Sorry, I don't think Grigorenko has come close to living up to what was expected of him. Nor Yakupov. I don't know if it's coaching, or what, but almost the entire Russian team has been a mess.
- prock

Not sure what crazy expectations you are refering to. Yes the russian team has been underwelming but if there is one bright spot on the entire team it has been the Kucherov grig line. You cant expect him to pick up the slack for the entire team. He has been just fine

I don't want to even post in here anymore.... I'm taking a break.
Garth you give idiots & morons a bad name. Your blogs are so stupid I can't even bring myself to read them anymore. You are the biggest hack on this website. This is just embarrassing...


- jochfr

Yeah pretty bad when even sabres fans think you should throw in the towel at blogging. How many people live in Buffalo they need a new blogger like dude your like a used car salesman

The Russians basically sleptwalked through the tournament in 2011 as well and ended up winning it. In fact, they needed to beat the Czechs (I believe) on the last day of pool play just to get in. This is nothing new for them. I still expect to see a Russia-Canada final.

Fun fact: the semis are the exact same matchups as 2011. USA-Canada and Russia-Sweden.

After exhaustive negotiations that strained the country's patience, Mikhail Grigorenko approved a bill to avert the dreaded fiscal cliff, staving off widespread tax increases and deep spending cuts.
- Feeling_Glucky

I think that it was actually Grigorenko who shot and killed Bin Laden.

I have to ask: have you really watched enough of this tournament to adequately judge these kids?

I've seen the Canada-Russia game, and the 3rd period of the Russia-Switzerland game.

That's it.

What has two thumbs and doesn't get up at 4 am?
- Atomic Wedgie

Believe it or not, I’ve watched a LOT of this tournament. I’ve gotten up for two Canada games to watch live, and the rest of seen on their replays. One of the ones I stayed up for, I actually watched again later in the day. Obviously I watched Canada/Russia, and saw most of the game this morning, before I had to peel myself away from the tele to go to work. I also watched the last half of the Russia/Slovakia game.

This is my favourite hockey of the year. I watch a lot of it. I went to four games when it was in Buffalo (one was Russia/Sweden, in a small rink at the University of Niagara). The interesting thing is, due to the Russians making the schedule, it’s them that’s always on TV when I get up. Unless I’m already up from the Canada game.

Yeah pretty bad when even sabres fans think you should throw in the towel at blogging. How many people live in Buffalo they need a new blogger like dude your like a used car salesman
- hockeylegend488

Kevin Freiheit does a reasonable job, though he is pretty young and has a lot to learn still. His writing is about a thousand times more accurate, cohesive and informative. I mean, people knock Clouts and Barry all the time, but Garth is on a whole different plane...

I just want to know what will happen to Garth if Grigorenko doesn't break all of Gretzky's records.

I think that it was actually Grigorenko who shot and killed Bin Laden.
- lumlums

It's a little known fact, but Chuck Norris wears Grigorenko pajamas.

I just want to know what will happen to Garth if Grigorenko doesn't break all of Gretzky's records.
- Ben37

Annihilation? Self-immolation?



Not... humility? Surely?

classic grudge match

It's a little known fact, but Chuck Norris wears Grigorenko pajamas.
- As_I_See_It

Is there a better more complete player right now in the world though?
- xxCHRISTOFIRExx

NUGE!!!

Believe it or not, I’ve watched a LOT of this tournament. I’ve gotten up for two Canada games to watch live, and the rest of seen on their replays. One of the ones I stayed up for, I actually watched again later in the day. Obviously I watched Canada/Russia, and saw most of the game this morning, before I had to peel myself away from the tele to go to work. I also watched the last half of the Russia/Slovakia game.

This is my favourite hockey of the year. I watch a lot of it. I went to four games when it was in Buffalo (one was Russia/Sweden, in a small rink at the University of Niagara). The interesting thing is, due to the Russians making the schedule, it’s them that’s always on TV when I get up. Unless I’m already up from the Canada game.
- prock

It hurts me to say it, but this tournament has lost a little of the magic for me. I actually think it's a good thing that Canada hasn't won in 3 years - we really were in danger of killing the thing.

I still love Canada vs. USA and Canada vs. Russia, but I just can't get excited about Canada vs. Slovakia or Finland anymore. Yeah, call me the ugly Canadian, but there's really no point in watching the round robin games (except for the ones mentioned above).

And it seems like Sweden is never in our pool anymore.

It hurts me to say it, but this tournament has lost a little of the magic for me. I actually think it's a good thing that Canada hasn't won in 3 years - we really were in danger of killing the thing.

I still love Canada vs. USA and Canada vs. Russia, but I just can't get excited about Canada vs. Slovakia or Finland anymore. Yeah, call me the ugly Canadian, but there's really no point in watching the round robin games (except for the ones mentioned above).

And it seems like Sweden is never in our pool anymore.
- Atomic Wedgie

I would admit it doesn’t hold the same luster as it used to, and I can’t really put my finger on why. I have memories going back to my teenage years, getting up with my brother on boxing day, racing to the TV to watch the games.

But I still watch a LOT of it.

It hurts me to say it, but this tournament has lost a little of the magic for me. I actually think it's a good thing that Canada hasn't won in 3 years - we really were in danger of killing the thing.

