The Golden Save

March 10th, 2010 by Baxter No comments »

I know it has been a few weeks now since the gold medal game, but I can’t resist. (Hey, I’ve been really busy, ok?).

You can easily run out of superlatives when describing Sidney Crosby’s gold-medal winning goal. It was not a fluke, not a lucky shot against a talented Ryan Miller. The pass from Jarome Iginla wound up behind Crosby, so he had to reach back and pull it forward. Secondly, Miller, seeing that Crosby had his head down to find the puck, makes a quick decision to poke-check. This opens up a split-second opportunity for Crosby, who sees Miller’s move in his peripheral view and fires a shot, low, five-hole. At full speed, this was pure talent. The rest, as they say, is history.

The analysis has been pretty intense since that goal. Everything from comparison to Henderson’s goal in 1972, to how Canadians all held their pee.

I think one event that has been grossly overlooked by the media was the play that immediately preceded Crosby’s goal. At 12:43 of overtime, Jack Johnson (Los Angeles Kings) feeds Joe Pavelski (San Jose Sharks) as he streaks up to center ice.  Scott Niedermayer plays him well as Pavelski hits the hash marks in the Canadian zone and strips him of the puck. As Niedermayer goes around the net to turn back up ice, Pavelski forces a turnover and gets a really decent scoring chance against Luongo. He shoots high, glove side as Luongo goes down, and is able to stop the puck with his shoulder. Niedermayer recovers, and hits Crosby as he turns back up the ice. Watch the video — that could have been the end of the game right there and Niedermayer would have been the goat.

Amazing stuff.

Now if Crosby can only find his missing stick. I’ll bet Ovechkin took it.

Stay classy, Roberto Luongo.

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A rant because of headshots, but not about headshots

March 8th, 2010 by Burgundy 6 comments »

Hey hockey fans, it’s Monday and I’m not in a very good mood. I saw the Matt Cooke-Marc Savard headshot and it was pretty bad, like all the other stupid hits we’ve seen recently. And because of Sunday’s headshot, I have a bit of a rant.

Don’t worry – it’s not about headshots – I’m done ranting about those. And besides, there is a crack team of NHL GMs that includes a few former goons assigned to clean that up in Florida this week. Instead, I want to talk about the events that followed the hit. First of all, for those who haven’t seen Marc Savard eating Matt Cooke’s elbow, here’s the hit:

Now, I watched Mike Milbury explain why this was a dirty hit on NBC. It was as painful as watching last night’s Oscars. It was inexplicably long and drawn out  (that’s what she said!!). For as much as Milbury said – and it was a lot – he didn’t get to why the hit was actually dirty. Allow me to break it down in a few words: Cooke extended his arm. Of course, parallel’s to Mike Richards hit on David Booth were drawn. But here’s the difference: Richards’ arm was tucked in and Cooke’s was not. It’s that simple, job done. Somehow, in a segment that was long enough for me to make a grilled cheese sandwich, burn it and think about making another one, Milbury didn’t really explain that. I was frustrated but laughed it off thinking the explanation was provided by a man who traded Zdeno Chara and Jason Spezza for Alexei Yashin (who is still on the Islanders books until the end of next season).

I move on to Sportsnet thinking the quality and insight might be slightly better. Wrong. I get Daren Millard and Bill Watters tell me the exact same thing. Nearly word for word. I have to tell you, the level of hockey analysis was very concerning yesterday. It was like everyone was drinking the same stupid-koolaid. Or caught the same Cooke elbow.

Here’s where my rant starts. Most of the “traditional hockey media” blast bloggers and fans because they aren’t true analysts who played the game. Remember, these guys are the experts! Most of these people will tell you blogs and online communities exist because of technology and the internet. And maybe too much free time. But I think it has more to do with the fact that hockey fans around the world are frustrated with terrible hockey analysts on TV and are seeking out coverage they want and value online or elsewhere. Anyone who watched Darren Pang and Pierre McGuire argue whether a player was left wing or center on TSN’s trade deadline coverage probably knows what I mean.

