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CJ must be drunk (as Philou said), because he's forgetting that the Finnish Liiga also has bronze medal games. I'm guessing the Swedes do too, other Euro leagues, maybe, but not sure.
Although the bronze game is still just one single game. Not best of seven like the finals and all other series in the playoffs. So it's seen as less important than all the other games, but at the same time they don't want to stop giving away the bronze medal completely.
Tasku wrote:So it's seen as less important than all the other games, but at the same time they don't want to stop giving away the bronze medal completely.
Yeah. I can understand lack of audience interest in WC bronze game but we'r talking about Olympic players here. Losing bronze makes you a double loser.. loser of all losers which is almost worse than placing dead last in tournament. Now these players are pros, born and rised to win and in bronze game you have a change to win something and that should give them some extra motivation.. When I looked Kessel, Kane etc. faces after game I didn't see them saying Lindros that bronze medal. This is just my opinion..
EDIT: I guess Bäckström's grandma was right after all. Though I still think this can't have been done on purpose, but it just sounds so stupid of an NHL player...
Not like he's on EPO or anything. His allergy medicine which is allowed in the NHL has ome weird substance in it which is banned by IOK. Swedens doctor should have known about this, thats a bigger mistake then Ericsson giving the puck over to Crosby
Last edited by Peter_Doherty on Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yeah, true. Also Latvia's Vitalijs Pavlovs has been found using banned substances. If I'm right though I think that one player doesn't mean the whole team loses their finishing position in hockey.
ForNever wrote:Yeah, true. Also Latvia's Vitalijs Pavlovs has been found using banned substances. If I'm right though I think that one player doesn't mean the whole team loses their finishing position in hockey.
I'm not sure. Jaroslaw Morawiecki was banned in 1988 after testing positive for steroids. Poland could continue playing in the tournament, but they lost the points they earned by winning over France with Morawiecki in the lineup.
Peter_Doherty wrote:Congrats Canada, well deserved. We stood up well for 40 minutes, but sloppy play out of our own zone ruined us this game.
No, not being able to sustain any offence at all is what killed us.
nino33 wrote: I brought up how the European/Russian Leagues don't play in the Worlds to hopefully help show how the Worlds (with 3rd place games) are so much a part of the European/Russian hockey culture by pointing out that their professional leagues don't play any games during the worlds! All players from European/Russian leagues are available, and the fans of European/Russian hockey can focus 100% on the Worlds...meanwhile in North America virtually all the attention is on the NHL playoffs, which carry on regardless of the Worlds
The European leagues(and playoffs) has already ended when the Worlds begin
1. Can't see Sweden getting killed and lose medal for such a small mistake.
2. Sweden lost the way all the teams Canada played lost... The Canadian system and execution and the players on Canada were better than their opponents. Not Sweden bad things but Canada good things. Sweden was very good as were all the other opponents. But Canada was better.
3. Loved that the three most criticized Canadians were the ones to score. Toews, Crosby and Kunitz.
4. Who the hell was wearing Alex Edler's jersey. That guy looked like he can skate. That Edler has not been seen in Vancouver ever.
5. Absolute domination by Canadian D in the tournament. They were unbelievable. Never made a mistake.
6. Man did that horribly weak Canadian goaltending cost them. What was it 5 GA in 6 games or 4? Ridiculous performances all the way around that team.
Manimal wrote:The European leagues(and playoffs) has already ended when the Worlds begin
I thought so, but wasn't sure
But they do pause for the four different Euro Hockey Tour tournaments played thru out the season. Which is silly, because they are practice / exhibition tournaments. And all the money goes to IIHF, instead of the teams, who pay the players' wages.
Manimal wrote:The European leagues(and playoffs) has already ended when the Worlds begin
I thought so, but wasn't sure
But they do pause for the four different Euro Hockey Tour tournaments played thru out the season. Which is silly, because they are practice / exhibition tournaments. And all the money goes to IIHF, instead of the teams, who pay the players' wages.
