[GT] Day 14 (PM of Thursday Feb 22 - AM of Friday Feb 23)

[josef]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

Germany took diving to a new level in the third. Not the typical hockey go down easy dives. These were full on Jurgen Klinsmann soccer flops. Go Russia.

Ecaxtly

[MRCboicgy]

So since all the goals were scored while I was in the car, would things have been marginally better had Scrivens not gotten clobbered thanks to his own guy?

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Just caught up to figure skating now, but did you hear that? The 2 russians jr teammate landed 2 quads and 7 triples at the Russian jrs. Holy!

Great skate by Osmond!

Alexandra Trusova - really looking forward to Junior Worlds!

[Strange Brew]

You can be proud of Canada's effort and the team and still be disappointed in the result (speaking of hockey for now).

Problem is, we have no idea if this is going to be the new approach for Olympic hockey, or whether this is a one off. But no doubt, it never felt to me like we were sending a strong team over there.

[browna]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

So since all the goals were scored while I was in the car, would things have been marginally better had Scrivens not gotten clobbered thanks to his own guy?

Nope. 1st goal was 5 on 3 screen. Second and third 2 on 1s though maybe Scrivens may have had the third, though a nice move, got under Poulins pad awkwardly.
4th was point shot going 5 feet wide until it hit a shin pad in the high slot and bounced into the other side of the net, after a dubious hooking call.

[MRCboicgy]

Originally Posted by browna

Nope. 1st goal was 5 on 3 screen. Second and third 2 on 1s though maybe Scrivens may have had the third, though a nice move, got under Poulins pad awkwardly.
4th was point shot going 5 feet wide until it hit a shin pad in the high slot and bounced into the other side of the net, after a dubious hooking call.

I figured - it was also a trip to write a post asking if things would have been different with Scrivens in net (do feel bad for the guy though he was playing well)

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

But curling.... blow it up!!

Curling is a tough one because the teams just #### the bed, but I can't see how any other selection process would have picked another team for the women, and only one other team would have been in the conversation for the men.

Both won 'the toughest tournament in the world' to get here. Homan is the defending Canadian and World champion. What could possibly be done to 'blow it up' when that's who you have coming? The system would have been designed specifically so this team would get picked instead of somebody who has a hot week in December like Bernard going in 2010 even though Jones was dominant in that time.

Similarly Koe was World Champion in 2016 and Runner-Up at the Brier in 2017, him and Gushue were the two best teams and Koe won the Roar of the Rings (though Gushue did beat him there, he didn't make it to the final).

[GirlySports]

Sometimes Canada just loses, can't win every single time. The other teams are good too.

[sureLoss]

Former Flame David Wolf

https://twitter.com/user/status/967093793496317952

[getbak]

Sucks that Canada lost, but that's great.

Go get 'em, Wolfman!

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

It's funny, this will be the most successful Olympics as a country, but because our most visible teams - M/W Curling & M/W Hockey - underperformed, many people will feel this is a failure.

It's not.

Yeah, this is my feeling, I actually love the medals in these relatively low visibility sports more; those athletes put in just as much work and get so little recognition, so if they get more of the spotlight that's fine with me. The freestyle athletes, luge and bobsleigh, those will be the things I remember most about these Olympics. Figure-skating isn't low-profile, but there were some great stories out of there too.

While I'll always cheer for Canada, I can also respect that there are really big stories out there for other countries. Germany getting to the finals in hockey is a fantastic story.

Except for the US... I can appreciate their athletes, but as soon as the fans bring out the U.S.A. chants, they've lost any support from me.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Yeah, this is my feeling, I actually love the medals in these relatively low visibility sports more; those athletes put in just as much work and get so little recognition, so if they get more of the spotlight that's fine with me. The freestyle athletes, luge and bobsleigh, those will be the things I remember most about these Olympics. Figure-skating isn't low-profile, but there were some great stories out of there too.

While I'll always cheer for Canada, I can also respect that there are really big stories out there for other countries. Germany getting to the finals in hockey is a fantastic story.

Except for the US... I can appreciate their athletes, but as soon as the fans bring out the U.S.A. chants, they've lost any support from me.

This is exactly my feeling! I can appreciate their athletes except their women hockey team, some of those women are classless jerks.

[Mathgod]

What a gong show olympics this has turned out to be for our major sports. Back to the drawing board for 2022...

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

What a gong show olympics this has turned out to be for our major sports. Back to the drawing board for 2022...

Really only the Womens curling was a gongshow with them not getting out of the qualification rounds.