On a daily basis, I find better discussions on forums. blogs and Twitter than I do on National TV broadcasts. Hockey has a great online community, but frankly, I’m not sure if that’s because of the great fans around the world or because of the dreadful coverage we all have to watch on a nightly basis.

Stay classy, hockey analysts. Thank your lucky stars you still have jobs.

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Improving the NHL: Things we’ve learned from the Olympics

March 5th, 2010 by Burgundy 9 comments »

It’s been a busy week, hasn’t it? The second the Olympics ended, the NHL trade deadline came and went… and sucked. This year’s trade deadline reminded me a lot of the TV show Lost – far too much anticipation leading up to it, not nearly enough transpired within the time frame, I’m left with more questions than answers and I’m hoping the next one will be much better.  Not very funny? OK, fine. This year’s trade deadline reminded me of the TV show Grey’s Anatomy – a bunch of things happened, but none of it really mattered. Still not very funny? OK, fine. I’m just an idiot.

Anyways, now that the NHL’s regular season has returned, it’s made me realize we could all learn a few things from the Olympics. Here’s a few things I’ve noted. Feel free to add your observations in the comments section, too.

  • 4-on-4 overtime is the way to go for every game. It’d be nice to see the NHL adopt this rule for the playoffs.
  • Marian Hossa can’t win in International Hockey, either. The 4th place finish at the Olympics marks the 3rd major championship he came so close to winning. This has to be one of the cruelest curses ever.
  • Jaroslav Halak still isn’t a number one goalie. He’s almost there, but crumbles when such a title is within reach.
  • This year’s winner of the Robert Reichel award: Pavel Demitra.
  • Less is more. Let’s reduce the number of teams that make the playoffs to increase the quality of series’. Or reduce the number of teams in the NHL. I’m actually serious on this one.
  • Gary Bettman can still screw things up, even when he’s not running the tournament. Look no further than how he answers the question “Will the NHL be involved in the 2014 Olympics in Russia?”
  • Shorter broadcasts was great. Reduced breaks between whistles, one TV time out per period and shorter intermissions saved me a lot of time. Watching hockey on TV should never be a 3 hour event. Also, the shorter intermissions meant less camera times for certain TV analysts who can seemingly talk forever!
  • Judging by select goaltending performances, I’m confident the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks won’t be getting far in the playoffs this year. Just a hunch.
  • Ron Wilson *may* actually know what he’s doing. Not 100% sure yet.

What did you learn from the Olympics, now that the NHL has returned?

Stay classy, NHL.

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Thoughts leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline

March 2nd, 2010 by Burgundy 2 comments »

Haven’t checked in since the epic Canada-USA Gold Medal game. As per my general policy, I won’t be reviewing the game. For the two or three people who didn’t watch it, you’ve probably seen enough highlights by now. And many other great outlets have covered the game with great depth. But a few quick points about this game: I really felt this was Ryan Miller’s worst game of the Olympics. I’m not saying his effort was Kipprusoff-esque, but he was so much better in every other game. That’s a tough break for him. I really felt Jonathan Toews was Canada’s best forward. The kid wasn’t on the ice for a single goal against – incredible. I’m not sure who I have a larger man-crush for: Toews, Drew Doughty or Shea Weber. Feel free to chime in!

So instead of discussing the Olympics, I want to touch on a few thoughts leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline (which is tomorrow, if you weren’t aware). We’ll be back to recap and evaluate trades on the 4th in our own Classy way.