I still love Canada vs. USA and Canada vs. Russia, but I just can't get excited about Canada vs. Slovakia or Finland anymore. Yeah, call me the ugly Canadian, but there's really no point in watching the round robin games (except for the ones mentioned above).

And it seems like Sweden is never in our pool anymore.
- Atomic Wedgie

This is the first time that Russia has been in the US' pool since 2008 I believe. It's all about prior year seedings. The US not qualifying for the medal rounds last year really threw a monkey wrench into everything.

I would admit it doesn’t hold the same luster as it used to, and I can’t really put my finger on why. I have memories going back to my teenage years, getting up with my brother on boxing day, racing to the TV to watch the games.

But I still watch a LOT of it.
- prock

Perhaps it's the 24/7 media coverage plus all the other technology. That's thrown away a lot of the luster for a lot of sporting events for me.

It hurts me to say it, but this tournament has lost a little of the magic for me. I actually think it's a good thing that Canada hasn't won in 3 years - we really were in danger of killing the thing.

I still love Canada vs. USA and Canada vs. Russia, but I just can't get excited about Canada vs. Slovakia or Finland anymore. Yeah, call me the ugly Canadian, but there's really no point in watching the round robin games (except for the ones mentioned above).

And it seems like Sweden is never in our pool anymore.
- Atomic Wedgie

I kind of agree. I still watch the games against the weaker teams, but my excitement level doesn't climb until the Russians or Americans are coming. But it's much easier to get my hatred up for those two teams than it is for Germany or Latvia.

Sweden was in our pool two years ago, they beat us in overtime. The pooling is based on the results of the previous tournament in some screwy way is all I know though.

I would admit it doesn’t hold the same luster as it used to, and I can’t really put my finger on why. I have memories going back to my teenage years, getting up with my brother on boxing day, racing to the TV to watch the games.

But I still watch a LOT of it.
- prock

Aging process?

I've felt the same way w/ college hoops and March Madness for a while. I played hoops into my college years, and as I played better, I noticed the disparity -- or, impressiveness -- of these younger athletes didn't hold me as it did when I was just a kid.

I think this has some effect -- I'm still enthralled by WJC, and perhaps that's because I'm a poopty hockey player.

I kind of agree. I still watch the games against the weaker teams, but my excitement level doesn't climb until the Russians or Americans are coming. But it's much easier to get my hatred up for those two teams than it is for Germany or Latvia.

Sweden was in our pool two years ago, they beat us in overtime. The pooling is based on the results of the previous tournament in some screwy way is all I know though.
- Ben37

Basically, the 1st, 4th, and I believe 5th plus 2 relegation teams are in one pool and 2,3 and 6 plus 2 other relegation teams are in the other pool.

Aging process?

I've felt the same way w/ college hoops and March Madness for a while. I played hoops into my college years, and as I played better, I noticed the disparity -- or, impressiveness -- of these younger athletes didn't hold me as it did when I was just a kid.

I think this has some effect -- I'm still enthralled by WJC, and perhaps that's because I'm a poopty hockey player.
- Travis Yost

I truly believe the fact that the media doesn't shove it down our throats 24/7 here in the US has a lot to do with it.

It's a little known fact, but Chuck Norris wears Grigorenko pajamas.
- As_I_See_It

Grigorenko makes the Sun squint.

I would admit it doesn’t hold the same luster as it used to, and I can’t really put my finger on why. I have memories going back to my teenage years, getting up with my brother on boxing day, racing to the TV to watch the games.

But I still watch a LOT of it.
- prock

The breakup of the Soviet Union changed the dimension of the rivalries.

I now consider the US to be our number 1 rival (even though I realize that isn't quite reflected in the results of the past few years - at least on the WJC stage) but I don't hate them. I honestly felt sorry for them after that Toews shoot-out win a few years back - everyone was jumping around the bar, and all I could think about was "what a lousy way to lose a hockey game as important as that one."

And I think that it's also just not as important to me anymore to prove Canadian hockey superiority - we've won the Olympics a couple of times now in my lifetime, and the juniors have medalled for a stupid amount of times in a row - I think we are at 14 years in a row now?

I truly believe the fact that the media doesn't shove it down our throats 24/7 here in the US has a lot to do with it.
- buffalofan19

Are they playing the games on TV for you? NHL network? Do you have to pay a subscription for that?

I moved to Boston on January 2nd, 2000. I ended up phoning TSN and crying over the phone to them - telling them a sports bar had told me that as long as I could tell them where to point their sattellite, they would put the final game on for me.

The guy at TSN laughed - claimed they got dozens of calls every year from Canadians asking the same thing. And no, it wasn't technologically possible.

Canada ended up with the bronze, though, so I didn't miss much.

Aging process?

I've felt the same way w/ college hoops and March Madness for a while. I played hoops into my college years, and as I played better, I noticed the disparity -- or, impressiveness -- of these younger athletes didn't hold me as it did when I was just a kid.

I think this has some effect -- I'm still enthralled by WJC, and perhaps that's because I'm a poopty hockey player.
- Travis Yost

Zip it.

I'm NOT getting old.

Zip it.

I'm NOT getting old.
- prock

Yes you are. Yes you (frank)ing are.

I'm turning twenty-four in March.

I'm searching for gray hair as we speak.