Its a team game. I don't think JVR or Kane gave a poor effort. I thought the US played passively overall. Canada, also, played their best game of the tournament.

Everyone knew that if Canada played a good game, they'd be tough for anyone to beat.

I don't really understand what you're arguing about. Did you think Callahan and Brown should have been left at home for Bobby Ryan and Keith Yandle? Did you think Kane and JVR didn't play hard?
- PhillySportsGuy

No, I don't understand what you're arguing about -- I truly don't.

Do you think Team USA brought JVR and Patrick Kane to Sochi...to not score against Canada? Or the Swedes? Or the Russians?

It's a team game...until it isn't. Some guys get power play time. Some guys are the 13th forward. Some guys play on the Top 2 lines. Some guys play 6 minutes a night.

I don't understand what you're saying -- because Canada's tough, and if they play well they're hard to beat, well, OK, losing to them's just fine? No worries, guys -- it's Canada and getting beaten by them is fine?

I think I've been pretty clear: Brown and Callahan weren't the lead players on Team USA this time around. This team needed JVR and Kane to be its best players. And yes, that means scoring. It does.

Interesting that YOUD like to point that out
- PhillySportsGuy

Did the Swedish team ever answer why OEL was benched?
- PhillySportsGuy

No idea. Seemed odd to me.

No, I don't understand what you're arguing about -- I truly don't.

Do you think Team USA brought JVR and Patrick Kane to Sochi...to not score against Canada? Or the Swedes? Or the Russians?

It's a team game...until it isn't. Some guys get power play time. Some guys are the 13th forward. Some guys play on the Top 2 lines. Some guys play 6 minutes a night.

I don't understand what you're saying -- because Canada's tough, and if they play well they're hard to beat, well, OK, losing to them's just fine? No worries, guys -- it's Canada and getting beaten by them is fine?

I think I've been pretty clear: Brown and Callahan weren't the lead players on Team USA this time around. This team needed JVR and Kane to be its best players. And yes, that means scoring. It does.
- AllInForFlyers

Its disappointing they lost, but its not like they laid an egg like Russia. They won every game except a 1-0 loss to, by far, the most talented team in the tournament.

JVR had a good tournament. So did Callahan and Brown. Kane was up and down, but still provided the team with some good scoring chances. To the lay so much of the blame on JVR and Kane is ridiculous.

Sometimes, you just get beat by a better team. Canada was clearly the better team throughout the game.

No idea. Seemed odd to me.
- psuhockey

I know. They benched him for the entire game. Pierre said he asked OEL about it during intermission and OEL had no idea why.

just caught on with a B team and subbing for the A in the spring league here in santa fe, starting in 2 weeks, plus 3 open skates a week.

just caught on with a B team and subbing for the A in the spring league here in santa fe, starting in 2 weeks, plus 3 open skates a week.
- hammarby31

Congrats.

Is there a Z team? I may tryout for them

just caught on with a B team and subbing for the A in the spring league here in santa fe, starting in 2 weeks, plus 3 open skates a week.
- hammarby31

Jealous. poop, I'd settle for just the open skates right now.

Its disappointing they lost, but its not like they laid an egg like Russia. They won every game except a 1-0 loss to, by far, the most talented team in the tournament.

JVR had a good tournament. So did Callahan and Brown. Kane was up and down, but still provided the team with some good scoring chances. To the lay so much of the blame on JVR and Kane is ridiculous.

Sometimes, you just get beat by a better team. Canada was clearly the better team throughout the game.
- PhillySportsGuy

They're going to always be better if you continually accept losing to them.

Having a good tournament against the Latvians and the Slovenians but not the Canadas of the world...what does that get you?

We can agree to disagree -- we clearly do. But for some reason, me expecting the Top 2 lines to score against elite competition...I don't think I'm the only person alive who would've liked to have seen that happen.

They're going to always be better if you continually accept losing to them.

Having a good tournament against the Latvians and the Slovenians but not the Canadas of the world...what does that get you?

We can agree to disagree -- we clearly do. But for some reason, me expecting the Top 2 lines to score against elite competition...I don't think I'm the only person alive who would've liked to have seen that happen.
- AllInForFlyers

You're spinning my words. No one is accepting losing. I just don't feel its right to blame Kane and JVR for not scoring goals. You make it seem like its so simple. "Our top players should be able to score goals against the best defensemen in the world"

The US defeated Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and have a shot at Finland. If they beat Finland and get a bronze, I wouldn't call it a disappointment.

They're going to always be better if you continually accept losing to them.

Having a good tournament against the Latvians and the Slovenians but not the Canadas of the world...what does that get you?

We can agree to disagree -- we clearly do. But for some reason, me expecting the Top 2 lines to score against elite competition...I don't think I'm the only person alive who would've liked to have seen that happen.
- AllInForFlyers

I think the biggest thing to keep in mind here is that is just one game. And we know what can happen in one game when we look back at history in the Olympics. Canada was the better team today, emphasizing today!

You're spinning my words. No one is accepting losing. I just don't feel its right to blame Kane and JVR for not scoring goals. You make it seem like its so simple. "Our top players should be able to score goals against the best defensemen in the world"

The US defeated Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and have a shot at Finland. If they beat Finland and get a bronze, I wouldn't call it a disappointment.
- PhillySportsGuy

I don't need to "spin your words." How is this becoming so personal to you?

The USA got shutout today. I merely said that JVR and Kane needed to be the best players on this team, with where they are in their ages and careers.