  • With Nic Wallin (Sharks), Andy Sutton (Senators), Jordan Leopold (Penguins) and Denis Grebeshkov(Predators) all recently traded, it seems the market price has been set for experienced NHL defensemen – a 2nd round draft pick. Wow Calgary got ripped off in the Dion Phaneuf trade!
  • Of all the talk on pending UFA’s that could be traded, I haven’t heard Colby Armstrong’s name bounced around very much. I think he could really help out a contending team in the playoffs. The same goes for Colorado Avalanche forward Marek Svatos.
  • On a similar note and on the right team, Maxim Afinogenov could be of value too. I’m thinking of a team like the Washington Capitals. I was impressed with Afinogenov’s play at the Olympics – particularly the Canada-Russia game. He seemed like the only Russian with some fight in him. And we saw him backchecking/penalty killing. Who knew?
  • Following the “we’re going to dismantle the team” letter the Florida Panthers sent their season ticket holders, I’m yet to see any real changes. Trading Dominic Moore and Jordon Leopold isn’t really worth writing a letter about, you know?
  • I can’t remember an NHL Trade Deadline that had as many good goalies available (or assumed to be available). This year is certainly a rare one with goalies like Carey Price/Jaroslav Halak (one of them, potentially), Marty Turco, Tomas Vokoun, Marty Biron and others that could be moved by tomorrow afternoon.
  • It’s no secret the Edmonton Oilers would like to free themselves of a few bad contracts between now and tomorrow’s 3pm deadline. Did you know between Shawn Horcoff, Sheldon Souray, Ethan Moreau, Fernando Piscani and Steve Staios, they make up an annual cap hit of $18.1 Million?
  • Staying on the Oilers, I really believe they will be trading Andrew Cogliano at some point. Following the Dany Heatley trade that never happened with Ottawa in the summer, Cogliano hasn’t looked comfortable playing in Edmonton this season. Call me crazy, but I could see Cogliano traded to the Rangers for Brandon Dubinsky. It’s just a matter of time until New York trades Dubinsky, after taking him to arbitration last summer (a slap in the face to any player). Can you imagine being Dubinsky and having Glen Sather tell you “I don’t feel you are worth more than $1.85 Million”? After seeing some of the contracts he’s handed out in recent years, I’d flip out. Anyways, I could see this deal happening in the summer, rather than tomorrow. This isn’t a rumour as much it is me thinking out loud and making a bold prediction.
  • Where do you tink Dan Hamhuis will end up? I’m guessing not Philadelphia. According to TSN, the Flyers have already offered Ryan Parent. I can’t see the Flyers adding to that offer. Ryan Parent will be a great defenseman. If this is what Nashville wanted for Hamhuis, they would have taken it. I’m going to guess Washington. Where do you think Hamhuis ends up?

Stay classy, NHL Trade Deadline.

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The only Canada-USA preview you need to read!

February 27th, 2010 by Burgundy 13 comments »

The hockey world is buzzing in anticipation for an epic Gold Medal showdown between Team Canada and Team USA following what can only be described as two crazy Olympic Semi-Final hockey games on Friday.

Crazy because Team USA scored six goals in less than a period to blowout Finland to get to the Gold Medal game.
Crazy because Team Canada came within inches of blowing a three goal lead in the final eight minutes against Slovakia to get to the Gold Medal game.

The results from two very different Semi-Final games only add to the layers of intrigue going into tomorrow’s Canada-USA rematch. Much has been made of Canada’s refocused play, following the 5-3 loss to Team USA last week. Canada has been significantly better, with much of the credit going to Mike Babcock’s line juggling and Canada’s aggressive forecheck. But let’s not forget about Team USA and how well they’ve played as a team in a short tournament like this.

Let’s talk about Team Canada
One thing that hasn’t been talked about very much is the preparation and tailored game plans Canada has created for Germany, Russia and Slovakia. Each game has offered a different look and feel from the Canadians. Credit should go to Kevin Lowe and Ken Hitchcock for designing solid game plans and terrific advanced scouting. To me, this is where the real story begins for the Gold Medal game. What will Canada’s game plan be and how will they react to the American’s game plan? The Americans are a physical team – by far the most physical team Canada has played in this tournament. Do the Canadians fight aggression with aggression? The pressure will be on goalie Roberto Luongo, too. I don’t think I can recall a game where I’d consider Luongo the underdog against the opposing goaltender. Luongo hasn’t been tested too much since relieving Martin Brodeur. The other big question I have for Team Canada is if their defensemen – namely Chris Pronger – can handle the strong forecheck of Team USA. This will be something to watch as the game goes on.

