[GDT] Canada vs USA - Gold Medal Game - Men’s Hockey

[FlamesAddiction]

There is an AI slop video on Twitter with Donald Trump playing hockey against team Canada and of course dominating and being the hero. It made my blood boil.

I'm not going to lie, I personally don't give two craps about international hockey. For me, the whole Olympics was an annoying disruption to the NHL season and I am glad it's over. Of course I wanted Canada to win against the U.S., but my dream would be to see some true underdog country to win for once.

[Manhattanboy]

This game should have been on Saturday night in Italy with nothing scheduled after and 5-5 OT until a goal. Ratings would have been huge.

Ridiculous the NHL would agree to 3-3 OT and the gold medal game at 8am on a Sunday in the eastern time zone.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Does being equally bad for both teams have any significance whatsoever? Isn’t any solution equally bad for both teams? They could flip a coin and it would be equally bad for both team teams.

It's a fair solution, that's the significance.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Saqe

It's a fair solution, that's the significance.

Well what would an unfair solution be and why are we even talking about unfair solutions?

Is there some world where only one team gets to play with four players and the other team three?

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

100%. I think the coaching failure here was [seemingly] not treating them like a junior team and demanding 100% effort on backchecks once we were in sudden death.

There is drop off from the top guys, but there's still another dozen on the roster who you can trust out there for 3v3.

Totally. In 3 on 3 OT a number of those "depth" guys are lethal in their own right.

[MRCboicgy]

Welp, despite being really into the games during the last two weeks, I wasn't even motivated to watch it this morning. My alarm, went off, I chose sleep and only found out the final at lunchtime.

Even finding out the result, I was ambivalent.

[powderjunkie]

I actually think shootout is a great way to decide a game with super high stakes. It's just lame for less meaningful games.

Ideally I'd do 20 mins 5v5, 20 mins 4v4, then SO if necessary (but more realistically 10 mins of each).

It's too easy for puck luck to turn into a 3 on 1, which IMO is worse than settling things mano a mano.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Well what would an unfair solution be and why are we even talking about unfair solutions?

Is there some world where only one team gets to play with four players and the other team three?

Are you trying to make a point of some kind? Or just rambling.

[Infinit47]

Baseball should go to a home run derby to break ties. NBA can go to three point shooting contest. NFL can go to a field goal kicking contest.

Play 5v5 until a team wins.

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by Saqe

Are you trying to make a point of some kind? Or just rambling.

To me the point is that while it is a fair situation it is also an absurd way to decide any hockey game, let alone one of this magnitude.

The only reason we have these gimmicks is because some fans couldn't stand leaving a game where the result was a tie. Hell, 3 on 3 is a product of people wanting to avoid a shootout after the other gimmick of 4 on 4 didn't prevent them enough.

That it ever bled into international play is ridiculous. Even in the NHL playoff games do not use these modern gimmicks. Why the hell did anyone think a Gold Medal game in the Olympics decided by 3 on 3 was a good idea? If it doesn't jive with the schedule then change the schedule.

USA won fair and square, but nobody should truly be content with the way the game ended.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by Yamer

To me the point is that while it is a fair situation it is also an absurd way to decide any hockey game, let alone one of this magnitude.

The only reason we have these gimmicks is because some fans couldn't stand leaving a game where the result was a tie. Hell, 3 on 3 is a product of people wanting to avoid a shootout after the other gimmick of 4 on 4 didn't prevent them enough.

That it ever bled into international play is ridiculous. Even in the NHL playoff games do not use these modern gimmicks. Why the hell did anyone think a Gold Medal game in the Olympics decided by 3 on 3 was a good idea? If it doesn't jive with the schedule then change the schedule.

USA won fair and square, but nobody should truly be content with the way the game ended.

I agree, I mean I already said that it's a bad solution. But life isn't perfect so it's kind of those things that you live with, at least for me. If they played 5v5 people would complain about that too when games would go on forever. I'd personally prefer that but can see the other side also. Shootout on the other hand is the worst, it's not a game anymore.

