EHM The Blue Line

LOL.

Swedens squad look allright, some weird picks though. Jimmie Ericsson shouldn't be close the to olympics, Hörnqvist must feel robbed. I wouldn't have picked Edler over Brodin either, think its just stupid. It's not like we need Edler for the PP and Brodin does everything else the same or better then Edler and to add to it Edler is also suspended for 2 games. I would also have liked to see Lehner included but i understand the thought behind having Enroth and Gustavsson. The last thing thats debateable is Tallinder i guess, Mårts said he wanted him there for his leadership skills and its hard to argue with that. In a pure hockey sense i see Gunnarsson as a better defensive D-man if he really wants someone defensive, and if thats not important then Hedman should obviously have that spot.

Overall a good squad that should be there in the fight for gold.

Of course lol. I wrote really good arguments why he's not there but people only seem to see the "If he wasn't from Qc nobody would talk about it here." Some people even called that an "injustice" LOL That's totally ridiculous. Get over it Canada has a ton of great hockey player, can't fit everyone there. Somebody even said to me you probably don't know the season his having so far! Don't worry I know my hockey well enough, at least I know there's not only numbers of points that count in an Olympic selection. *facepalm*

What you said about Seabrook is probably true, I didn't knew that because I don't have alot of informations about the west here but most people on RDS were saying "OMG Seabrook should be there instead of Hamhuis or Vlasic!!! He's so much better!!!" But I doubt they're thinking farther than just the names and reputations.

I know its popular but I think the talk of players being left off is pre-mature for any country. Giroux, St. Louis are off Canada but Stamkos might not play allowing one of them to play making all the arguments moot. Not to mention any other injury that could happen. Same thing with Bobby Ryan, although his thing is more about the comments. However I know its fun/popular on any forum or any hockey news site to debate who should be on. Sure it stinks not to be named initially, but with so many players injured/banged up I wouldn't be surprised with changes.

Yeah but people are overreacting here. Calling this an "injustice" is ridiculous. Some people were saying that if they were St.Louis they would ask Yzerman to be trade away just LOL

I find it weird that everyone (I use this very generally) is freaking out about Hamhuis being on the team.

Living in Vancouver these past few years I've watched a lot of Canuck's games and Hamhuis is an excellent choice. He is exceptionally responsible defensively but has the versatility to play an offensive role. Now, I don't think he will be called on to the play the PP on this team but he has the ability to either skate the puck out of the zone or make an excellent first pass.

The better question though is who do you take in his place? Seabroke has some mobility issues and the other possible replacements (Dion, Giordano) are not at Hamhuis's level. Throw in his experience with Weber in Nashville and its an excellent choice.

Anyway, Jared Stoll isn't at the Olympics so he can't give away the puck to him in OT.

People freak out because people freak out.

To use one of my favorite phrases (stolen from my mother in law)

You have to remember that for every person of ABOVE average intelligence, there is one of BELOW average intelligence.

And those people of below average intelligence post poorly written comments on tsn.ca

Haha!

When I read something on TSN it looks very similar to what happens on RDS website as well. Wannabe GM everywhere!

philou21 wrote:When I read something on TSN it looks very similar to what happens on RDS website as well. Wannabe GM everywhere!

Is that what we all are at heart

Couple of notes about the teams

Canada:
-I think Phaneuf being off is very underrated. Not from a snub stand point but from his personal and the Leafs standpoint. Here is a captain that just got big money and isn't even top 8 from his own country? He wasn't even talked about at all.
-St. Louis isn't a surprise to me at all for one big reason that people are looking at the wrong way- Yzerman. People think that because he is the GM he should want him playing when I am looking at it from the opposite way. If you're Yzerman, do you really want your 40 year old guy playing extra games in a small window? This seems like a good time for him to rest. Sure St. Louis is playing well but if he is not going to be top 2 lines or on the PP bring a different role player guy
-If Stamkos doesn't play who they fill that spot with will be interesting. St. Louis or Joe Thornton seem to be next up. I find it hard to believe there are that many more people better than Thornton who could slide into any role as well as also being okay with not even dressing for games but still working hard in practice. I guess Sequin may be on the list if they go young scorer.
-Goaltending is a little iffy to me. A lot of people are saying Luongo hands down should start every game but Price has been doing great this year.

Russia
-Kind of conflicted on this roster. I'm not sure what their strategy was looking at who they picked and who they left off.
-Leaving Semin off is weird. I find it odd they think they are THAT confident without him.
-Adding Tarsenko, Nichukin seem like they want a young hungry strategy but then they leave Yakupov (whos been highly criticized) and Kuznetsov off.
-They went with some KHL guys like Radulov but leave the top scorer in the league off? Not really saying any of these moves are right or wrong it just doesn't really seem to click with one strategy.
-Goaltending may be surprisingly good with Varlamov and Bobrovsky whichever way they go.
-From a top two line perspective they could be electric offensively and on PP. However with not as deep a team as the others especially from a defensive forward standpoint we will see how they do.