Let’s talk about USA
It’s no secret a big part of Team USA’s win over Canada last Sunday was a result of turning Martin Brodeur’s puck handling strength into a weakness. The Americans were rewarded with two goals in the first period because of this. Two goals they might not have expected. It will be a different story on Sunday as Roberto Luongo will likely avoid over-playing pucks. This begs the question, what will USA’s game plan be? Team USA are no longer the underdogs Brian Burke has made them out to be for months. They haven’t been since taking out Canada in the preliminary round. And looking at the way Ryan Miller has been playing for Team USA, some might suggest the Americans are the Gold Medal favourites. Friday’s Semi-Final win for Team USA was big for a few reasons. Not only did the score grab all of Team Canada’s complete and undivided attention, but Patrick Kane enjoyed his best game of the tournament. It’s perfect timing for a player who really needs to continue that kind of play if Team USA want to win Gold. Kane makes their second line run, so if he’s on his game, it’s two strong forward lines for Team USA. If he’s not playing well, Canada only needs to worry about Zach Parise’s line. Team USA are pretty well rested too. They coasted through the majority of Friday’s game after jumping out to a big lead very early in the first period. Unlike Canada who fought to the dying seconds of their game to win.

If you breakdown each position between the two teams, here’s where I see the advantages:
Goaltending: USA
Defense: Canada
Forwards: ?

The forwards of each team will decide this team. While Canada may have a stronger group of forwards, Team USA’s seem to better understand their roles. It’s going to make  for a pretty interesting chess match. While this game may not have the appeal a Canada-Russia final may have had, it definitely has more intrigue. It also has a bit more edge as Canada will either make up for their previous loss or cement USA as the undisputed Olympic Champions. There’s a lot on the line for both teams… may the best team win.

Stay classy, Olympic Hockey.

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Olympic rant!

February 25th, 2010 by Burgundy 20 comments »

The Men’s Olympic Hockey Semi-Finals are set to get underway on Friday after the Quarter-Finals wrapped up last night. I’m not going to review the stomping Canada laid on the Russians because I’m sure every other blog and web site has already touched on it. I’m not sure I can offer any new insight either. Evgeni Nabokov easily played the worst game of his career and the Russian forwards were dreadful in the neutral zone. Full marks to Canada for their effort though. They played one of the best first periods I’ve ever seen.

Instead of game reviews today, I’m going to rant about some of the things that have really ticked me off over the last few days in the Olympics. Feel free to add yours below – I can’t be the only one with issues about the Olympics!

