No shot that golden boy in Minny is going finish it off this time. Rafalski won't be there to abandon the best player in the world in front of the net in OT again. In all honesty though should be a real good olympics both of our countries and Sweden are real strong. The ruskies, finns and czechs should all be formidable as well. Plus some random country always upsets somebody. Remember Belarus beating Sweden off a goalie gaffe one year.
- NickA

My fear is the Large ice we have never done well there. We should be equipped with the right players to do well on the big ice this year but I'll wait till I see it. The second thing that worries me is there might be to much skill there for us where the U.S has a lot of skill ( not as much as Canada) but this is hockey and it's a physical sport and the U.S bring a lunch pail style that is a good formula for success in the sport of hockey. Heart will always beat skill. But if you where going stirctly off of paper rosters I would take Canada's roster over any roster there every day of the week. Hell if we through two teams together I would take the second team over a lot of the teams as well. Also got to throw in those conspiracy theories about it being in Russia and all that crap about paid off officials and them drugging other coutrnies Athletes ( not sure how much I buy into that stuff ) but we will see every team has a fighters chance just like any fighter can be knocked out.

Maybe from his perspective he thought that was the Devils one good shot at the cup and we where deteriorating fast as a team. Marty was 40 Moose was 39 none of our goalie prospects where anywhere near ready Clarkson was leaving the entire core of the team was mess with very little coming up. He might of figured he would of been stuck on a team that was similar calibur to the Atlanta teams he played on his entire career and he was locked in here with an contract that no one would take. He might of figured that was his one shot at the cup and this was a chance for him to go play at home for a ton of money and when he is finally allowed to come back to any team he can pick a team that has a great chance at a cup. I just don't think it's as simple as he is soft. Also Zubrus is as soft as a wet paper bag so is Zajac and Brunner and Ryder and Loktionov and Jagr and Elias and basically our whole team minus the fourth line volchenkov and maybe Clowe.
- blizzzard

Elias is the farthest thing from soft please man. Zajac too. Just cause they don't lay people out all the time and fight doesn't make em soft. Jagr is still one of the strongest guys in the league does he shy away from the net and corners or does he thrive there? Hmmm pretty much the exact opposite of Mr. Perimeter hockey Ily Kovalfuk. Elias, Zajac, and Jagr all go to the net all go the corners all play defense and block shots. How are they soft? Kovys the wussy who cried and went home so he didn't have to be hit anymore, backcheck, block shots and go 100% every game. He is mentally soft for leaving in his prime no matter what way you rationalize it.

Elias is the farthest thing from soft please man. Zajac too. Just cause they don't lay people out all the time and fight doesn't make em soft. Jagr is still one of the strongest guys in the league does he shy away from the net and corners or does he thrive there? Hmmm pretty much the exact opposite of Mr. Perimeter hockey Ily Kovalfuk. Elias, Zajac, and Jagr all go to the net all go the corners all play defense and block shots. How are they soft? Kovys the wussy who cried and went home so he didn't have to be hit anymore, backcheck, block shots and go 100% every game. He is mentally soft for leaving in his prime no matter what way you rationalize it.
- NickA

Maybe but Jagr doesn't back check he has been the guy responsible for leaving his guy alone on goals a few times and I don't think because those guys cycle the puck that they aren't soft they don't finish their checks Elias hardly drives the net? I don't think anyone really drives the net except for Carter/ Zubrus/ Clowe ? Seen Henrique do it once but I don't think he does it enough for me to throw him in there.

My fear is the Large ice we have never done well there. We should be equipped with the right players to do well on the big ice this year but I'll wait till I see it. The second thing that worries me is there might be to much skill there for us where the U.S has a lot of skill ( not as much as Canada) but this is hockey and it's a physical sport and the U.S bring a lunch pail style that is a good formula for success in the sport of hockey. Heart will always beat skill. But if you where going stirctly off of paper rosters I would take Canada's roster over any roster there every day of the week. Hell if we through two teams together I would take the second team over a lot of the teams as well. Also got to throw in those conspiracy theories about it being in Russia and all that crap about paid off officials and them drugging other coutrnies Athletes ( not sure how much I buy into that stuff ) but we will see every team has a fighters chance just like any fighter can be knocked out.
- blizzzard

Yup think Goaltending has a large part to do with this. A lot of countries have at least one guy who is a bonafide starter in the NHL. Finland probably has the deepest pool. Got two cup winners in Rask and Niemi.

Yup think Goaltending has a large part to do with this. A lot of countries have at least one guy who is a bonafide starter in the NHL. Finland probably has the deepest pool. Got two cup winners in Rask and Niemi.
- NickA

Only thing I question is a lot of people have the belief that you don''t need a star goalie to win a cup any more you need a stacked team and a decent goalie. So is this the same now for tournaments like these ? A team that isn't as deep through out their roster but arguably has the best goalie in the tournament can their goaltending make up for the weaknesses through out the rest of their roster ?