I think statistically (i.e. going undefeated, allowing only 3 goals against in 6 games) this was the most complete victory I've ever seen...reminded me of the 1976 Canada Cup team
In 12 "best on best" tournaments since 1976 (Canada/World Cup, Olympics since 1998) Canada has been in the final 10 times, winning 8
I grew up hearing frequently "there's a problem with Canadian hockey" - but it seems we've done alright
Good game but I would've liked a better opposition by the Swedes. Like batdad sais the defense was amazing. Doughty and Weber best scorer of the team I think?
For Backstrom is that really related to allergy medicine? I like the player but I'm really disappointed if it's true.
These days it's very strict for pro athletes what they take and don't take. I'm sure Bäckström and the doctors knew what they were doing.
The "dose" was up to four times bigger than a regular doctor would recommend. It we talk about "allergy" here. But I guess it was taken for other purposes.
I just read an article on the newspaper about Bäckström's "doping" bust, and I don't think it was intentional. The stuff he had been taking is legal in the NHL and he's been taking it for years, and there will be no consequences for it in the NHL. The IIHF didn't see any problem with it either, only the IOC wanted to make a fuss about it, and it will only effect the Olympic hockey tournament regarding Bäckström alone. Team Sweden will not be penalised for it.
The article was on a paper from friday so there might be new info on the subject, but as for now Bäckström's honor has been restored in my eyes!
Edit: And now... another article is saying something else... I don't know...
I don't think it was intentional. But this is a drug that is a performance enhancer. Guys in the NhL used to take sudafed by the handful to give a burst before games. Not just NHL rec players did too. I recall seeing empty packs in rink dressing rooms when I was a rec player myself.
Sudafed is a brand name cold drug that had at one point contained pseudo ephedrine which is the drug Backstrom caught for.
We will never know how much really in system or how much shows over use of allergy drug ,or whether is was intentional. There will (unfortunately) for Backstrom always be questions. I have a hard time believing he thought it was okay to take it. I have a hard time believing doctors and team did not know exactly how much he could take without getting busted. I do not have a hard time believing he took more than he should have... Not to enhance performance..but because allergies were real bad that day. It was likely a silly mistake. That drug is too well known in the hockey world to be a drug you would be dumb enough to abuse to enhance performance.
Btw sudafed in its hey day for hockey was a little pink pill. Not a little blue pill.
Pseudophedrine is controlled here in the U.S. -- you can no longer get it off the shelf. You have to sign (with a good, picture ID) for it and get it from behind the counter. They then track who is getting it to make sure nobody is getting too much. I've heard it's partially to curtail casual abuse, and also partially because it's used to cook meth. I have no idea if it's controlled in Canada the same way or not.
I hate it. When I get sick, Aleve D (Cold & Sinus) is the only thing that actually works on me for 12 full hours, and it's now a controlled substance. So if it's after-hours in the pharmacy, I can't get it because you HAVE to sign and get it from over the counter. And I live in a rural area where the counters at pharmacies aren't necessarily open late-night and certain times on weekends. I would have to drive over an hour to get to a 24-hour pharmacy. I believe Nyquil originally had some in it, and in order to stay off-the-shelf they had to change the formula (and of course consequently Nyquil no longer works as well for when you're sick).
If Backstrom had some in his system, even just a little bit higher, it might not be anything. If he had very high amounts... he made his own problem. There's really no legit reason to have high amounts of it in your system. Even for allergies. And I don't blame the IOC for testing so harshly, they HAVE to for some of the other sports (cycling comes to mind).
I've also heard them referred to as "greenies", batdad. I have no idea why, I'm guessing a different label/brand with similar results?
From what i read he was at 190, limit is 150. I have no idea what the number actually mean, but it does seem he wasn't much over. I think it was just a major Lindros up from the team doctor and Bäckström.
