

Duchene is the one guy that they need to look at giving more time to, and fast. Man he is fast.

He didn't played enough. Kunitz should've been benched a couple of games instead of him IMO.

[ForNever]

Trying to watch while at work. I hate this time difference.

It was the same thing in Finland and Sweden too, so... Be glad it wasn't the earlier game. Also I (and many others) can see hardly any Ducks, or any other NHL, games because all their home games start between 3 and 5:30 am Finland's time. Only a couple of games during the season which start so early/late that I can see them without wasting my whole night of sleep.

[batdad]

All 5 American hockey fans can now be happy that they do not have to wake up at an ungodly hour to watch the gold medal game. 4am Sunday for me! Wish I was in London.

[philou21]

7AM here. Still 2 hours more than usual when I go to work. Gonna be easy enough.