USA
-This roster is actually pretty straightforward for me as US person. There are more candidates to choose from than 4 years ago but I think overall you have your "guaranteed" guys, then just some "Decent" guys that you want from a role playing perspective who are interchangeable.
-The only omission that kind of bugged me was the Johnson one. Here is a guy who has played in 10 international tournaments and he is not even top 8 now? I understand if he is struggling and not a top a liner but I think he would be good as the undressed selection who can fill in wherever is needed. When I was reading the article about the selection process their quotes just kept seeming like excuses to omit him.
-Ryan is a bit surprising but I understand. The top lines have great scoring wingers and if he isn't going to be on PP why do you need another pure scorer? The US and Canada have taken a "balanced" approach with taking defensive minded forwards instead of all offense like Russia's looks like. I understand why the coaches wouldn't want Ryan as their fourth liner (who would play PK) and why they don't want him as their back up guy.
-Goaltending has obviously become an issue and I agree with one article talking about how it seems they were chosen before the season started and it was not changed. I mean when the roster was announced both Quick and Howard were injured (yes Howard played that day but was not playing days prior when decision was made). They have stuck with saying Quick would be starter which just seems odd to me when he was injured. If he is healthy and playing great sure let him play, just kinda weird quotes I guess. If Howard or Quick have nagging injuries it seems like they will just put Miller back in there.

Sweeden
-If healthy they are a clear, clear underdog. They are the fourth talked about team but I think they look better than Russia easily.
-Lundqvist has been up and down but played well last night. If he gets in a rhythm he is obviously the top guy of the favorite teams.
-Their forwards if all healthy are astounding and could be really dangerous. The international tournaments are less physical and more about technique and skill which is why they won in 2006 and I think they have a real good shot of doing it again.

I (like many other Finns) am a bit sad how Sean Bergenheim was left out of Team Finland, it's so clear it was only because the roster was decided ages ago when Bergenheim didn't have his game together yet. But six goals in the last six games (before publishing the roster) in FLA, c'mon... We're going to miss him on versatility and goal scoring, which both we have little. Our Head Coach Erkka Westerlund stated that chemistry possibilities counted on the choices, well what about Bergenheim and Aleksander Barkov then?

Also choosing someone like Antti Pihlström is a joke. ''He's a good defensive forward'', yeah right, against Team Slovenia, but not against Team Canada for sure... Plus there's no use for the offensive guys like Juhamatti Aaltonen and Jori Lehterä in the fourth line, should've picked Teemu Hartikainen in my opinion.

Luckily we have Rask, he's going to be our wall which saves everything!

Just because Toronto is dumb enough to overpay Phaneuf by about 2 million does not mean he is a top dman in the world. I know you are not saying he is, just asking question. But Dion is not the type of dman to fit in on this team.

St Louis--It has nothing to do with Lightning future, St Louis does not go hard to the net, and the types of wingers this team needs and wants are that type. Duchene will go there, St Louis will not. He is another playmaker. I think there are enough guys down the middle on this team that can make plays. Need the guys who go hard at the net...which is where a guy like Rick Nash or Chris Kunitz come in. They do that. Martin does not.

ANd yeah..Marty may still get there in the end re injury. But who knows...could be someone else too.

Luongo sure gets the shaft. He is still a good goalie. Great one...no, but good. And compared to the other countries it would not matter who Canada has there, they would still not have the best goaltending. Finland, Sweden, and if Halak plays well..as well as USA...all have great goalies. Even Russia may have one. Canada not so much.
Just solid good goalies, who have bad days with Team Canada. It is sad we have not developed any super studs since Brodeur.

Jack Johnson is the dumbest hockey player in the world who has skill and skating at the elite level. He has ZERO hockey sense and about a 5 hockey IQ. Has no business being there, he is the definition of big dumb defenseman.

Ryan scores--will be an injury replacement if USA needs one.

I dunno...Sweden with Lundquist in net could win each and every game. That team is going to be good.

Finland is the team that scares me. Just never know with them what they do. They play like Canada and passion and work with that goaltending could put them in a place to do some damage to someone no one expects them to beat. Hasek like goaltending is a possibility. Not style...but results.

Semin sucks. Head case, and only cares about himself. Finally Russia left one of those types off a team. They have had too much selfish stuff in the past, and maybe are finally learning that the most skilled player is not always the way to go. Yakupov is the new Semin. The other two are very solid team players with a TON of size, some grit and TEAM sense. They belong (Nikushkin and Tarasenko) Yakupov does not.

Radulov is a jerk wad and is the one guy I question heavily. Goaltending could be great or bad. Those two you listed are so hot and cold....it is scary. They could Hasek it up or they could be the worst two combo in the history of pros in the Olympics.

Like I said, Finland is scary.

jesterx7769 wrote:

philou21 wrote:When I read something on TSN it looks very similar to what happens on RDS website as well. Wannabe GM everywhere!

Is that what we all are at heart

There's a big difference by knowing the game and following more than one team than just root for your local team and think you know the NHL because of that. There's plenty of people like this in Quebec about the Habs.

batdad wrote: Jack Johnson is the dumbest hockey player in the world who has skill and skating at the elite level. He has ZERO hockey sense and about a 5 hockey IQ. Has no business being there, he is the definition of big dumb defenseman.

