The Official Olympics Hockey Thread

[batdad]

Norway is playing good solid defensive hockey, and they are moving the puck well. Every time a shot comes on Price he looks .... well....nervous and scared to give up a goal. LOL. It is like he is playing for MOntreal.

Canada cannot complete a pass, but yeah...way early yet. And give credit to Norway guys...these guys are playing SMART. And they skate quite well. Also love that Mattias Ohlen (sp??) sounds like Mattias Ohlund.

[jesterx7769]

Holy rubbish...those last 6 minutes were some of the most aggressive/desparate playing I think I have ever seen. Canada's strategy seemed to switch to a "heck lets just shoot as soon as someone touches the puck" strategy in an attempt to overload Norway. Norways PP was pathetic but impressed it is 0-0, Canada must be widdled and it is showing in their play. They aren't playing calm and collected at all.

[batdad]

Meh, Canada is just doing what they do in tournaments like this. letting some team think they are beatable.
Canada always starts slow and effs up in the early stages of these things. Or maybe, someone put ritalin or something in their water this morning?

[nino33]

I like how the arena looks from outside, where you can see the two flags "covering" the roof

[batdad]

Yeah that is awesome. Jamie Benn looks HUGE.

[batdad]

WEBER Rocket. All Jamie Benn on that goal. He is not only huge Benn is a MONSTER as Pierre McGuire would say. Last two shifts he is the guy who gets the credit for getting the team going.

[jesterx7769]

The twitter thing ont he side of the online screen is annoying since I've known about the goals both tiems before they happen thanks to it...

[batdad]

Did I call Jamie Benn or what? He and Tavares looking outstanding.

[batdad]

Canada really playing around with d pairs.

Last shifts

Doughty- Hamhuis
Weber-Vlasic
Pietrangelo-Bouwmeester
Vlasic-Doughty
Weber-Keith
Hamhuis-Pietrangelo

Hammer has been very good today. Keith has struggled. The rest have been good.

[jesterx7769]

I thought Doughty was playing well since beginning. Not sure what to make of the Canada game other than chalking it up to first game. The easy excuse from fans is to say they weren't trying but given the pressure and whack a mole shots they were taking at times they indeed were trying.

Poor Norway

[coombs14]

I thought Doughty was playing well since beginning. Not sure what to make of the Canada game other than chalking it up to first game. The easy excuse from fans is to say they weren't trying but given the pressure and whack a mole shots they were taking at times they indeed were trying.

Poor Norway

Play Subban!!

[batdad]

Subban would have made zero diff the way hammer Vlasek and Norwy played. You can rush all u want but with 8 guys at top of crease not much gonna happen. Plus the goalie.

Norway was BAD in period 2. Canada dominated but the 8 guys in crease kept it close. Expect more of that from Austria.

And Tollefson actually moved a bit. Who knew? Also kind of liked Holos.

[ForNever]

You call a city of 100 000 people small? You seriously need to come to Finland some day...

I've lived in many places in Western Canada, with varying populations, from hundreds of people (Hedley) to a million or more (Vancouver, Edmonton)...

Compared to a million people 100,000 is a small city

But when you don't have that kind of a million city in your country it sounds big.

I didn't see too much of CAN - NOR closely but I wouldn't blame Canada's offensive play too much, I'd rather take the 3-1 win than the 8-4 one since Price may have got some more self confidence there (yeah I know, same for the forwards in 8-4, but still). Also Norway always has a wider frame of players than Austria and all Norwegian players come from Oslo somehow so that's got to have an effect of some kind!

[jesterx7769]

Norway's goaltender did pretty good, stopping 35 shots and only letting in 3 from the "best" team in the world.

[RomaGoth]

My entire state only has around 2 million people. The area I live in has a population of around 500k in the entire valley. Pretty small after living in Phoenix for a year.

[batdad]

But...you have 20 billion potatoes. And I thank you for growing them. MMMMM>>>> GARLIC MASH

[RomaGoth]

But...you have 20 billion potatoes. And I thank you for growing them. MMMMM>>>> GARLIC MASH

Yes a good potato is always nice!

