dat's sick

Ovechkin, Malkin, Semin and Nabokov are KHL players? Because those were some of Russia's worst players last night. Lazy superstars were Russia's downfall. Datsyuk was the only one backchecking and working hard on defense. Babcock has made everyone on Canada play like a team and take their responsibility. Did you guys see when Ovechkin broke his stick and went to the bench, not to change or to quickly grab a stick from a teammate, but to wait while a trainer ran and fetched him a new stick. It probably took like 20 seconds. Babcock wouldn't let something like that slide. Malkin made a terrible giveaway on the offensive blueline. Then he just floats back towards defense while Rick Nash explodes through the neutral zone and ends up scoring. You think Babcock wouldn't tear Malkin a new one if he was coach of Russia? Anyone who uses last nigth's game as a NHL>KHL leverage is stupid. Russia were beat on every position in every way. Kovalev or another couple of NHLers wouldn't have helped. Besides, everyone knows the NHL is a better league but that doesn't mean KHL players can't compete.

True, I was gonna say that I meant mainly Canada. This US team is very likeable, 'cept for Kane.

This. But you don't have to look further than the players to see that. Getzlaf talking trash to Malkin from the bench. Boyle going after Semin after a clean hit, when Canada is up by 4 goals. Winning with class doesn't exist in North American, mainly Canadian, hockey.

Datsyuk got away with a +1 from that game. Even though he wasn't great, you can tell so easily that even on an off-night he does a lot of good and useful things, while Malkin/Ovie/Kovalchuk/Semin all are nothing but turnover machines when they're not "on". Pavel was imo maybe the only player that didn't get completely embarrassed by the Canadians.

There is no telling how the players will react. Maybe losing in the Olympics is finally the thing that wakes these guys up. Losing in the quarters in the Olympics is almost the same as missing the playoffs in the NHL. Now they know failure. They won't want to fail with the Wings as well. Also, I think Franzen gave us a lot of reason to believe that the Wings will be stronger down the stretch.

Gotta say I'm sad that we didn't get to see either of the two dream-matchups I had in mind before the tournament. Babcock vs. The Detroit Swedes or Datsyuk vs. Zetterberg

Bykov's decision to start Nabby and not pull him until way, way, way too late probably puts him over the top for me. I said after Russia's first game that they aren't going anywhere as long as he is in net. BAG made more subtle coaching errors. His biggest mistake was probably the way he selected the team. Interesting stat: every team that came into the tournament with 12 forwards and 8 defensemen are now knocked out. With Modin ill and only 11 forwards, the lines were jumbled all game. That's never good. Too much ice-time for Ohlund, not enough for Lidstrom. The Sedins should have had more ice-time, with Franzen or Hornqvist on their line instead of Weinhandl. The too-many-men penalty that started Sweden's downfall may not be blamed entirely on BAG but it's an effect of having only 11 forwards.

Hank was good imo. Franzen didn't do a lot today but overall in the tournament he was great.

Eh... for Belarus the question was just how many goals we would win by, and we lost. The team looked TERRIBLE in that game. I was saying before this game to all my friends that I was really worried. Before the tournament I picked Slovakia as the "upset team" of the tournament. And I'm always right. This was not unexpected at all to me. And Sweden didn't play a bad game. A few mistakes that Slovakia took full advantage of lead to a loss. I'm upset but I'll get over it. I wanted to see this team play mroe games. We won gold 2006 so I didn't expect us to this time, but I really just wanted to watch 2 more games with this team. The best Swedish national team ever (on paper).

Don't know about the whole tournament but yeah he had a bad game today. On the flip side, Forsberg looked amazing. Too bad we didn't win because I think he would have become even better in the upcoming games. BAG really made a couple of big mistakes. Weinhandl should have been Samuelsson. He shouldn't have had 8 defenders. With Modin out the lines were scrambled all game, which is never good. A 13th forward would have solved that. Why didn't he put out Forsberg-Zetterberg-Franzen-Lidstrom-Kronwall? Atleast on the PP.. when he finally did something with the lines, moving Franzen up, it was a bit too late. Glad BAG is on the way out atleast. However Per Marts isn't great at feeling out who is hot and who is not and usually just rolls lines like BAG does.

I'm rooting for the Finns now. Please not a Canada-US final.

Sadface. I saw this loss coming. We deserved to win. Lundqvist choked, some bad penalties.. f***.

Bah, feels like a Red Wings game. Controlling the play but only getting weak shots. We need a PP. Don't see us winning. Graooowrrr.. Usa-Canada final coming up.

I hate you Kopecky.

Too many penalties. 5 on 5 there is no competition, but that ref is trying to give Canada the easiest opponent.

Gaaaah I TOLD YOU NO STUPID PENALTIES!!

And all the talk before the game has been about that line not producing. Gotta be nice for them. Now Sweden has to keep up the pressure, not take any stupid penalties and BEWARE OF THE COUNTERATTACK.

FOOOOOOOORSSSSSBERG!!!! HELL YEAH

I was afraid of Slovakia before the game, and this is why. All they do is try and counter-attack, and when they get the first goal they are almost impossible to beat since they only focus on defense with one or two players ready to attack as soon as there's an opening. If you don't score first on Slovakia they are DEADLY. edit: Woo! We needed that.

The Finns have got to be loving their chances. Czech Rep didn't look great against Latvia and the game went into OT, meaning they'll be tired. Then they'll face the US, a good team but they rely on hard work and a hot goaltender. Finland has some pretty good goaltending themselves and aren't known for being outworked. The more I think about it, a Sweden-Finland Gold Medal game doesn't seem unlikely. But Sweden definitely has a tougher road there, I'm really worried about the Slovakia game.

I'm conflicted. Not sure who I'm rooting for. It will definitely be bittersweet no matter what team wins. It'll either be a huge failure for Datsyuk & Co. or for Stevie Y & Babs. Neither scenario makes me happy. As for what I think, I think Canada will win. The extra game against Germany was what they needed to get their lines right and I don't think Russia has the defense to stop Crosby, Nash, Iginla, Getzlaf etc. Pavel can shut down maybe 4 or 5 guys on his own but that still leaves about 10 scoring threats.

Great, one tournament against weak opposition 6 years ago. And he completely choked in his biggest playoff game to date. I think I'll just keep jerking off to my non-existant posters of "lundqvuist" and Z (what he has to do with a goaltending thread I don't know) until Lou proves that he is deserving of all the praise he gets (which imo means being at your best in the biggest games). I watch ton of Canuck games and I'm not disputing that he's great in the regular season.

I also like how Kronner is playing. With all his knee issues you'd think he'd play it safe, but he is playing as physical as ever before.

Washington is gonna lock him up Fritzl-style. Long and hard. Semin could become available though...they only signed him to a 1-year extension..

*response to Titanium: The only one that comes close to C-word hype in Sweden is Forsberg. No player gets more attention, more articles written about him, more inteviews. During Modo's games this season they've been timing each of his shifts, and talking to and about him in every intermission. Zetterberg gets NO hype compared to him. In fact I think Z is underrated over here. The 07-08 season he should have gotten serious consideration for sports awards here, but it's all about Skiiers or Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But Lids is of course even more underrated, even among the players themselves it seems. I would of course not be upset if Lids had won that vote. However I doubt the swedish NHL players voted for Z because he looks good and has an even hotter gf. I'm guessing it has more to do with the fact that he has outplayed Crosby in the SCF two years in a row, the biggest stage possible. Or that he is such a complete player.