kipwinger

Well here's hoping this time around they award the gold based on past achievement. If not, this time next week you boys will be watching curling, waving your little Canadian flags, and endlessly repeating "four years ago we were the best in the world".

That's my point. Helm in that kind of a package I'm ok with. Helm in a package for a Vanek or Moulson type...no thanks.

One of my favorite things about the Olympics is how all the NHL animosities you build up for players, and all the free rides you give players in the NHL, go right out the window. Which is why Ryan Kesler can be totally rehabilitated in the minds of American fans for blocking a shot, while half of Canada's forward can go from being superstars to bums in a close game. Everything is topsy turvy.

Fair enough, I was wrong. All the better for us. I definitely want to go through Canada for the Gold.

Getting carried away boys. Datsyuk for Doughty...no. All around good defenseman...no. Doughty is an offensive defenseman who's decent defensively and above average offensively. While he's got the potential to round out his game and play above average two ways in the years to come, so far he's a young guy who's had one 50 pt. season and a lot of growing to do defensively. Either you, or the announcers during the game were wrong. They stated during the Canada game that the US would not have to play Canada or Russia again unless it was in the gold medal game. I was basing my info off that. If they're wrong, then so am I.

A few years ago I'd say it's close. But neither are particularly good defensively (ok at best for both) and they both score about as much as each other, but Kronner will only get worse moving forward while Doughty will only get better.

Well sure, hypothetically anyone could be had for the right price (minus Dats and Z). But since teams aren't likely to trade away goal scoring wingers or top pairing d-men for checkers I'd say it doesn't matter. Helm wouldn't bring you a piece like that as the centerpiece of a package. To get a top four d-man or top six winger you've got to give the same thing. Look at the trades for Nash, Carter, Gaborik, Heatley, (all proven 30 goal scorers). All of them went for other top sixers or top pairing d-men straight up or as center pieces of packages. If I'm giving up a top sixer or a top four d-man I'm not ALSO giving up my best bottom sixer unless I'm getting a total stud. So...Helm + Nyquist +1st (2014) + 1st (2015) for Ovechkin...sure. Helm + Nyquist + 1st for Vanek...no thanks. (And Helm + 1st doesn't land you a proven goal scorer in this league).

Yeah, maybe the mentality will rub off on them.

I wouldn't count on playing teams who's best defenseman is Sami Salo in the Medal rounds either, so maybe you should worry about your own team. They can't seem to skate, score, or play up to their potential and you're talking smack about Team USA? Haha, good try. Also, have fun against Russia. You'll see how little they play defense in a few days. By that time most of Team Canada should juuuuuuust about be catching their breath. It might not be today, or tomorrow, or this week, but sooner or later you're going to realize that this ain't Vancouver, and the big ice is doing your boys no favors.

I didn't realize that Norway, Austria, and Finland were such defensive stalwarts. Smells like sour grapes to me. You mean like that time against Russia when Phil Kessel lifted Kovalchuk's stick and saved a goal. Yeah, that guy never plays defense. What other lame ass cliches do you want to repeat?

Well I hope for your sake you're right. Because of that s***ty, half assed performance, they now have to go through Russia to get to the Gold Medal game and I can promise you those guys can skate just as well as Finland AND score on their chances. Good luck with that.

Last thing they need is another big guy that can't skate. Add Phil Kessel or Patrick Kane to Finland's team and that game isn't even close. Finland just doesn't have any scorers, otherwise, I thought they outplayed Canada. Thornton's a great passer, and he's awesome on the NHL ice, but in big ice I think he struggles just as much as the rest of them.

Well they won. I think that's about all the positives you could take from that game.

Like I said early on, they look like they're skating in glue.

You would put three of your team's five centers on one line? Why?

Finland creates a lot of chances with their speed that they don't have skill enough to finish. If there were a team in this tourney that was faster, and had better goal scorers, it would eat Canada up...oh wait...sweeeeeeeeeeeeet.

I can almost hear him now, "Alright Team Canada, we don't have as much firepower as we used to. We're gotta have to get heavier on the puck and grind out a win". edit: The Beatles reference was awesome though.

What do you mean "Saku's no biggie"? How is Selanne suppose to perform optimally without his little bubber there with him?

Well you know what they say, two Koivus don't make a right.

To be fair though, whether he could have stayed on his feet or not, it was still an interference.

Selanne agrees.

Jamie Benn looks like Rick Nash's cousin from the deep south.

Canada looks like they're skating in glue. This is the first game of their I've seen. Are they usually this slow or are they just tired for some reason?

Last night's the last time I puked, but I'm guessing we did so for different reasons. Chances are, the last time I puked and the last time Patrick Kane puked were for the exact same reason.

I was seriously just thinking the same thing. I'm having a lot of fun watching these games. And while I'll be crushed if the USA doesn't bring home the gold, the good thing is that I'll still not feel as terrible as I did at the end of the 2009 playoffs...so there's really no downside.