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Old 02-24-2010, 09:02 AM   #61
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against Latvia and Norway
Quite the accomplishment, scoring so many goals that they award us goals against a team that we didn't even play. I'm impressed.

Really, I am nervous about the game, but optimistic. It is odd, my heart says be prepared to be broken, but my brain says, depth, Russia lost as well, and look at their d, honestly, really!
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Old 02-24-2010, 09:12 AM   #62
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against Latvia and Norway

No...Canada never played Latvia.

beyond that, every team in this tournament has faced weaker teams...so what is your point?
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Old 02-24-2010, 09:13 AM   #63
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If this game goes to a shoot out, Canada loses. We need to win this in regulation, and to do that we need to score first, and score often. If we let the Ruskies get a couple goal lead, we're done. Babcock will start shuffling lines around and randomly playing players. He'll put Perry out there to take penalties and allow empty net goals. He'll not take time outs at the right time. He'll move Iginla to the fourth line and give him 20 seconds of ice time, despite the fact he's the leading goal scorer.

We can't let Babcock screw this up, which means we need to play with the lead.
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Old 02-24-2010, 09:16 AM   #64
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I think Canada really has to up their physical play, especially in the defensive zone. So far Canada's D has been its weakest point and the Russian can definitely take advantage of that.

Big games out of Weber and Keith will really help as well. Limited play for Boyle and pronger would make me happy as well.
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Old 02-24-2010, 09:21 AM   #65
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Obviously the PK and Luongo are going to be important tonight.

I still think the key to beating the Russians is getting in on the forecheck hard preventing the d-men to move the puck efficiently. The big asset of the Russians (other than their skill) is their speed and ability to create off the rush IMO. You need to contain their speed and time in the neutral zone. If you can get on the Russian D before they can move the puck, you should be able to neutralize their attack. Furthermore, I think you'll be able to get the dmen to turnover the puck leading to offensive chances.

Containing the Russians speed is the challenge here IMO. If we can do that, we'll win.
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Old 02-24-2010, 09:43 AM   #66
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Something to watch is that the Canadian defence is pretty much Western Conference players with Niedermayer, Weber, Keith, Seabrook, Doughty, and Boyle. Even Pronger before this year had been a Western Conference guy, although Boyle did play out East prior to last year. Point being that a lot of these guys don't match up against the likes of Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, and Malkin very often. A guy like Niedermayer has played Kovalchuk pre lockout but since the lockout maybe played against those guys 3 or 4 times.
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Old 02-24-2010, 09:48 AM   #67
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Something to watch is that the Canadian defence is pretty much Western Conference players with Niedermayer, Weber, Keith, Seabrook, Doughty, and Boyle. Even Pronger before this year had been a Western Conference guy, although Boyle did play out East prior to last year. Point being that a lot of these guys don't match up against the likes of Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, and Malkin very often. A guy like Niedermayer has played Kovalchuk pre lockout but since the lockout maybe played against those guys 3 or 4 times.

In fact as far as skaters go, there are only 5 EC if i am counting correctly..

Bergeron, Pronger, Richards, Staal and Crosby.
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Old 02-24-2010, 09:50 AM   #68
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Containing Kovalchuk will be the key. If Canada loses it will be because he kills us.
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Old 02-24-2010, 09:55 AM   #69
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In fact as far as skaters go, there are only 5 EC if i am counting correctly..

Bergeron, Pronger, Richards, Staal and Crosby.
That's actually pretty surprising considering the high offensive teams in the east, or maybe I haven't been paying attention to SJ and Chi.

Anyways, as I posted in the GDT, I think Canada will take it 4-3. They will have to come out firing on all cylinders and play with the lead or "Mad Mike" Babcock could screw around with the lines and destroy everything.
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Old 02-24-2010, 10:30 AM   #70
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Half the skaters on Canada play for Anaheim, San Jose, or Chicago as those teams have 3, 4, & 3 skaters.

Conversely there are 5 Russians who play in the Western Conference and two of them are goaltenders. Datsyuk, Grebeshkov, and Tyutin are the only skaters who play in the West.

So the players on both sides have a lot of guys on the other team they haven't played against a whole lot previously.
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Old 02-24-2010, 10:34 AM   #71
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Canada needs to play a physical game, I haven't seen many hits other than Morrow, Richards and Weber. Guys like Marleau, Nash, Getzlaf have to start crushing some russians, that'll slow them down and throw them off their game
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Old 02-24-2010, 10:44 AM   #72
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Containing Kovalchuk will be the key. If Canada loses it will be because he kills us.
Kovalchuk will almost certainly be a no-show. Ovechkin is the key for them. He hasn't exactly been on fire yet.

Anyway, if goaltending holds, Canada is the clear favourite. Best of luck.
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Old 02-24-2010, 11:31 AM   #73
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I think Canada has to do a great job blocking passing lanes. I'm pretty confident in Big 'Ole Bingo Bango's ability to shut the door against Russia's shooters if given the ability to challenge them and square up.

The Russians won't be looking for garbage, and won't be crashing the crease, so blocking the passing lanes and letting Luongo square up is the key to me.

I think there's a quote out there where Luongo discusses his confidence against Ovechkin by saying that he just always squares up and plays him as if he will shoot. Those Giant Pads work wonders against even the best shooters. Stop the pretty passing plays, and I feel pretty confident Luongo will stop the initial shots.
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Old 02-24-2010, 11:44 AM   #74
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against Latvia and Norway
Make that Germany and Norway.. and Russia is hardly better than those 2 teams when it comes to defending their own zone... if the scores show otherwise, it's because of their goaltending.
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Old 02-24-2010, 11:48 AM   #75
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Keep the forward line up the same as it was from lastnights game.
Staal Crosby Iginla have to remain together.
All 4 lines have to forecheck the hell out of the Russians defence and force turnovers. There are quite a few mismatchs that favor Canada over the Russians defensive pairs.

More Doughty less Pronger = massive improvement speed, crisper breakouts and smarter overall decisions.
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Old 02-24-2010, 11:52 AM   #76
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Kovalchuk will almost certainly be a no-show. Ovechkin is the key for them. He hasn't exactly been on fire yet.

Anyway, if goaltending holds, Canada is the clear favourite. Best of luck.
Besides those two Canada also has to key up on Semin, if they don't cover him well he will light us up like a christmas tree.
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Old 02-24-2010, 11:57 AM   #77
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If we play physical against the Russians we will be fine. There is a reason they are successful in the East. They are soft.
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Old 02-24-2010, 12:00 PM   #78
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Their softness is overstated. I think come up hitting is the wrong strategy. Best is to play them really tight and close down lanes. Stifle them Neidermayer style throughout the first half and rely on a counterattack game. The idea is to get them to abandon the team game and get them to play like a bunch of individuals. If they start doing that then they're toast.
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Old 02-24-2010, 12:03 PM   #79
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Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk...meh. We have Crosby, Iginla, Heatley, Marleau, Nash, etc. all capable players able to light the lamp.

I'm not so much worried about Kovalchuk, Malkin and Ovechkin as much as Radulov. He's a guy that can sneak under the radar and pot some huge goals while the Canadians concentrate on the big 3 for Russia.
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Old 02-24-2010, 12:06 PM   #80
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I think the Neidermeyer of Norris winning form is the way to play against the Russians. Stifle them, play smart physically, and catch them when they make a mistake.

Kovalchuk will be a no show, Malkin will coast, Richards will Booth Ovechkin.
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