  • Luongo’s familiarity with Canada Hockey Place – I keep hearing TV analysts and people online citing Roberto Luongo’s familiarity with the ice, boards, etc… of Canada Hockey Place (or GM Place). I think that’s ridiculous. Do you have any idea how much work went into this arena prior to the Olympics? The glass isn’t the same glass used in Vancouver Canucks games. The boards have basically been rebuilt. The ice is getting chewed up faster than free desert at a Britney Spears dinner. Very little of Canada Hockey Place should be familiar to Luongo or any other Canuck. In fact, the only the thing that’s the same is the doorway to enter the building. Luongo is a great goalie and has been solid for Team Canada, but this isn’t one of the reasons why!
  • Christian Ehrhoff’s Team Canada Comments – Following Germany’s Quarter-Final loss to Canada, Christian Ehrhoff reportedly said he wasn’t very impressed with Team Canada. He went on to say “[The Russians] bring skill, but they also play very hard and physical. They have a great goalie and I think they have the complete package to pull it off here”. According to Chris Stevenson of Sun Meda, Ehrhoff agreed Canada isn’t yet at the level of team play the Russians and Americans have shown so far. Here’s my question: Was Ehrhoff watching the same tournament as the rest of us? The Russians didn’t look very impressive at any point in this tournament. Team USA looked extremely disjointed, prior to the great game they played against Canada. And Ehrhoff’s quotes came after the Germans were soundly beaten by Canada in a fairly dominant Canadian performance. Sounds like someone is bitter…
  • Skates in Faceoffs – As everyone knows, one of the subtle differences between international hockey and the NHL is rules about using skates on faceoffs. In the NHL, it’s perfectly fine. In international hockey, it’s not. Having said that, I can’t tell you how many faceoffs I’ve seen won with skates. In yesterday’s Quarter-Final games alone there were 4 or 5 instances. I don’t really care for the rule, personally, but rules are rules, right?
  • Evgeni Plushenko – OK, this one isn’t so much about hockey, but I found it hilarious. Following a great opening skate last week, the Russian Figure skater took a verbal jab at his competition saying “Without a quad it’s not men’s figure skating”. In other words, you aren’t a man if you aren’t pushing the figure skating boundaries. Uhh, Evgeni, you are still wearing tights, make up and glittery costumes that only Lady Gaga would wear… pretty sure that’s not considered “manly” either.
  • Another Pierre McGuire Quote – No international hockey tournament is complete without at least one eye rolling Pierre McGuire quote. This one was pulled from Tuesday’s Canada-Germany game when McGuire discussed the infamous “Luuuuu” chants for Roberto Luongo. During the telecast, McGuire said the following: “A lot of kids cry, they don’t understand why people are booing Luongo… that needs to be explained to a lot of people”. *Sigh*  Yeah, another great McGuire quote. When I heard him say this, I got the distinct feeling that millions of other hockey fans around the world were rolling their eyes just like I was. It was powerful! I anticipate more great quotes later this week given the size of his current Shea Weber man-crush.
  • Terrible Reffing – I didn’t think the Olympic refereeing would be more inconsistent than the NHL, but wow, it is! How wrong I was. It’s everything, too. From penalties called (hitting, interference, holding or tripping – like last night’s Marian Gaborik penalty), faceoffs and even stopping play when goalies are hit in the head with pucks. There’s been several times this tournament where the play has been blown down and I’ve been completely lost as to why.
  • Olympic Brackets – I realize this isn’t anyone’s fault, but prior to the Quarter-Final games yesterday, you could split the tournament brackets into two groups: top and bottom, with one team from each group making it to the Gold Medal game. The top brackets featured USA, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Finland while the bottom brackets featured Canada, Russia, Slovakia and Sweden. With all due respect to each Country/Team, the bottom bracket’s seemed way tougher. Than again, both Russia and Sweden looked pretty average all tournament… I’m completely confused why. This tournament has been weird…
  • 2010 Miracle on Ice – This one drive me crazy. When you look at the American Men’s Hockey team, it’s a solid NHL team. On paper, perhaps it lacks the big names Canada and Russia boast, but it’s a very strong hockey team. Calling this team the “2010 Miracle on Ice” or even making the comparison is downright insulting to the quality players on the team. Although Team USA wasn’t considered the top team in this tournament, their success so far is hardly a surprise. TV broadcasters need to stop with all the “Ryan Miller played well because Jim Craig was watching” nonsense. Ryan Miller played (and is playing) well because he’s one of the best goalies in the world. End of story!

Stay classy, Olympic hockey.

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Keys to victory for Canada and Russia

February 24th, 2010 by Burgundy 10 comments »

It’s the game many figured would be the Gold Medal showdown: Canada versus Russia. This is the game that many around the world have been waiting for. It’s unfortunate one of these teams will finish a disappointing 5th place (at best), but that’s the way it goes in an International tournament as deep as this one. It goes without saying there’s a lot riding on this game for both teams.

While there will be many keys to this game, here’s a few I think stand out and should have a big impact on the final score.

Team Play & Chemistry
I can’t help but think the biggest key to this game will revolve around which group can play more like a team. Both Canada and Russia have struggled finding chemistry between linemates and having star players adapting to different roles.  Canada has the advantage, having played an extra qualifying game (Tuesday night) to work out some kinks. As far as Russia goes, top players like Alex Semin, Alex Radulov and Pavel Datsyuk haven’t played at their best in this tournament as a result of reduced ice time and different roles (compared to their NHL/KHL roles). Canada’s star players have adjusted to their roles better than the Russians over their last two games. Advantage: Canada.

