Olympic hockey

[WMR]

Is it single elimination after group play?

[Reds Fanatic]

Originally Posted by WilyMoROCKS

Is it single elimination after group play?

Yes it is single elimination. Everyone has one more game in group play and then the quarterfinals start on Wednesday.

[M2]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Exactly, I see the same thing, and then there is no one who is taking the game like Selani is for the Fins.

The problem in the upcoming games (aside from seedings) is the defense will be real tired if they can't get the offense to provide a larger lead in a game to help stretch the bench a bit and get some wind for the bigger and the older guys. The next round will be even more taxing.

I'll add that the offense needs the defense to deliver some passes and put some serious shots on net. The U.S. has some quality grinders up front. They'll fight like crazy in front of the net and in the corners. This club was built for small ice. More defensemen like Liles could help open up the opposing defense and spring the forwards, but instead it's the dinosaur brigade.

[SteelSD]

Originally Posted by M2

I'll add that the offense needs the defense to deliver some passes and put some serious shots on net. The U.S. has some quality grinders up front. They'll fight like crazy in front of the net and in the corners. This club was built for small ice. More defensemen like Liles could help open up the opposing defense and spring the forwards, but instead it's the dinosaur brigade.

Certainly the defense needs to pass crisply, but with the amount of cherry-picking we're seeing from the opposition really cuts down on the Defensemen being able to pinch (even on the power play). Without having that, team USA is looking at 50-foot shots and that's just not going to do it- particularly when there's no one on the ice who can actually create after the pass. You watch a guy like Marian Hossa on the ice with the US skaters and just kinda' sigh and wish. I dunno. Maybe I'm just so spoiled by the best of Lemieux, Jagr, Ron Francis, and even Martin Straka (and now Sidney Crosby) that I have little appreciation for the current US style of play.

And I completely agree that this is a small-ice team. Bangers, straight-ahead skating, and a dump-and-chase battle in the corners in the offensive zone that produces nothing but low-quality scoring opportunities after high-energy exertion. Oh, and wasted 5-on-3 power plays. Ugh.

[WMR]

Do we have the young talent that should be there? I'm not as up on my U.S. hockey as I used to be. Whatever happened to Tony Amonte? I figure he'd play for the USA. And what about JR?

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by WilyMoROCKS

Do we have the young talent that should be there? I'm not as up on my U.S. hockey as I used to be. Whatever happened to Tony Amonte? I figure he'd play for the USA. And what about JR?

JR is done, plus he's hurt and Amonte... IIRC was hurt prior tothis season, but frankly those guys are just more of the same, wingers that we have,

The US needs somebody to take the air out of the opposition with above the norm ice presence. They just don't have that guy right now, lus as it has been noted most of their defenseman our in the mold of Hatcher and Chellios, bangers with not much of a game in the offensive end, others like Schnieder are good at the point but not the type to jump in the game.

Great offense from your defense frees up more ice for your skills guys.

[westofyou]

2-0 Canada over the Czechs in the middle of the 1st period.

Finland 2-0 over Germany in rest period #2

Kaz over Lativa 5-3

Good games coming up later too

Sweden vs. Slovakia
United States vs. Russia

[HotCorner]

For those who haven't seen him, watch Alexander Ovechkin from Russia. This kid is phenomenal!

[registerthis]

Originally Posted by 2844

For those who haven't seen him, watch Alexander Ovechkin from Russia. This kid is phenomenal!

personally, I like him better than Crosby.

[Blimpie]

Originally Posted by 2844

For those who haven't seen him, watch Alexander Ovechkin from Russia. This kid is phenomenal!

For those who have NOT yet seen him play, he's the one who just took Chris Chelios to the woodshed.

Watch ESPN tonight, kids. You can see the replay of Chelios getting splattered behind the crease by a kid twenty-four years his Junior. FWIW, I like him more than Sidney Crosby as well.

End of the second period, the score is Russia 3 USA 2. The way Nabakov is stoning the Americans, we had better hope for a few more power plays in the third period.

[westofyou]

The way Nabakov is stoning the Americans, we had better hope for a few more power plays in the third period.

He came out, but the fact is the US can't finish on any rebound and they are pushing the line very hard.

They could be leg weary tomorrow.

[guttle11]

3-3 now. Early in the Third.

[westofyou]

Speed kills older defenses, 4-3 Russia 10 minutes left.

[westofyou]

USA playing Elbow and Knees Hockey in the corners and it pays off as they slam the puck into the net. 4-4

[Blimpie]

5-4 Comrades...Booooo!

What a match this has become.