[News] USA Olympic Roster announced

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Any team in an elite, best-on-best tournament that has Ryan Kesler positioned as their top-line centre is not going far. Especially not on larger European ice.

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Any team in an elite, best-on-best tournament that has Ryan Kesler positioned as their top-line centre is not going far. Especially not on larger European ice.

Well they were one goal away from gold last time.

[Roof-Daddy]

[Poe969]

I have nothing to base it on but I actual thing the US will do well this year

[PeteLFan]

They have talent on the wings too play a fast grinding game with skill. The center depth is awful compared to us.

Canada has such a deep group of top centers and defenseman.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

Well they were one goal away from gold last time.

They had unreal goaltending and a lot if puck luck.

Those are not great foundations to build a team on.

Kane and Suter only two skaters that make team Canada with Parise the only other guy who would get consideration.

They could get Miller to play out of his mind again but so could any team with their goaltender.

[JobHopper]

Looks like good team, they have Patrick Kane.

They're also gritty so I wouldn't write them off completely.

[Brannigans Law]

Kesler is such a little female dog. I sincerely hope all the bad things in life happen to him, and only him. Hate hate hate hate.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

Well they were one goal away from gold last time.

In their round-robin win against Canada, they were outshot 45–22, and only won on the back of some unreal goaltending reciprocated by a marginal performance from Martin Brodeur.

Miller posted a shutout against Suiss in the Quarterfinal.

Team USA caught Kiprusoff on an uncharacteristically off night and scored four goals on seven shots inside of the first 11 minutes of their semifinal game.

The gold medal game only gets to OT compliments of a bad goal allowed by Luongo in the second period.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Any team in an elite, best-on-best tournament that has Ryan Kesler positioned as their top-line centre is not going far. Especially not on larger European ice.

others have all ready said he was one of the best players in the tournament in 2010

what I dont get is the larger ice part, he's an excellent skater, if anything that's a plus for him

[Zach]

Yeah that top line will dominate on the bigger ice surface.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Zach

Yeah that top line will dominate on the bigger ice surface.

Dominate who?

And why would it dominate more than a potential Stamkos-Crosby-Kunitz line? or Kovachuk-Malkin-AO line? Or the sisters with Zetterberg?

It is a good line but looks to be below the top line of the other big countries.

And is that line-up much grittier than a Canadian line-up that includes Toews, Bergeron, Getzlaf, Perry and likely one or two of Sharpe, Nash, Richards, Carter, Marleau? Even Crosby is a bulldog down low and great ay cycling the puck.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by moon

Dominate who?

And why would it dominate more than a potential Stamkos-Crosby-Kunitz line? or Kovachuk-Malkin-AO line? Or the sisters with Zetterberg?

I know he's got chemistry with Crosby, but it's still a little hard for me to justify putting a 34 year old guy with a 61pt career high, on this team, never mind the first line.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I know he's got chemistry with Crosby, but it's still a little hard for me to justify putting a 34 year old guy with a 61pt career high, on this team, never mind the first line.

I just threw him in because I needed someone but he is likely to shatter that career high this year and is top 10 in scoring right now. I think he is very close to making team and if he does he obviously is playing with Crosby, but you can throw in St. Louis or Tavares or whomever you think fills that roll it is still a better line that the American top line.

[trackercowe]

Gotta agree that not taking Yandle and Ryan will prove to be a mistake. Two of the hottest players in the league right now, and this team doesn't have a whole lot of offensive weapons.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by moon

I just threw him in because I needed someone but he is likely to shatter that career high this year and is top 10 in scoring right now. I think he is very close to making team and if he does he obviously is playing with Crosby, but you can throw in St. Louis or Tavares or whomever you think fills that roll it is still a better line that the American top line.

It does seem like many have him making the team, and the chemistry with Crosby is undeniable. I just think Crosby is one of those guys who will make anyone great, so we should bring in someone who brings an extra gear to the team even without Crosby.

I do agree about your comment on the line vs the American one. That line will be a monster (at least on paper, but most likely in real life too).

[DOOM]

Brown sure is struggling this year..on pace for less then 30 points.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Table 5

It does seem like many have him making the team, and the chemistry with Crosby is undeniable. I just think Crosby is one of those guys who will make anyone great, so we should bring in someone who brings an extra gear to the team even without Crosby.

He also benefits from being one of the few natural LWers that Canada has.

If Crosby was the LW and Kunitz was a Center I imagine he would be sitting at home.

[Temporary_User]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

In their round-robin win against Canada, they were outshot 45–22, and only won on the back of some unreal goaltending reciprocated by a marginal performance from Martin Brodeur.

Miller posted a shutout against Suiss in the Quarterfinal.

Team USA caught Kiprusoff on an uncharacteristically off night and scored four goals on seven shots inside of the first 11 minutes of their semifinal game.

The gold medal game only gets to OT compliments of a bad goal allowed by Luongo in the second period.

Wouldn't the round-robin win against Canada and Finland show that the Americans are just able to exploit good goalies? Both Kipper and Brodeur, two of the best goaltenders at the time, just happened to have bad nights against the US?

Your last point, Canada only wins the OT compliments of a bad goal allowed by Miller.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

Wouldn't the round-robin win against Canada and Finland show that the Americans are just able to exploit good goalies? Both Kipper and Brodeur, two of the best goaltenders at the time, just happened to have bad nights against the US?

Your last point, Canada only wins the OT compliments of a bad goal allowed by Miller.

The OT winner wasn't a bad goal, it was a one on one situation with the best player in the world. Not many goalies stop that.

Those games show the US are able to exploit good goalies having bad games. They didn't exploit good goalies when Luongo played in the final for example and didn't exploit good goaltending in the two games against Switzerland.