[Mathgod]

Actually no it's not fair. To determine who wins the gold medal in hockey, they had the teams play some mickey mouse cheap mockery of hockey, instead of actual hockey. That isn't fair because they're doing something different from what the award is actually for.

Tell you what, in future Olympics, in overtime the players should put away their sticks and skates and play ice soccer. It's the same for both teams!

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Actually no it's not fair. To determine who wins the gold medal in hockey, they had the teams play some mickey mouse cheap mockery of hockey, instead of actual hockey. That isn't fair because they're doing something different from what the award is actually for.

Tell you what, in future Olympics, in overtime the players should put away their sticks and skates and play ice soccer. It's the same for both teams!

You're confusing fairness with stupidity. Just because 3v3 is a stupid solution in your opinion it doesn't have any baring on its fairness.

[united]

Hellebuyck was magnificent (obviously). Just how good, as quantified with puck and player tracking.

https://twitter.com/user/status/2025679807439077815

[N-E-B]

Reflecting on this game and past Olympics has really made me appreciate the player Sidney Crosby was (and is). McDavid is faster. MacKinnon can shoot harder. Both guys probably have more raw talent. And yet, neither guy is in the same realm as Crosby.

What he did for hockey and the country is really hard to put into words. I’m truly sad that in all likelihood he’s played his last game at the Olympics. There is nobody on earth even close to touching him right now. He is the perfect mixture of offense, defense, leadership, and class. I know he annoyed some people with his whining when he was younger but if you’re still clinging to that you’re a loser.

I’m not trying to rag on McDavid or MacKinnon. They’re both tremendous players in their own right and they’ll have another crack at it. But right now I just feel grateful for Crosby and grateful that I was able to watch him play. Really wish he could have gone out with a Gold Medal because in my books he’s the best player I’ve ever seen. I saw Gretzky and Lemieux but both were past their primes. So for myself and an entire generation Crosby is the face of Canadian hockey.

Iginla will always be my favourite, but Crosby will always be the best.

[Manhattanboy]

Thinking Crosby gets us at least one if not two PP goals today.

On the 5-3 for sure.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by renny

It sucks, but it's better than the shootout.

Maybe it's just me, but I think the shootout in Olympic hockey is a perfectly suitable situation for it. Prior to the NHL implementing it, the shootout in international games had some pretty big dramatic moments. Once the NHL brought it in it became much more of a gimmick. But on the international stage, some of my best childhood hockey memories were those international shootouts after a hardfought 5 on 5 OT period.

I knew Canada would lose the moment I saw the OT was 3 on 3. I don't even blame McDavid or whomever for how it went. All game plans and strategy goes out the window the moment 3 on 3 begins. It is still the same ol' "circle out of the offensive zone and reset the play" where eventually it all comes down to someone losing their man and then a rush the other way for the win. Seems like the majority of hockey fans don't like it and yet like a cancer it has now encroached into international hockey. Gross.

Give me an extra OT period of 5 on 5 and a shootout any day for the gold medal over a 3 on 3 pond hockey romp.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by Saqe

You're confusing fairness with stupidity. Just because 3v3 is a stupid solution in your opinion it doesn't have any baring on its fairness.

No I'm not confusing anything. Canada is better at actual hockey, but the IOC used something that isn't hockey to determine the winner. That means artificially taking away Canada's advantage at the actual sport they are supposed to be playing.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

Welp, despite being really into the games during the last two weeks, I wasn't even motivated to watch it this morning. My alarm, went off, I chose sleep and only found out the final at lunchtime.

Even finding out the result, I was ambivalent.

I was busy packing us out of our hotel room in Van, with our brand new 8-week old puppy and getting ready for the drive home. I saw some of the game, and as I was on a trip to the car heard a guy say “Oh, no.” I knew. Still haven’t seen the goal as we are back home with fun times puppy!!

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Pictures on social media, which I can’t verify are legitimate, show team USA partying with members of the trump administration.