Maybe but Jagr doesn't back check he has been the guy responsible for leaving his guy alone on goals a few times and I don't think because those guys cycle the puck that they aren't soft they don't finish their checks Elias hardly drives the net? I don't think anyone really drives the net except for Carter/ Zubrus/ Clowe ? Seen Henrique do it once but I don't think he does it enough for me to throw him in there.
- blizzzard

Elias like Henrique needs to do it more when it's on his stick. But both those guys always go to the net one a teammate has it. That's very important and overlooked during games not enough guys on our team consistently do it. Elias hits a good amount i've always felt like that and I don't trust hit stats either because there is no shot Jagr has one hit he always is in the corner battling he has to have thrown at least 10 by now. Zajac has been driving the net with the puck a lot more recently been loving it. Overall we are a soft team but Elias, Zajac, and Henrique ain't the problem. They don't have much backing them up to really get more phsycially involved. May be way Gelly took so long to start showing his mean streak. I know if I was on the Devs and wanted to start scrumming it up I would think twice with the roster we have.

Only thing I question is a lot of people have the belief that you don''t need a star goalie to win a cup any more you need a stacked team and a decent goalie. So is this the same now for tournaments like these ? A team that isn't as deep through out their roster but arguably has the best goalie in the tournament can their goaltending make up for the weaknesses through out the rest of their roster ?
- blizzzard

I think so. I could see the finns winning it all if Rask or Niemi get real hot and they start getting timely goals. That's a veteran team need to watch for them in a tourney like this. Canada though with like 4 1st lines is tough to stack up against.

Elias like Henrique needs to do it more when it's on his stick. But both those guys always go to the net one a teammate has it. That's very important and overlooked during games not enough guys on our team consistently do it. Elias hits a good amount i've always felt like that and I don't trust hit stats either because there is no shot Jagr has one hit he always is in the corner battling he has to have thrown at least 10 by now. Zajac has been driving the net with the puck a lot more recently been loving it. Overall we are a soft team but Elias, Zajac, and Henrique ain't the problem. They don't have much backing them up to really get more phsycially involved. May be way Gelly took so long to start showing his mean streak. I know if I was on the Devs and wanted to start scrumming it up I would think twice with the roster we have.
- NickA

Kovy was strong on the puck though which is kind of what you are saying with these guys. It's not his fault he was on the point for the entire pp every single pp lol he wouldn't stand in fron of the net and deflect shots but he wasn't that soft I think because he left and (frank)ed us everyone wants to hate him as much as possible. Also Canada game is on like now might be able to find it on firstrow it's on TSN here

I think so. I could see the finns winning it all if Rask or Niemi get real hot and they start getting timely goals. That's a veteran team need to watch for them in a tourney like this. Canada though with like 4 1st lines is tough to stack up against.
- NickA

That's thing thing though when you have 4 lines like that is there ever a match up out there you don't like and you are more likely to get way more match ups you do like you think who is going to be on the third and fourth lines of some of these euro teams and how they stack up to Bergerons Perry's and whoever you feel should be Canada's fourth line.

Kovy was strong on the puck though which is kind of what you are saying with these guys. It's not his fault he was on the point for the entire pp every single pp lol he wouldn't stand in fron of the net and deflect shots but he wasn't that soft I think because he left and (frank)ed us everyone wants to hate him as much as possible. Also Canada game is on like now might be able to find it on firstrow it's on TSN here
- blizzzard

No i think he is soft because he left and doesn't want to do the hard little things it takes to win a cup in this league, Which is what I thought Cherry basically said minus his senile crazy old man comments.

That's thing thing though when you have 4 lines like that is there ever a match up out there you don't like and you are more likely to get way more match ups you do like you think who is going to be on the third and fourth lines of some of these euro teams and how they stack up to Bergerons Perry's and whoever you feel should be Canada's fourth line.
- blizzzard

It's crazy but there is a reason superstar teams just don't work. It's all a matter of chemistry and getting good goaltending. As long as canada can get chemistry going there won't be any problems. I would just start snagging duos from teams if I was them. Seguin and benn are both canadian right? I would think they would have to be on the team.

No i think he is soft because he left and doesn't want to do the hard little things it takes to win a cup in this league, Which is what I thought Cherry basically said minus his senile crazy old man comments.
- NickA

Severson is on the bottom pairing. Bob said in his opinion one of Bigras, Pelech, Severson adn I forget the other guy are the ones he thinks aren't a lock I guess but only 1 of them will be cut

It's crazy but there is a reason superstar teams just don't work. It's all a matter of chemistry and getting good goaltending. As long as canada can get chemistry going there won't be any problems. I would just start snagging duos from teams if I was them. Seguin and benn are both canadian right? I would think they would have to be on the team.
- NickA

They are. Benn wasn't invited but he might force himself on. I don't think Roberto is as bad as people like to make him out to be because everyone hates the whiny crying soft diving Canucks and they lost in the final. He is still a hell of a goalie and Price is showing he is a rising star.