[nino33]

Wiki says "Slovenia has only 943 players (the second lowest after Lithuania in the top 25 world rankings)"

Just heard TSN just say 148 adult players (as Kopi said!)...a 1 in 6 chance of making the Olympic team!

[CJ]

I've watched all games so far (except those who were at the same time).

Sweden were as good as predicted. The Czechs were lost in the beginning, but were close to draw (as Sweden started slacking).
Kinda surprised that USA dominated that game against Slovakia that much. You never know on the big ice (about USA).

Finland had serious problems with the defense against Austria. 8-4. Rask wasn't that good. Lehtonen will play against Norway.. I would have guessed Niemi. 't you
__________________

@ Batdad: Haven't you heard that you shouldn't double post? I guess that's why you tripple post? Shame on you!

[batdad]

As I have said before Niemi is highly over rated by many because of the teams he has played for and won with. Lehtonen on Chicago and San Jose would do much better than Niemi has. Shutout after shutout.

[CJ]

As I have said before Niemi is highly over rated by many because of the teams he has played for and won with. Lehtonen on Chicago and San Jose would do much better than Niemi has. Shutout after shutout.

I've always tought Lehtonen > Niemi. I'm just kinda surprised at the decision that's all. The "media" is always looking up to Niemi and no one ever talks good about Lehtonen.
But I'm glad he's given the chanse to shine! He can be better than Rask & Niemi, the way Finland plays.

[coombs14]

I know Subban wouldn't have made any difference what so ever. I'm just a Habs fan and want to see him play! Habs fans have a reputation for being obnoxious. I might as well live up to it!

I've always tought Lehtonen > Niemi.

That is what I've thought too. He has been pretty good for Dallas this year. His problem has never been talent, its been health.

Grabner played really well against Finland. The big ice really gives him a chance to use his speed. I didn't see who was the Finish D-men on the ice when he scored but with guys like Salo and Timmonen I think Finland has to be concerned about their mobility on the back end. All that being said, that Maata kid can really play hockey!

[Kopi]

just to let you know we have 150 registered hockey player of wich only 20 are full professionals. Not to mantion we have two rinks only...

Wow really?!? Kopitar is really a huge exception then.

Edit: I've made on search on Slovenia because I was curious about how a country could have only 2 hockey rinks even when it's small. For 2 millions of people two hockey rinks is not much! What's the problem there!?

Wiki says "Slovenia has only 943 players (the second lowest after Lithuania in the top 25 world rankings)"

Two rinks...wow!
I grew up in small Canadian cities like Kamloops (population less than 100,000 now...less 35+ years ago when I was a kid), and I remember at least 4 arenas in Kamloops!

Doubt thats a number of all players as lets be honest we have like 7-8 teams (depends on a season if teams have $$ to play)..and each of those teams have like 20 guys so we come to 160 players...and if we consider that at least 40 of them is U18 registered to play for seniors then yeah we have around 150 seniors registered. Hell, even of those 7-8 teams i belive few of them are youth teams or top teams so i guess even more young players. All of the guys play semi pro or for free..only in top two teams but even there money is small compering to any other league in the west.

Two rinks that we can play international games or austrian open championship EBEL league...thats in Ljubljana and Jesenice...then probaby around 2-3 more but are very small for attendence and ice is in bed condition and i dont call that a rink

Anyway as someone said he lives in small city in Canada of 100 000 ppl let me tell you our capital is 300 000 and 2nd biggest 150 000 then few of 30-50k and then all small towns.

[Peter_Doherty]

Zetterberg out for the tournament, that halved our shot at medals. Can't see us win over a good team with MoJo as 3rd Center, why oh why didn't Mårts pick Backlund instead, would have felt so much better.

[CJ]

Zetterberg out for the tournament, that halved our shot at medals. Can't see us win over a good team with MoJo as 3rd Center, why oh why didn't Mårts pick Backlund instead, would have felt so much better.

Why are you crying about one player when you have over 20 other great players on the team. All good teams have injuries.