Powerplay
It’s amazing that Shea Weber is the only defenseman of both teams to have a goal in the 2010 Olympics. Having said that, Russia’s powerplay is quarterbacked by Andrei Markov and/or Sergei Gonchar. While Canada’s powerplay has improved, they are still guilty of forcing passes and making predictable plays. Advantage: Russia.

Goaltending
Roberto Luongo versus Evgeni Nabokov. Not sure how much there is to dissect here. This game probably ranks among the biggest starts for both goalies in their respective careers. I try to be as objective as possible, but in all honesty, I don’t have much confidence in Nabokov and big game performances. Frankly, I like Russia’s chances better with Ilya Bryzgalov starting, but that’s just me. Advantage: Canada.

Crosby versus Ovechkin
I suppose no Canada-Russia match-up is complete without mentioning Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin going head to head against each other. So far, I haven’t been overly impressed with Crosby in these Olympic games. Before you yell blasphemy and accuse me of being unclassy, hear  me out. Crosby has been very good in this tournament, but not as dominant as I expected. Maybe it’s because he seems to have new wingers every game. I’d like to see Crosby shoot more pucks to the net, rather than pass off quality scoring chances for potential highlight reel setups. When you look at impacts to their respective teams, I think Ovechkin’s splash is slightly bigger than Crosby’s. My analysis could very well change after tonight’s game. Advantage: Russia.

Regardless of which team wins, this should be a great game. It’s easily the biggest quarter-final game in this tournament and should draw the highest interest. It’s very possible fans will go through enjoyment, excitement and high periods of stress all at once. Consider that your warning! Get ready for some world class hockey and remember, we’re still in the quarter-finals!

So tell me classy readers, what’s your prediction? Who wins and what’s the score? Also, what do you think will be keys to the game? Thanks for reading Stayclassy.net.

Stay classy, highly anticipated Canada-Russia showdown.

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Canada, can we stop making excuses?

February 22nd, 2010 by Burgundy 6 comments »

A friend of mine has recently started getting into hockey. She made two observations about Ryan Miller last night, prior to the big USA-Canada game starting. She said “Ryan’s a hottie and probably the best goalie in the NHL”. I can’t comment on the first observation (although I’ve always felt Miller looks like Jared Leto), however, she’s bang on with the latter part of that quote.

So even a hockey fan who’s very new to the game knows how good Ryan Miller is. Fast forward to around 10pm EST on Sunday night and Canada is collectively saying “our Olympic hockey team was beaten by Ryan Miller”. Seriously, can we stop making excuses? It’s not like Ryan Miller is the only strong goalie in this Olympic tournament.

That was a pretty gutsy game from Team USA last night. In both of their previous games, I felt Team USA had trouble playing as a team and staying in synch with each other. That was not the case against Canada. In fact, Team USA played a far better team game than the Canadians did.

Everyone is crediting the win to Miller and Miller exclusively. While he was outstanding, he wasn’t the only reason USA defeated Canada 5-3. Let’s give credit to the coaching tandem of Ron Wilson and John Tortorella for figuring out how to turn one of Martin Brodeur’s strengths into weaknesses. Let’s give some credit to the US penalty killers like Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury – both of these guys played terrific games. Also, let’s give some credit to the US center’s like Drury, Ryan Kessler and Joe Pavelski. These guys were dominant in the faceoff circle against a team who’s style of play relies on puck possession.

And one of the most critical aspects of the loss last night had little to do with the USA. As I watched last night’s game, I really felt like they needed to be leading after the second period in order to win. Canada really let up in the second period. They didn’t push as hard as they could and should have. I realize it’s easy to say this, however, if they played like they did in the final five minutes all game, they probably would have won. They did in spurts, but not often enough. Canada’s puck retrieval wasn’t terribly strong all game. Canada’s physical game disappeared in the second period and they didn’t move pucks well (everything was too slow and too predictable).

