PGT: USA 5 - Canada 3

[Savvy27]

I would switch to Luongo. Brodeur got a shot as the starter and was outplayed by a wide margin by his American counterpart.

I also have a feeling that Luongo is the more likely choice to steal a game for them.

[CGY12]

So let me get this straight Babcock tells Iggy and the media that he doesnt need to score goals and then promptly puts him on the top line in the 3rd period when we were in desperation mode and needed a couple LOL. What an idiot!

[Flash Walken]

outcoached two games in a row.

[Matata]

We'll see on tuesday if babcock has or hasn't completely lost his mind.

[The Yen Man]

So let me get this straight...

Babs says he doesn't need Iginla to score goals, just be a physical presence, but in the 3rd period, he put Iggy back on the first line because he wanted a "shooter" on that line? Wow, what's the point of shooting if he's not needed to score goals? You're making yourself look like a fool Babcock.

[shadetree]

Originally Posted by T@T

I still think it was a huge mistake to leave Phaneuf off this team, there are no defenseman on this team that strikes fear into opposing players, there best hitter (Weber) isn't hitting. Phaneuf would have been a great nuclear deterent even with low icetime. Same goes for Regehr.

So true. It was especially galling when you realized that the Swiss (the Swiss!) weren't the least bit afraid of the D. The D is so easy to play against. The thing about Weber is that he doesn't go out of his way to hit - he's a lot more selective than Phaneuf and Regehr. Having a guy like Dion out there changes the way the opposition plays - you don't see a lot of forwards dangling across the middle when he's out there. Also, you know that Dion wouldn't be shy about shooting on the PP.

[CGY12]

At this point both Pronger and Niedermayer have really been the problem on D. I can only imagine where we would be with Bouwmeester and Green at both ends of the rink. Doughty has been a pleasant surprise, guy is probably our best dman at this point.

[Interlude]

I still dont get it.. they gave the "A" to Pronger? The king of turnovers! WTF was team Canada thinking when they chose Pronger over Jaybo?

[3 Justin 3]

This Veteran "leadership" stuff is starting to get annoying. Niedermayer, Pronger and to a lesser extent Iginla are brought in to be the leaders of the team, yet Iginla is horribly under utilized (he has played good), and Pronger has sucked the ass of a donkey, while Niedermayer has a bad shift, followed by a good one.

What happened to "we're going to ice the best team going into the Olympics?

Stamkos > Perry
Bouwmeester > Niedermayer
Phaneuf > Pronger

Hell, even Seabrook! Green > Seabrook if he is only going to be playing 7 minutes a game. Maybe our PP won't be so abysmal.

[SOMBRI2]

i think this team canada, if not quickly pulling things together, will be the biggest choke of all time olympic participation in men's ice hockey.

[CGY12]

Green should be on this team. I don't care how bad he is defensively. If your going to ice 7 dmen it would have been well worth it to have this guy go out strictly on the PP and when this team was in dyer need of a goal like tonight in the last 3 minutes.

[Tsawwassen]

Iginla has to be put on the first line. Babcock has to realize that Iginla is first line material. Brodeur has to be in goal, win or lose. If not, Fleury should play then as he knows how to win in big games. Luongo does not!

In more important hockey news, one week until the real hockey games return. How ironic that it will Babcock and the Red Wings playing the Avalanche at the Pepsi Centre. This feels dirty but necessary, go Avs or have the game end in regulation.

[OILFAN #81]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

This Veteran "leadership" stuff is starting to get annoying. Niedermayer, Pronger and to a lesser extent Iginla are brought in to be the leaders of the team, yet Iginla is horribly under utilized (he has played good), and Pronger has sucked the ass of a donkey, while Niedermayer has a bad shift, followed by a good one.

What happened to "we're going to ice the best team going into the Olympics?

Stamkos > Perry
Bouwmeester > Niedermayer
Phaneuf > Pronger

Hell, even Seabrook! Green > Seabrook if he is only going to be playing 7 minutes a game. Maybe our PP won't be so abysmal.

Patrice Bergeron to me is still the biggest mystery. What the heck does he bring to the table? There are atleast 10 guys who should be on the team over him.

[CGY12]

I really wish Kipper was Canadian at this point. We would have this tourny locked up.

[Tsawwassen]

One could tell there were Canuck fans underneath those Team Canada jersey when Ryan Kesler scored the empty net goal. The cheering was louder for that goal.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by CGY12

I really wish Kipper was Canadian at this point. We would have this tourny locked up.

With the games they played, if you put Kipper in net for Canada tonight and Brodeur for Finland, Canada wins the Pool and gets the #2 rank overall and Finland loses by more than 7 goals and falls out of the top 4 ranking.

[Caged Great]

There is a reason why All-Star teams rarely succeed. In the late 90's-now, The New York Rangers get the big name players and surprise surprise, it doesn't work.

This team is relying on names rather than their abilities for their specific jobs or their past history of success. We have 4 lines worth of 1st line players who are all leaders in their respective teams. There are too many egos (by that I mean Captains and Alts) who are used to leading their teams and too many players who play their own way. As we saw first hand with Jokinen and Iginla, sometimes that doesn't quite work out.

They really should've looked at who the key players on the team were forward wise and try to surround them with specific players to compliment those players. Say for Jarome Iginla, who's a shooter and a passer, you get someone who's a sniper and a guy who's a good passer to go with him. So in his case, I would've selected Brad Richards and Steven Stamkos to go with Iginla because Richards can feed Iginla and Stamkos, and Iginla can feed either and shoot depending on the situation.

The logical fallacy that playing the best Names out there and they'll magically figure it out rarely works and the only time it does is if there is a significant divide between your overall level of talent and your opposition's (Canada Vs. Norway for example).

It's aggravating as I'm not even 100% sure they can beat Germany, let alone Russia. They are not going to get a medal, and I would be absolutely shocked if they finish higher than 5th.

[TowelPower]

Luongo at gm place this year.

21 - 7 - 1

2.17 GAA and a .928 save percentage

He is 13 - 3 -1 in his last 17 at gm place.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

I am perfectly comfortable laying the blame for Canada's embarassing performance so far squarely on Mike Babcock.

Yzerman shares some responsbility for choosing the team. Lowe, Babcock, and other has input, and Yzerman even let the out-vote him on some issues. But that was Stevie Y's choice, he is the GM, and at the end of the day the roster is his responsibility. That roster is not as good as it should be.

Babcock has to take the players he is given. And while the roster is not perfect, he has more than enough tools in the toolbox to win this tournament. However, he has done a disgraceful job of utilizing those tools.

Brodeur had a lackluster game. But Babcock has crapped his pants for 3 straight games, and if he continues his antics this team will be unlikely to advance any further than Germany.

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by OILFAN #81

Patrice Bergeron to me is still the biggest mystery. What the heck does he bring to the table? There are atleast 10 guys who should be on the team over him.

Yeah, I forgot him as well. Honestly, the "chemistry" he had with Sid was from 4 years ago? Or has it been longer than 4 years? And he is supposed to be a face-off specialist, yet everything I have seen he has lost.

Simply put though, even with some of the questionable picks, we should be putting 5+ goals in net every game despite who the opposing goalie is.


Why Babcock has decided to ride the San Jose and Duck line, over and over and over in key situations (which has failed everytime) is baffling how ever.

And tonight Toews was IMO our best player, yet he only had like 8-10 minutes while Perry gets put on the ice as our 6th man.

The coaching choices are a JOKE.