[GDT] Finland vs. Canada, Mens Hockey at 10 AM Mountain

[Tinordi]

We aren't missing anyone. This is a team of superstars learning how to play together. This round robin was totally expected. Infact it is usually the case with Canada, it takes at least 3 games for the team to really gel. Sometimes the team doesn't gel at all, for whatever reasons.

On the whole though, things look incredibly good for this team. We are absolutely dominating possession. Our defense looks the best in the tournament. The defence is incredible at moving the puck up the ice. There is no wasted time in Canada's zone. We've had as many defensive breakdowns as you can count with a pitchfork.

Sure the forwards need to find their groove. That is to be expected. A bunch of players playing unfamiliar styles and unfamiliar minutes on an unfamiliar ice surface. If you honestly expected something different then I would question you knowledge of the history of team Canada's at the Olympics especially on big ice.

[Ne7en]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

I want to see tavares with crosby, i think that could be a great combo.

Agreed! I want to see Duchene and Tavares play with Crosby.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Babcock states what we already know: Hamhuis and Subban are there to ride the pine

Арпон Басу
‏@ArponBasu
"I'm going to be honest with you, Hamhuis and P.K. don't really have a chance" - Mike Babcock, who likes his three pairs on defence

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

We aren't missing anyone. This is a team of superstars learning how to play together. This round robin was totally expected. Infact it is usually the case with Canada, it takes at least 3 games for the team to really gel. Sometimes the team doesn't gel at all, for whatever reasons.

On the whole though, things look incredibly good for this team. We are absolutely dominating possession. Our defense looks the best in the tournament. The defence is incredible at moving the puck up the ice. There is no wasted time in Canada's zone. We've had as many defensive breakdowns as you can count with a pitchfork.

Sure the forwards need to find their groove. That is to be expected. A bunch of players playing unfamiliar styles and unfamiliar minutes on an unfamiliar ice surface. If you honestly expected something different then I would question you knowledge of the history of team Canada's at the Olympics especially on big ice.

i agree that finding their groove is the key part of the qualification, but i would argue that at this stage a team like the USA look like they have all systems go, and have looked a cut above the rest.

Other than when we face the USA at some point, i expect to see a fall back, full trap type style the rest of the way. Canada needs to find a way to generate offense by getting the puck to the middle in the offensive zone. The cycle hasn't generated enough scoring chances so far.

[PeteLFan]

@NicholsNHL: #TeamCanada's Chiarelli on HC@Noon about Kunitz/Crosby: "I think if he's not playing with Sid there's a spot in the line-up for him." #Pens

[Iggy Snipe]

Originally Posted by PeteLFan

@NicholsNHL: #TeamCanada's Chiarelli on HC@Noon about Kunitz/Crosby: "I think if he's not playing with Sid there's a spot in the line-up for him." #Pens

There is no way Kunitz should be in the line-up period, especially if he is not playing with Crosby. This is not the NHL, this is the Olympics. The tournament is the best of the best, it is more elite than the NHL, because it is taking only the best from leagues around the world.

St.louis is better than Kunitz, and always has been. He should be playing and getting minutes.

IMO Kunitz, Sharp, Marleau, Nash should all have not made the team.

Giroux, Thornton, Spezza are all better picks IMO.

Either way, this is the team Canada has. If we win gold there will be nothing to talk about! Go Canada go!

[Azure]

Well they're not going to admit that they screwed up by picking Kunitz so now they have to play him. The whole 'he plays well with Crosby' experiment is ridiculous anyways.

[stemit14]

I don't know why players make it so complicated to play with Crosby... Just get him the puck when going up the ice! In the game against Finland, Crosby had 4 consecutive shifts where he didn't touch the puck once! Team canada had possession of the puck several times during those shifts and players never got it to him.

There was one specific example where team canada was breaking out of their zone... Crosby was wide open with speed going up the middle out the Canadian zone ready for the pass and Keith just looked him off and passed over to benn who was standing still in the neutral zone. It's such a waste to not have Crosby quarterback the entry into the offensive zone.

He's the best player in the world and nobody is better at setting up an entry into the offensive zone than Crosby... When he has time, space, and speed going up the middle of the ice, somebody needs to give him that puck.

I thought benn had a poor game against Finland. St. Louis is a better fit on that line with Crosby. People can try to knock iginla for his speed but you have to give him credit for giving that puck to Crosby when he needed it.

[dino7c]

Its absolutely ridiculous that Canada has only had four power plays considering their absolute domination in terms of puck possession. Next closest team has had 8 PPs, looks like consciously or not the refs are trying to keep the games close

[hwy19man]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

We aren't missing anyone. This is a team of superstars learning how to play together. This round robin was totally expected. Infact it is usually the case with Canada, it takes at least 3 games for the team to really gel. Sometimes the team doesn't gel at all, for whatever reasons.

On the whole though, things look incredibly good for this team. We are absolutely dominating possession. Our defense looks the best in the tournament. The defence is incredible at moving the puck up the ice. There is no wasted time in Canada's zone. We've had as many defensive breakdowns as you can count with a pitchfork.

Sure the forwards need to find their groove. That is to be expected. A bunch of players playing unfamiliar styles and unfamiliar minutes on an unfamiliar ice surface. If you honestly expected something different then I would question you knowledge of the history of team Canada's at the Olympics especially on big ice.

That is the difference of a representative team to a select team. The select team does take time to gel and getting used to the wider ice surface. The extra 4.5 metres in width does make a big difference. The NHL should allow its teams to have the option of a slightly wider rink, say one to two metres.

[TKB]

Originally Posted by Tsawwassen

Cleveland's right, this is a 2 week honeymoon of allstar hockey games, chances it's going to be better with the countries that have a strong NHL contingent. Were the Latvia-Switzerland, Austria-Norway Olympic games better than NHL games? I'll take the Flames reg season. Now that the Olympic games are in playoff mode, I'll take a Flames playoff series over Olympic playoffs.

I take Canada vs USA from the 2010 Olympics over playoff games all day everyday. How exciting will it be if Canada is up against the Russians in the gold medal game? Granted the range of national pride might vary when its comes to different people.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Tsawwassen

Cleveland's right, this is a 2 week honeymoon of allstar hockey games, chances it's going to be better with the countries that have a strong NHL contingent. Were the Latvia-Switzerland, Austria-Norway Olympic games better than NHL games? I'll take the Flames reg season. Now that the Olympic games are in playoff mode, I'll take a Flames playoff series over Olympic playoffs.

Its going to be more than four years between flames playoff apperences I'm happy to have hockey to be really excited about and don't need to compare. Flames regular season is almost meaningless this year...in fact they are better off losing

everyone relax and enjoy!