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not taking anything away from Miller’s play. However, the reality is there’s a lot of other reasons Canada lost besides running into a hot goalie. If Canada can get their game together, they can look forward to better results. Every other contending team has great goaltending too. If goaltending is going to be an excuse for last night’s loss, get ready to blame a few more goalies over the coming days. Canada is capable of beating teams with great goalies, but there’s a few things they need to do, besides worrying about who they are shooting on.

Let’s accept last night’s game for what it was – US was the better team. No more goaltending excuses (Miller, Brodeur or anyone else). If Canada wants to win, they’ll need to be better. End of story.

Stay classy, Team Canada.

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Overall impressions of the Olympic Hockey (so far)

February 19th, 2010 by Burgundy 6 comments »

Happy Friday, everyone!

Now that we’ve seen each of the men’s Olympic Hockey teams play, I have a few overall impressions from the first couple days of the tournament.

  • Last night’s Canada-Switzerland game last night was way more exciting than I expected. Perhaps it was unsettling or too close for comfort for Canadian fans, but it was a fun game to watch.
  • The quality of hockey played in every game so far has been amazing. I’ve enjoyed each game I’ve seen. When it’s all said and done, I think this tournament will go down as the best hockey tournament ever.
  • How awesome is it to see Jaromir Jagr, Sergei Fedorov, Peter Forsberg and others playing hockey with younger great players like Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby?
  • A few Tiger Woods brain cramps… (sorry in advance) … Did Tiger Woods really need to hold a press conference in the middle of the Olympics? Does he crave attention that much? What’s with calling cheating “sex addiction”? He’s a man and he’s horny. Wait, I’ve got it! Every man has an addiction to sex. Got it.
  • Everyone has talked about the offensive depth of the Russians and how it could result in a Gold Medal win. I’m starting to wonder if the Russian stars are having trouble playing 10-15 minutes per game when they are used to 20-25 in the NHL.
  • I’ve read a few things about Drew Doughty’s mistake last night being a result of his age. I think that’s garbage. Don’t blame it age – chalk it up to an error and everyone makes them. It wasn’t a mistake for Doughty to be selected for Team Canada.
  • Did anyone else notice that slight glove drop by Martin Brodeur on the game winning shootout save last night? That little drop was probably enough to distract Martin Pluss. Clearly, Pluss wanted to hit the high left corner and didn’t get the shot where he wanted it. Sometimes, that’s all that it takes to screw up a shooter’s plans.
  • I was very surprised the Russians didn’t use Alexander Radulov in the shootout last night against the Slovaks. You have to think Radulov was pretty upset about not getting to shoot, given Ovechkin got three attempts.
  • Despite different circumstances, I can’t decide which goal was better – David Backes breakaway goal (fast forward to 0:17)or Pavel Demitra’s shootout winner.

Which goal do you think was better? So far, this tournament has been amazing. What other storylines have you enjoyed from the Olympics (hockey or otherwise)?

Stay classy, Olympic Hockey.

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Players to Watch in the Olympics

February 17th, 2010 by Fantana 8 comments »

If you haven’t joined an Olympic hockey pool yet or you just want to look smart in front of your hockey buddies, look no further. This is the blog that will lend you instant credibility and will make you look wiser the Shaq in front of lockerroom of reporters. Here’s my look at some of the top and most underrated players to watch during the Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament in Vancouver.

Jaromir Jagr (CZE) – Jaromir Jagr was one of the most dominant hockey players in recent memory – when he wanted to be. He’s the highest scoring European-born player (goals, assists and points) in NHL history and is very highly regarded by his younger teammates. His skill was never in question, but his motivation and desire usually was. At 38, it’s safe to say that this will likely be Jagr’s final shot at Olympic gold, so I’m sure motivation won’t be a problem for the Czech flagbearer over the next two weeks. I’d love to see one last flash of glory for the player whose long, curly hair captured the hearts of so many hockey mom’s in the 90’s.

