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Guest blueadams

USA-Canada Thread

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Guest blueadams

Don't be ridiculous. This topic deserves its own thread. Its the most exciting thing that's happened in hockey in four years.

Thought the U.S. came out soft and passive toda
y. Superior talent and coaching eventually won out.

Canadians out-shot Latvia 54-13, got totally shut-down by a backup goalie, and almost (ALMOST!) embarrassed themselves. (*would've loved to have seen Babcock exposed for the nit-wit he's become)

Game thoughts..

All that reaallll
y scares me on this all-NHL squad that Babcock has effectively neutralized is that Weber-Doughty pairing. Far and away the most dangerous blue-liners the league has seen in the last decade. Outstanding chemistry together. Very scary. And I think the only way we beat them is to beat the hell out of these two, along with Crosby--which goes without saying. US needs to come out hard and fast. FAST and AGGRESSIVE. Canucks gotta be doubting themselves after this last one. Come out hard right off the drop, knock them on their heels, get an early goal or two and pound them into the ground. Keep Perry the h*** off of Quick. Get in Price's face early and often. Rattle that shook bum. Then Quick.. of course, needs to have the game of his life as well.

Don't want to change too much all of the sudden. But Kane is just buried on that second line. Kesler and Parise are not playing very well offensively and its erasing our top talent. I'd LOVE to see Kane freed up on that first line with Brown and Backes. That's a two-goal line. I'd probably chunk Carlson into that idiot Orpik's PT too.

Maybe something like..

Brown-Backes-Kane
Parise-Kesler-Oshie
JVR-Pavelski-Kessel
Paciorett
y-Stastny-Callahan (very limited PT for the 4th line.. I'd mix Callahan in all over the place)
Wheeler
x-Stepan

Suter-McDonagh
Fowler-Shattenkirk
Martin-Carlson
Orpik
x-Faulk

Quick
Miller
x-Howard

*p.s. - it's ridiculous that Blake Wheeler made this team over Bobb
y Ryan. And Jack Johnson should probably at least have gotten a shot to battle for a spot.

Edited by blueadams

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Guest DeGraa55

Im very surprised Finland beat Russia.

Looking forward to a Sweden USA gold medal game. Americans winning of course!

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From the games I've seen of Canada, it seems as though any time Crosby gets the puck, 2 or 3 guys descend upon him...he actually appears to be shadowed at times (something I haven't seen in a while).

I'm assuming the US would not do the same as they would be "smarter" and understand that you can't focus only on a few guys, especially with that line up. However, wonder what might happen if they don't pay special attention to a few guys. My guess is that they will do their best to cover the point men without giving up too much space down low in their own end (gotta get that balance).


Im very surprised Finland beat Russia.

I wouldn't have been surprised one way or another. I thought Finland would probably win the game, even though I thought Russia had the better lineup. Russia's defense simply wasn't good enough and in a tournament like this, goals are not easy to come by against a lot of the teams, so your defense better be good.

Also, Finland has beat them 5 of the last 7 times they've played I think.

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3rd and 4th best teams? Now you have lost your mind! USA and the country up north are the top 2. There is no question about this. The only thing that makes it even close is the bigger ice, which the euros are far more familiar with. There are reasons why Canada has had 445 player play in the NHL this year, the US has had 200, then followed in distant 3rd Sweden had 57, Czech republic has 33, Russia 29, and Finland 20.

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Should be a good game, getting Duchene's speed in the line-up is a plus. I just wish it was in place of Kunitz rather than an injured Tavares.

The US has been cruising through this tournament so I assume they'll be the favorite, but Canada has only surrendered 2 deflections and a stretch pass breakaway on a trick play that I doubt any team would have seen coming.

If the Canadian offence doesn't find its groove I don't like our chances. I think the defence can keep the US offence in check, but 1 or 2 goals probably wont cut it against an offence playing as well as the Americans.

Can't wait.


3rd and 4th best teams? Now you have lost your mind! USA and the country up north are the top 2. There is no question about this. The only thing that makes it even close is the bigger ice, which the euros are far more familiar with. There are reasons why Canada has had 445 player play in the NHL this year, the US has had 200, then followed in distant 3rd Sweden had 57, Czech republic has 33, Russia 29, and Finland 20.

Technically speaking we've been 2nd and 3rd.

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Guest blueadams

Why would you break up the best line?

Just switching out Callahan for Kane to make it even better. Gonna need to be better to win this next game.

And Kane certainly hasn't been doing much for his line either.

-Third line remains the same.

-Oshie (who's been impressive) is brought up from the 4th line to replace Kane on the 2nd line.

-Callahan is moved to the 4th line (which hasn't been getting much ice)...and is then free to add his Homer-ish play to any line.

Edited by blueadams

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Should be a good game, getting Duchene's speed in the line-up is a plus. I just wish it was in place of Kunitz rather than an injured Tavares.

The US has been cruising through this tournament so I assume they'll be the favorite, but Canada has only surrendered 2 deflections and a stretch pass breakaway on a trick play that I doubt any team would have seen coming.

If the Canadian offence doesn't find its groove I don't like our chances. I think the defence can keep the US offence in check, but 1 or 2 goals probably wont cut it against an offence playing as well as the Americans.

Can't wait.

Technically speaking we've been 2nd and 3rd.

What was the trick play?

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What was the trick play?

Latvia had a set play made up for if they finally won a neutral zone faceoff.

Right off the faceoff win their defenceman took off to the bench, instead of having a different defenceman jump on they instead had a forward jump on from the absolute far end of the bench behind the Canadian defence as it was in the 2nd with the long change.

The Latvian who had the puck then fired a stretch pass up the middle of the ice and sent their 4th forward in on a breakaway before any of the Canadian defenceman even knew he was on the ice.

It was a very smart play.

Edited by FlashyG

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Guest blueadams

Latvia had a set play made up for if they finally won a neutral zone faceoff.

Right off the faceoff win their defenceman took off to the bench, instead of having a different defenceman jump on they instead had a forward jump on from the absolute far end of the bench behind the Canadian defence as it was in the 2nd with the long change.

The Latvian who had the puck then fired a stretch pass up the middle of the ice and sent their 4th forward in on a breakaway before any of the Canadian defenceman even knew he was on the ice.

It was a very smart play.

indeed.

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That's one of my favorite plays. I've never seen it done in the neutral zone though. I've only ever seen it in the defensive zone on the bench side. The winger goes to the D door and out pops a forward behind everyone else in the neutral zone

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Should be a fantastic game. Four years ago, I expected Canada to win and was just ecstatic at the surprise run the United States had put together.

Now, it's completely different. I expect and think the United States will win. That being said, I don't put a ton of stock in Canada "struggling" so far. They are the most talented team in the Olympics and USA will have to put forth their best effort yet.

USA!

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you're spelling of *your* makes you look like a.. what?

:confused:

Right. Never any grammar issues with YOUR posts eh? And heaven forbid autocorrect gets in the way.

Also, way to avoid addressing my claims that you are an over zealous fantasy GM that has no idea about how to run a hockey team in this dimension. Who are you to call Babcock a nit-wit?

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see which of my old He-Man action figures would make the best line combos for the upcoming fantasy toy Olympics.

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