I chuckled out loud at the first line *little smiley face guy laughing* . I am a UofM fan and will always support Jack for all of his hits that he used to deliver but I know he is criticized for not developing a better hockey sense to go with talent and hitting.

batdad wrote:Seriously before you post here again about the Wings...time to really sit back and give the management group, the scouts, the trainers and everyone else there some credit. When you are good, turnover is inevitable. The next guy is not necessarily a god to come in, but ..... give them some time.

I know, right!

All this time I thought watching all the games, reading everything available every day, following the farm systems and prospects, and putting trends and my own thoughts together was the way to go about being a fan!

Instead what I should have been doing was let a Canucks fan who doesn't watch Wings games, doesn't follow the team's prospects or farm systems, doesn't read up daily on what is going on with the team... TELL ME what I should be thinking and feeling! It's so clear!

All these wasted years....


Your hubris knows no bounds, batdad.

Ah...sorry forgot for a second that I spend no time watching the Wings, and that I was a Canuck fan. Yep...maybe when I was 12 I was a Canuck fan.

Also forgot that you were a Wings fan. But that can easily be explained by looking through the forum and finding zero wings fan positive things to say.

Again, I watch every team my friend. I watch more hockey than you would care to imagine. To the point that at times hockey makes me want to curl up into a ball and die. So I take a week off, and then find a good game and get right back into it.

Unlike you I do not discount the oh...zillions of hockey people reporting on Mike Babcock and the Wings organization and come up with theories about why they are having....injury problems, or player signing problems, or in game problems. THeories which go completely against the grain of what anyone who is PAID to work for the Wings, or PAID to work in the game state.

Babcock, Holland et al have the utmost respect from their peers. They are the model franchise and what everyone is trying to emulate. THere are stories upon stories about why the Wings organization is the class of the league.

Yet...you ...their fan, does nothing but rip them to shreds. Again, I am not saying the Wings are perfect..they are not. No team is. But...is there anything positive you have to say about the team and its direction? or its management?

They are pretty dang succesful, and in a bit of a down swing..expected eventually...in fact expected 5 years ago because of no prime draft pick positions.

I just do not get how someone could rip them so wholeheartedly and call themselves a fan. Sounds like it might be time just to give up on them. What holds you to a group that you detest so much?

You will see me criticize Vancouver, you will see me praise some things they do. One thing I praise is their attempt to become more like the Wings organization. Get their prospects in and get them experience in the AHL under the VAncovuer system. Teach. Develop. Because in the past...the franchise in this city did not do that. They threw guys not ready in because they had to...and they sucked and were worse because of it.

Detroit does all the right things this way. Babcock is praised and praised and praised. I have yet to see any major hockey person be overly critical of him. That being said....maybe he has as all coaches do worn out his welcome in Detroit. But from what I heard the players say...and have seen .... this does not seem to be the case.

Just bad luck, bad vibes, and difficult times that like I said were expected 5 years ago and never came

Oh...BTW Brian Rafalski may be back soon. Signed with an ECHL Team today.

Everyone here is still talking about St-Louis not been picked and how everything between Yzerman and him will go to hell because of that. I'm so tired of just hearing that come and kill me please.

lol maybe enough people will get injured so they HAVE to put him in.

I don't want that no!!! All those talks will just come back!!! If Canada doesn't win any medals or even the gold everyone is going to put that back on the table. I hate medias here. I should stop reading comments on RDS to start with...

I read a funny article on NHL.com today. It said Sochi hockey is going to be a different atmosphere because unlike Salt Lake City or Vancouver hockey will be the main focus because of Russia's rich hockey culture. Ummm apparently hockey was NOT the main focus in Vancouver because Canadians hate hockey? It might have been one of the worst sentences I have ever read in an attempt to hype these games and team Russia.

jesterx7769 wrote:I read a funny article on NHL.com today. It said Sochi hockey is going to be a different atmosphere because unlike Salt Lake City or Vancouver hockey will be the main focus because of Russia's rich hockey culture. Ummm apparently hockey was NOT the main focus in Vancouver because Canadians hate hockey? It might have been one of the worst sentences I have ever read in an attempt to hype these games and team Russia.

LOL. Who wrote that?

Manimal wrote:

jesterx7769 wrote:I read a funny article on NHL.com today. It said Sochi hockey is going to be a different atmosphere because unlike Salt Lake City or Vancouver hockey will be the main focus because of Russia's rich hockey culture. Ummm apparently hockey was NOT the main focus in Vancouver because Canadians hate hockey? It might have been one of the worst sentences I have ever read in an attempt to hype these games and team Russia.

LOL. Who wrote that?

Haha! Ditto!

So Philou--have they stopped crying in Quebec now? Or are they waiting to see if some french canadian gets the Hamhuis spot which is probably coming available. How do you make Boyle, Seabrook or Giordano sound French?

Hahaha seems everyone calm down finally. But the media are saying things like "the mistake is corrected now". Oh yeah, of course NOBODY deserves the spot except St.Louis on the team. F Crosby or Stamkos. St.Louis is way better!