Aleksey Morozov (RUS) – One of the reasons why I think many Canadian hockey fans are underrating the Russian team is Aleksey Morozov. He didn’t quite pan out as the Pittsburgh Penguins had hoped, where his best season saw him score 50 points in 74 games. Still, since returning to play in Russia, his game has dramatically improved to a point where he’s the best player in the world not playing in the NHL and has been for some time. Last season in the KHL, he scored 32 goals and 74 points in 49 games. I know it’s only the KHL, but Russia’s captain is much better than most give him credit for. Hypothetically, I bet if he were to join the NHL next year, he would easily be the most sought-after player on the free agent market this summer.

Ryan Getzlaf (CAN) – The big focus for Canada over the past 72 hours has been if Ryan Getzlaf will be in or out of the Canadian lineup. Well, he’s definitely in – for now. He stepped up to answer questions about the strength of his injured ankle Sunday night by scoring 4 points and guiding Anaheim to victory in his final tune-up game before the Olympics. If he can stay healthy, he adds a much more physical and dynamic presence to Canada – far moreso than a player like Jeff Carter. He also makes teammate (and probable linemate) Corey Perry immediately more effective, which will be big on that 2nd line.

Tomas Vokoun (CZE) – Tomas Vokoun had a bit of a lackluster season last year with Florida and this year has been so-so at best. But make no mistake about it – Tomas Vokoun is a very good goalie. He lead the Czech’s to a gold medal in the 2005 World Championships and a bronze medal 4 years ago in Turin. Anybody scoffing at that should think back to how Canada did in that same tournament. He could steal a few games for the Czech’s and that definitely makes the Czech Republic a dark horse in this tournament.

Patrice Bergeron (CAN) – Many were surprised to see Bergeron included in the Summer evaluation camp, and even though his name was buzzed about during the season, many more were surprised when Patrice was actually named to the Canadian Olympic team. The reason he made this team is because he’s a very useful and versatile player. If you’re surprised to see him on the top line with Sidney Crosby, don’t be. Think back to the NHL lock out year where he and Crosby played on Canada’s top line at the WJC. In fact, it was Bergeron who lit up the score sheet and won the tournament MVP award. With Crosby and Nash as linemates, Bergeron looks set to pile up the points.

Jonas Hiller (SWI) – Everyone is on the same page when it comes to the Swiss team – they are a dangerous team but they aren’t true medal contenders. It would be the shock of the Games if they finished on the medal podium. But having said that, I think the Anaheim Ducks management team will be watching Switzerland closely to find out if they chose the right goalie for their future. This tournament will really expose Hiller and we’ll find out soon enough just how good he really is. This tournament could be a big breakout party for Hiller and like Ray Ferraro said on Tuesday, I wouldn’t want to face Switzerland in a quarterfinal elimination game.

Evgeni Nabokov (RUS) – Burgundy says Russia’s great up front, but not so good on the defense and goaltending positions. I disagree and it’s time for ‘Nabby’ to put his money where his mouth is. A strong performance in this tournament would do a lot to elevate San Jose’s playoff prospects, as well as his UFA status this summer. So clearly, the motivation is there. But the big thing with Nabokov is that he doesn’t need to necessarily steal games for Russia, he just needs to hold them in the game if Russia’s offense stalls. Think Grant Fuhr in Edmonton’s glory days.

Peter Forsberg (SWE) – We’re all getting a little sick of Peter Forsberg aren’t we? He’s probably the only person in history who’s staged more career comebacks than Brett Favre. We’re constantly hearing about his annual comeback attempt to the NHL yet, he’s still a player to watch because this is only a two week tournament. Anyone who can miss an entire NHL season, return in the playoffs and flat-out dominate the way he did in Colorado in 2001-2002 is worth keeping on eye on.

Here’s to a great tournament. Let the best team win and for the aforementioned players to make me look good!

Your Reporter in the Field,

Fantana

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