kipwinger

They could be these...yikes!

...is better than everyone's, except Canada?

I agree with your comments on the goaltending, but I'd also add that while the US team does have weaker links like Martin and Faulk, Canada's Hamhuis and Vlasic, or Sweden's Oduya and Tallinder, aren't noticeably better. Every top team has a couple of holes (relatively speaking of course) on defense.

Two things. 1) I assume you're talking about Bobby Ryan. I like Bobby Ryan. But Kessel, Kane, Pavelski, Pacioretty, Wheeler, and Van Riemsdyk all have more goals than Bobby does. Team USA will be fine without him. 2) Team USA's defense is STACKED, they're just not high profile names. McDonagh (30 pts), Shattenkirk (36), Suter (33), Fowler (31) are all top twenty in league scoring, while Carlson's 10 goals are good for 7th in the league. They're also all REALLY good defenders (Fowler's probably the worst). I guess you could say that Martin, Orpik, and Faulk are the weak links, but those guys are all very solid defensively as well. I'd rather our weak links be good defensively than offensively (Subban). They aren't as good as Canada's defense but are miles ahead of any other defense in the tourney.

Maybe we could talk Rafalski into coming out of retirement...oh wait...

You could certainly stand to cut down on the sarcasm since I only asked you a question. I agree they aren't executing, and poor execution generally has a lot more to do with coaching than it seems at first glance. The team didn't forget how to play hockey all of a sudden. So what's the issue? According to Babs they aren't trying hard enough. However, I can't imagine that's the case considering part of what gets professional athletes to the level they're at is their competitiveness and drive to succeed. I certainly don't think the Detroit Red Wings collectively decided that they just weren't going to work hard last night. Also, when you say "all he can do is tell them what he wants done, it's up to them to do it" you're essentially saying that Babs comes up with a game plan, puts the lineup together, and then he's done for the night. Coaches have work to do "controlling" players all game long. And when a team chronically blows third period leads you've got to wonder what's going on. Unless, of course, you believe the Babcock line and think that somewhere between the second and third periods the guys just stopped trying, just as they have a dozen other times this season. I don't know the answer, but I'm calling b.s. on Babs' explanation. Me too. But in case you hadn't heard, the whole team just stopped competing (all at once) in the third period for some unexplained reason.

I want to be clear, you'd agree with Babs that the problem with the team is simply that they aren't trying hard enough?

Well according to our coach is was both the offense and the defense. Apparently they didn't "compete hard enough" in front of the net and if he had just "won our battles" we'd have been ok. If only there was a guy who's job was to ensure that this team was competitive and create strategies for "winning battles".

Man alive, Jurco has kinda got a mean streak doesn't he? He was relentless on the boards yesterday. He looks like he's 12 years old, but he's hard on defensemen. Ask Gudas.

I want to be clear, I don't think Byfuglien is the right guy for this team. Having said that, I think that the weight and fitness comments are a bit off base. Here's a good article Puck Daddy did on the topic of Byfuglien's fitness.. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/dustin-byfuglien-apparently-not-locked-refrigerator-summer-photo-053111390--nhl.html Also, I'd have to imagine that all the goals he's scored paired with his two all-star appearances and pivotal role in a Stanley Cup championship should probably dispel any notion that his fitness is somehow a detriment to his ability to play hockey at an incredibly high level.

Jesus, too bad he's horrible at the penalty shot eh?

Nobody mentioning Chris Stewart? I'd take him every day of the week.

I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to single you out or anything. I thought your posts relayed the hesitant optimism that you just spoke of. I was talking about the general habit of discussing him as if he were one of our top defensive prospects, when it's pretty clear that he's topped out in terms of potential. To be honest I hadn't even read your post before I wrote mine, it was just coincidence that mine came so quickly on the heels of yours. You're right though, he's a borderline guy who could surprise with a huge offseason.

I was seriously just coming here to type this. I was over on hfboards and Wings fans were going ape for him over there. I don't get it.

Just looked it up. You're right. Smith has not played much with Dekeyser. Still don't think it's a good idea to put him on the top pair though, since he doesn't play defense to any noticeable degree and turns the puck over like it's his job.

That's not even close to the stupidest thing Smith's done this month, and he's only now being benched. If Babs wanted to bench Smith for a single boneheaded incident, it probably would have come after his egregious turnover for a goal against Chicago. Smith is currently being benched for the same reason Kindl was benched. They're both f*cking terrible defensively and don't contribute enough offensively to make it worthwhile to leave them in the lineup. Making excuses for him isn't doing him any favors in the long run. He's got to get his s*** together. He's got all the tools to do so. But sooner or later he (and the fans) have got to stop blaming his play on Kindl or Quincey or this or that. He doens't provide much offense, is bad in his own end, and leads the defense in turnovers. Hell the strength of an offensive d-man is supposed to be offensive, and puck management. I could forgive his constant blundering of zone coverage, but how does the supposed best young puck mover we have consistently turn the puck over?

Which is why he's been scratched?

All you're really saying is that Smith plays best when someone better covers up his mistakes, which is true of every bad defenseman. Smith isn't even adequate defensively on the second pair. Put him on the first and you destroy that pairing (since Kronwall isn't a shutdown guy either). Good first lines would MURDER that top pair. Also, Smith has been paired with Dekeyser and Lashoff (both responsible) plenty this year and that hasn't noticeably improved his performance...so you can't blame it all on Quincey and Kindl. You can't move a guy up to the first pair simply because he's a disaster with every other guy on your team. The only solution I see is to get a second pair defenseman at the deadline, drop Smith permanently to the third pair with Lashoff, and trade/waive Kindl or Quinecy. Either that or accept that your defense falls off significantly after the first pair.

The Shetaco Line. Trademarked.

Two things 1) Good news is, Brendan Smith is probably not get traded...he just sucks; 2) Luke Schenn? The one Philly traded JVR for (hahahahahaha)? But that would mean breaking up the best duo of brothers since forever. I mean, why would they want to trade Luke Schenn. That trade was a home run for Paul Holmgren. Who would have thought that trading a stud powerforward for a guy solely because he's brothers with another guy, isn't the best way to manage personnel moves?

Yikes, I've never seen that one

...and nothing else.

After they hand Backes his gold medal I hope he challenges Vladimir Putin to an arm wrestling contest for the honor of their respective nations...and then right when Putin thinks he's about to win, Backes goes over the top for the win a la Stallone.

F*** yeah, they're talkin' to my boy Backes about the Olympics. One man wrecking crew on his way to Sochi!

That truly is one of the finest dives I've ever seen.