Men's Curling - Semi Final Loss (Koe just seemed to get the yips after going 4-0)
Men's Hockey - Semi-Final Loss (with is probably the 30th best hockey team Canada can put on the ice vs. everyone elses B team)
Ladies Hockey - Finals loss in a Shootout

We have medals in both bobsled events so far, medals in 4/5 individual figure skating events and won the team gold, and have broken the record for total medals we have won in the Olympics.

Far from a gongshow IMO.

Personally I actually expected Germany and Switzerland to be the surprises of mens hockey in this tournament. Those teams have been tough outs in the past when NHLers are there and they have unknown rosters that mostly play in their strong domestic leagues. Without NHLers or AHLers it's a pretty even playing field, the guys Canada could pick from are guys that play pretty even with those guys in the Swiss league, German league, and KHL, with only Russia having any elite talent.

I'm sure even Canada & the US could compete at soccer if you put together a tournament that only had players from the MLS, Mexican, and Canadian leagues but none of the top soccer leagues in Europe or South America. That is pretty much what this is.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Really only the Womens curling was a gongshow with them not getting out of the qualification rounds.

Men's Curling - Semi Final Loss (Koe just seemed to get the yips after going 4-0)
Men's Hockey - Semi-Final Loss (with is probably the 30th best hockey team Canada can put on the ice vs. everyone elses B team)
Ladies Hockey - Finals loss in a Shootout

We have medals in both bobsled events so far, medals in 4/5 individual figure skating events and won the team gold, and have broken the record for total medals we have won in the Olympics.

Far from a gongshow IMO.

I meant specifically hockey and curling. In those two sports, it has been a gong show. At most 2 medals between the 4 teams, and neither of them will be gold.

[calf]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

I meant specifically hockey and curling. In those two sports, it has been a gong show. At most 2 medals between the 4 teams, and neither of them will be gold.

Except for the gold medal in curling.

One thing we seem to be forgetting is that there are other teams with at least almost as much talent as our teams, who are also trying really hard to win too. It's quite arrogant to not give the other side credit for pulling it off. It's disappointing to lose the gold, or not place, of course. But it's not like we're owed the medal or anything.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by calf

Except for the gold medal in curling.

One thing we seem to be forgetting is that there are other teams with at least almost as much talent as our teams, who are also trying really hard to win too. It's quite arrogant to not give the other side credit for pulling it off. It's disappointing to lose the gold, or not place, of course. But it's not like we're owed the medal or anything.

Touche, I forgot about the mixed team.

But this kind of feels like the Stamps discussion all over again. Hockey and curling are the two sports Canada is most well known for and takes great pride in being dominant in. To come away with zero golds between the mens and womens hockey teams and the mens and womens curling teams is a real disappointment and a let down IMO.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Touche, I forgot about the mixed team.

But this kind of feels like the Stamps discussion all over again. Hockey and curling are the two sports Canada is most well known for and takes great pride in being dominant in. To come away with zero golds between the mens and womens hockey teams and the mens and womens curling teams is a real disappointment and a let down IMO.

It is most certainly disappointing. Very much so. But not to the point of ruining what Canada has accomplished IMO.

[Flamenspiel]

Originally Posted by calf

Except for the gold medal in curling.

One thing we seem to be forgetting is that there are other teams with at least almost as much talent as our teams, who are also trying really hard to win too. It's quite arrogant to not give the other side credit for pulling it off. It's disappointing to lose the gold, or not place, of course. But it's not like we're owed the medal or anything.

Well, I give zero credit for men's hockey, its a false tournament that had an arrangement taylor made for an unsatisfactory result. I would not be surprised by some kind of IOC/KHL collusion behind the scenes(in fact the IIHF was desperately pleading with the IOC to keep the Russians in). On the other events you mention I agree but its really no big deal, we will win next time.

The fact is that the COA and the country should be proud of how Canada did at these games and in particular the Canadian Freestyle skiing and snowboarding teams should be singled out for praise as they were dominant. We are a real powerhouse in these sports and it was not a "one of", there is something they are doing right that should be implemented across the board.

[RogerWilco]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

Exactly, I'm happy for Germany. Don't really care about C-grade Canada team.

Can't wait for the gold medal game!

Yeah well, this "C" grade team did better than these guys below did together. If you want to talk gong show, these guys listed below were the real gong show.

Rob Blake
Ray Bourque
Rod Brind'Amour
Shayne Corson
Eric Desjardins
Theo Fleury
Adam Foote
Wayne Gretzky
Trevor Linden
Eric Lindros
Al MacInnis
Joe Nieuwendyk
Keith Primeau
Joe Sakic
Brendan Shanahan
Scott Stevens
Steve Yzerman
Rob Zamuner


And the women's team was due to lose at some point. Every gold medal game they have played has been super close. To win as many in a row as they did pretty much come down to a lot of luck.