The posts I said are clear. We disagree. I'm not spinning anything!

It was your post of "So you're saying they lost because Kane and JVR couldn't score? Thats very narrow sighted." that led to this entire discussion -- because I feel the USA's top forwards need to score against Canada.

Congrats.

Is there a Z team? I may tryout for them
- PhillySportsGuy

Hah, you and me both!

Congrats.

Is there a Z team? I may tryout for them
- PhillySportsGuy

it doesn't go that low.

I think the biggest thing to keep in mind here is that is just one game.
- MJL

Actually, I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is that we're one day closer to real hockey starting up again.

I don't need to "spin your words." How is this becoming so personal to you?

The USA got shutout today. I merely said that JVR and Kane needed to be the best players on this team, with where they are in their ages and careers.

The posts I said are clear. We disagree. I'm not spinning anything!

It was your post of "So you're saying they lost because Kane and JVR couldn't score? Thats very narrow sighted." that led to this entire discussion -- because I feel the USA's top forwards need to score against Canada.
- AllInForFlyers

You were, essentially, blaming Kane and JVR for the US not scoring goals. A lot needs to happen for those guys to be put in a good position to score.

When Giroux wasn't scoring earlier this season, it had to do with him pressing and not playing well, but it, also, had a lot to do with poor team play and bad breakouts. It's difficult for offensive players to get going when they are constantly facing 2 on 3s with a heavy back check. JVR and Kane had very little operating room.

It's a team game. Laying the inability to score at the feet of two forwards is unfair to those players.

it doesn't go that low.
- hammarby31

I'm on team C (Team couch)

use a proxy
- 2Real

Yeah, no. Nfw I'm going to circumvent filters put in place by my employer.

Actually, I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is that we're one day closer to real hockey starting up again.


- Scoob

Thursday night

Thursday night
- PhillySportsGuy

Pffft...I'm watching BOS/BUF Wednesday night to get my fix asap.

Pffft...I'm watching BOS/BUF Wednesday night to get my fix asap.
- Scoob

Another primetime Buffalo game. The league really knows how to showcase the best don't they?

Another primetime Buffalo game. The league really knows how to showcase the best don't they?
- PhillySportsGuy

Marketing geniuses

You were, essentially, blaming Kane and JVR for the US not scoring goals. A lot needs to happen for those guys to be put in a good position to score.

When Giroux wasn't scoring earlier this season, it had to do with him pressing and not playing well, but it, also, had a lot to do with poor team play and bad breakouts. It's difficult for offensive players to get going when they are constantly facing 2 on 3s with a heavy back check. JVR and Kane had very little operating room.

It's a team game. Laying the inability to score at the feet of two forwards is unfair to those players.
- PhillySportsGuy

I agree. Especially when you look at the makeup of the teams, and the number of very good players on USA.

You were, essentially, blaming Kane and JVR for the US not scoring goals. A lot needs to happen for those guys to be put in a good position to score.

When Giroux wasn't scoring earlier this season, it had to do with him pressing and not playing well, but it, also, had a lot to do with poor team play and bad breakouts. It's difficult for offensive players to get going when they are constantly facing 2 on 3s with a heavy back check. JVR and Kane had very little operating room.

It's a team game. Laying the inability to score at the feet of two forwards is unfair to those players.
- PhillySportsGuy

And when I said, clearly, "It's not entirely their fault," that's what I meant. But to completely absolve the players who are given the most opportunities to make a difference is to ignore what sports is all about.

"Unfairness" is a part of sports. It's not fair that Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has to listen to Kenny Smith talk about championship rings. It's not fair that Alexander Ovechkin scoring 60-plus goals isn't enough for Jeremy Roenick and Mike Milbury to get off his back.

It's not fair that Peyton Manning gets criticized for "only" winning one Super Bowl. It's not fair that Donovan McNabb gets blamed for the Eagles not winning a Super Bowl.

Nobody on the ice today had a ton of room. But at the end of the day, if you're out there on the power play and getting the most ice time, you are being counted on to find a way to work through that.

When Giroux wasn't scoring earlier this season, of course it wasn't fair. But you know what? He will be making $8 million-plus next year. Unfairness is part of that deal. Nobody expects Adam Hall to put up 80-plus points. Nobody expects Adam Hall to score when he's up against a No. 1 defense pairing.

I wasn't "essentially" blaming anyone. I was stating, to the best of my ability, that it was unfair to expect Dustin Brown and Ryan Callahan to be the best players on this edition of Team USA and that the players who are in their primes -- the JVRs and Patrick Kanes of the world, the players who are on the PP and the Top 2 lines and receive the most ice time -- needed to be the USA's best players against a team like Canada if they were going to win this game.

I didn't say a single thing that isn't true. Sweden's not going to beat Canada if Erik Karlsson isn't one of their top players. They're not sitting there expecting 37-year-old Daniel Alfredsson to find a way, no more so than Team Finland is going to be expecting Lasse Kukkonen to be their best defenseman against Team USA.

If your best players aren't your best players, then you lose. Picking an argument about that doesn't change that fact.

I don't think having Ryan over Brown wins that game
- PhillySportsGuy

It seems to be the nightmare scenario for the brass... one shot away from the goal medal game against their arch-rivals... and they decided to leave the best US goal-scorer at home.

Meanwhile, Blake Wheeler sees less ice than Jay Rosehill (1:35).