I agree with Mark. As annoying it might be, it'll help the lesser talent teams :up:
Although... I wouldn't count Swedes in to top three this Olympics. I think it's Canada, Russia and USA.
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I agree with Mark. As annoying it might be, it'll help the lesser talent teams :up:
Although... I wouldn't count Swedes in to top three this Olympics. I think it's Canada, Russia and USA.
A typical prediction for every major tournament but won't happen. I predict we will surprise ( it's not really a surprise for us) and be in the top three. Why? We've got the best goaltendersQuote:
Originally Posted by A.F.F.
Are they? I am not saying you don't have excellent goalies, but Ryan Miller is the best goaler in the NHL many nights, and he isn't Finnish, and Martin Brodeur has a history of rising to the occasion. If he doens't, Luongo and Fleury don't suck either. I don't know how great the Finnish edge is in net, if there is one. I do know this much. Canada and Russia up front have the firepower, and Canada and the US have strong defensive play. The Swedes are not a bad team if they follow Alfredsson's leadership and get lucky.Quote:
Originally Posted by DexDexter
I say Canada, Russia and the USA are the favourites but I don't think any of the top 6 hockey nations is incapable of winning this thing. The Czechs are always better than people expect, and the reality is that this tournament is so short that any team only has to have 3 good games near the end to be in the medal round....and win. If anything, this format almost allows an upset to take place.
I tell you what Dexter, If Canada cannot win, I would be very happy to see Finland win. You guys are due...and it would be a really good story that will be lost if Canada doesn't win for this country always goes into a funk when our boys in the top level fail. This is a game played here the most religiously, and it will be played on an NHL rink on Canadian soil....if we don't win this game or even do well (like in Torino) there will be a major let down...we may not even notice who wins if it isn't us!!!!
I couldn't agree more. Should these teams play 10 games series, Finland wouldn't have a chance. But this sort of tournament favors us :up:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
I envy you Dex. If only I had the same trust to our goalies than you :mark:
I think Team Finland's strongest point is that they can play as a team. Even they aren't as strong as other countries on paper, if they can play as a team, they can win any nation.
Or, this is what I believe and I've known to be wrong... :p
My statement that we have the best goaltenders is totally subjective of course, Mark :) . I do feel that if Kipru fits in the team (doesn't get pissed off and leave), he is a Dominic Hasek-type of figure when playing for the national team, he can win the games for us.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
Talking about Hasek, I remember the semi-final in Nagano 98 when Canada was playing against the Czechs and Hasek was in the net. Everybody knew that if the game went to a penalty shootout, the Czechs would win it cause Hasek was just out of this world, and so they did. Kipru, on his day, can have similar qualities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DexDexter
The Czechs may not have won if the braindead Mark Crawford (Canada's Coach) not left Gretzky on the bench for the shootout....Gretzky was supposed to be bad on penalty shots...but he always had a flair for the dramatic..and one goal would have changed that whole shootout.
Shootouts by the way are the WORST way to end a hockey game....
You are right about your goalies tho, any one of them could steal a game, but so has Ryan Miller, Tim Thomas for the US, or Broudeur or Fleury for the Canadians....
That was not the point, we where talking about the 3:rd line, if they play NHL style standing and waiting, they dont get much icetime, and their importance is more less.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
OH I agree..I believe I said Canada's depth is nullifyed to an extent by long TV timeouts..but that is something we are used to with NHL players on our roster....Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomi
We'll just have to wait and see :) . By the way, Thomas is very familiar to me, seen him in action many times cause he played for Jokerit, Kärpät and HIFK in the Finnish Elite Hockey League.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
Unfortunately we'll have to wake up in the middle of the night to see the games but I will not miss them. It's going to be a great tournament.
What happened to the Leafs last night...?? Hell, wasn't expecting that - doesn't say much for the Senators though, does it?