Here's a quote from Cherry's comments about Kovy (my bad he called it ice follies, not ice capades!):

“Ya know, I watched him play in [the 2012 Stanley Cup Final] and I think that L.A. series had something to do with this, too,” Cherry said. “L.A., probably my favorite team, they take no prisoners, eh? They were whackin’ him pretty good and I thought, you know, this guy … doesn’t look like he’s gonna hang around too long. Let’s face it, it’s the Ice Follies over there, [it's] war over here when the playoffs start.”
Here's the rest of the article: http://nhl.si.com/2013/07...-all-the-way-to-the-bank/

Here's a quote from Cherry's comments about Kovy (my bad he called it ice follies, not ice capades!):

“Ya know, I watched him play in
- FAZOOL[the 2012 Stanley Cup Final] and I think that L.A. series had something to do with this, too,” Cherry said. “L.A., probably my favorite team, they take no prisoners, eh? They were whackin’ him pretty good and I thought, you know, this guy … doesn’t look like he’s gonna hang around too long. Let’s face it, it’s the Ice Follies over there, [it's] war over here when the playoffs start.”
Here's the rest of the article: http://nhl.si.com/2013/07...-all-the-way-to-the-bank/

He also says you can't win with a bunch of American college kids

After an hour delay Canada looks like complete poop.

Here's a quote from Cherry's comments about Kovy (my bad he called it ice follies, not ice capades!):

“Ya know, I watched him play in
- FAZOOL[the 2012 Stanley Cup Final] and I think that L.A. series had something to do with this, too,” Cherry said. “L.A., probably my favorite team, they take no prisoners, eh? They were whackin’ him pretty good and I thought, you know, this guy … doesn’t look like he’s gonna hang around too long. Let’s face it, it’s the Ice Follies over there, [it's] war over here when the playoffs start.”
Here's the rest of the article: http://nhl.si.com/2013/07...-all-the-way-to-the-bank/

I think he's great except for when he says poop like this

I have only seen Severson out there like 3 times and the first period is basically over... Ekblad looks great McDavid is (frank)ing unreal. Fucale looks like complete trash ( there has been defensive break downs) Dumba has looked bad. I am not sure why Severson is not getting much ice time at all.

I think he's great except for when he says poop like this
- shvingter88

The only reason he is on tv is so he can say poop like that.

I have only seen Severson out there like 3 times and the first period is basically over... Ekblad looks great McDavid is (frank)ing unreal. Fucale looks like complete trash ( there has been defensive break downs) Dumba has looked bad. I am not sure why Severson is not getting much ice time at all.
- blizzzard

Hope he makes the team!

When your entire blueline is healthy, please tell me you guys are going to keep Gelinas and Merrill in the lineup. They make your team much more dangerous than those boat anchor vets you guys have back there

When your entire blueline is healthy, please tell me you guys are going to keep Gelinas and Merrill in the lineup. They make your team much more dangerous than those boat anchor vets you guys have back there
- D-UNIT-

no chance for merrill. i believe gelinas is here to stay. when salvador gets back i think he will replace merrill and when larsson gets back im hoping volchenkov gets bumped to 7th and when harrold gets back i hope they waive him

greene-fayne
gelinas-larsson
salvador-zidlicky
volchenkov

thats the best we can really hope for until/if we make playoffs when they are allowed to call up whomever they want

no chance for merrill. i believe gelinas is here to stay. when salvador gets back i think he will replace merrill and when larsson gets back im hoping volchenkov gets bumped to 7th and when harrold gets back i hope they waive him

greene-fayne
gelinas-larsson
salvador-zidlicky
volchenkov

thats the best we can really hope for until/if we make playoffs when they are allowed to call up whomever they want
- BDizzlez

Someone needs to "extend" Salvadors injury and introduce Volchenkov to the LTIR....

Someone needs to "extend" Salvadors injury and introduce Volchenkov to the LTIR....
- D-UNIT-

i dont mind if they trade salvador for merrill. merrill has been good but not unreal but i would like him to play over volchenkov for sure

no chance for merrill. i believe gelinas is here to stay. when salvador gets back i think he will replace merrill and when larsson gets back im hoping volchenkov gets bumped to 7th and when harrold gets back i hope they waive him

greene-fayne
gelinas-larsson
salvador-zidlicky
volchenkov

thats the best we can really hope for until/if we make playoffs when they are allowed to call up whomever they want
- BDizzlez

We need to remember that Merrill has been playing his off-side the entire time. I've liked what I've seen from him but I still think he should be going back and forth this year, just to make sure he's playing.