Random Olympic Hockey Notes

SandraC

On Vacation
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Apr 10, 2008
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Now that hockey is getting it's once-every-thirty-years national exposure...

1. For those of you who complain or (like me) simply don't watch the NFL, NBA and NHL all-star games because they're nothing like the real sport, this is for you. All-stars on the ice, playing in as pressure-packed an environment you'll ever see. Vicious hitting, teams playing to win at all costs. The opposite of your typical all-star game.

2. It is difficult to describe how devastated the entire nation of Canada was by the loss Sunday night. Canada has one thing they're the best at...hockey. And for Uncle Sam to come into their house and beat their latest 'greatest team on ice'...just more than many Canadiens can take.

3. It was weird watching Sunday night. USA has the same lettering on their uniforms as the Rangers, and the same colors. They also have Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan of the Rangers, the forwards on their top penalty killing unit. Canada was red, the Devils color, and Martin Brodeur was in net. Canada dominated the game, but the US got better (and cuter) goaltending...just like a Ranger/Devil game. One goal lead with the US barely hanging on...just like a Ranger/Devil game...

4. Poor Don Cherry, Mr. Canada. His eyes must have been bleeding Sunday night.

5. Canada has a difficult road to Gold, but they do still have the best team and, most importantly, home ice advantage. If any team can go through what will most likely be Russia, Sweden and the US, they can do it. IF they get better goaltending than they got Sunday night.

6. Speaking of which, those of us whose rooting interest lies east of the Hudson expected a performance like that from Brodeur. His legacy as the greatest of all-time is complete. But he is far from the best goalie right now, and definitely not the best goalie in Canada either.

7. This could be the last time the NHLers play in the Olympics. Four years from now the Olympics will be in Russia, throwing logistical issues into the mix of already shutting down the NHL season for two and a half weeks. There will be a strong push, however, from the Europeans (and especially the Russians) to send NHL players. Alex Ovechkin has already said he's playing in four years, regardless whether the NHL breaks or not.

8. People are complaining about NBC not showing the game, relegating it to MSNBC. The other side of the coin is that Olympic hockey is getting more exposure than ever before. Games used to be tape-delayed...even the famous 1980 game against Russia was not show live. Now each and every game is on live.

9. And speaking of 1980...this is nothing like 1980. This USA team is full of many of the best players in the NHL, and probably has the best goalie in the world right now. Imagine if you will a dominant football team from Europe that tours the US in the Fall and beats the Saints, Vikings and Colts in consecutive weeks. And wins each game by at least two touchdowns. Then we send a college team, with Kellen Moore at QB, Mark Ingram at RB, Danario Alexander and Golden Tate at WR, etc....and they go out and beat that team that easily handled the best of the NFL.

10. Funny how Mike Babcock is coaching the best team in the tournament, but his goaltending is a huge question mark right now. He must feel like he's still in Detroit.

11. The pre-cursor to this is the World Junior Championships, held during the holidays, that were ironically held in Canada (Saskatoon) this year. This is for players 20 and under. For Canadians this is their version of March Madness, the whole country is riveted to it. Canada has been dominating in recent years (winning the last five years), but this year they were surprised...at home...by the US, 6-5 in overtime. The US was captained by Derek Stepan, a Rangers prospect, and one of their other stars was the Rangers's most recent first round draft pick, Chris Kreider, currently playing for Boston College.

12. My rooting interest...number one, that no Rangers get hurt. Number two, USA. Mostly rooting for Sweden and Slovakia to get an early exit, so Henrik Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik get some much needed rest.


Sandra
 
Last edited:
my 2 cents...
SandraC said:
1. For those of you who complain or (like me) simply don't watch the NFL, NBA and NHL all-star games because they're nothing like the real sport, this is for you. All-stars on the ice, playing in as pressure-packed an environment you'll ever see. Vicious hitting, teams playing to win at all costs. The opposite of your typical all-star game.
Or the opposite of the NBA exhibition known as the Olympic basketball tournament. The NHL pros want to play for their country, and these are hard-fought battles.
SandraC said:
3. It was weird watching Sunday night. USA has the same lettering on their uniforms as the Rangers, and the same colors. They also have Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan of the Rangers, the forwards on their top penalty killing unit. Canada was red, the Devils color, and Martin Brodeur was in net. Canada dominated the game, but the US got better (and cuter) goaltending...just like a Ranger/Devil game. One goal lead with the US barely hanging on...just like a Ranger/Devil game...
Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking when watching...
SandraC said:
5. Canada has a difficult road to Gold, but they do still have the best team and, most importantly, home ice advantage. If any team can go through what will most likely be Russia, Sweden and the US, they can do it. IF they get better goaltending than they got Sunday night.

6. Speaking of which, those of us whose rooting interest lies east of the Hudson expected a performance like that from Brodeur. His legacy as the greatest of all-time is complete. But he is far from the best goalie right now, and definitely not the best goalie in Canada either.
Although Brodeur wasn't so spectacular, I still believe Canada's defense just didn't help, either. The Canadian defense certainly didn't help by overpursuing, which kept them out of position. Sure, the defense was able to keep the US out of the Canadian zone, but it didn't help that Ryan Miller stood on his head.
SandraC said:
7. This could be the last time the NHLers play in the Olympics. Four years from now the Olympics will be in Russia, throwing logistical issues into the mix of already shutting down the NHL season for two and a half weeks. There will be a strong push, however, from the Europeans (and especially the Russians) to send NHL players. Alex Ovechkin has already said he's playing in four years, regardless whether the NHL breaks or not.
It would be a big mistake for the NHL powers-that-be to ignore the call. I realize that as Mr. Bettman said that almost $2 billion in investment is playing in this tournament, but we haven't hit the medal round yet and already the ratings in the US for the US/Canada match outdid every hockey game over the past 10 years. In Canada, it was the most-watched single event in television history.
SandraC said:
11. The pre-cursor to this is the World Junior Championships, held during the holidays, that were ironically held in Canada (Saskatoon) this year. This is for players 20 and under. For Canadians this is their version of March Madness, the whole country is riveted to it. Canada has been dominating in recent years (winning the last five years), but this year they were surprised...at home...by the US, 6-5 in overtime. The US was captained by Derek Stepan, a Rangers prospect, and one of their other stars was the Rangers's most recent first round draft pick, Chris Kreider, currently playing for Boston College.
John Carlson, the defensemen that scored the no-look, game-winning overtime goal for the US, has now logged a few games with the Washington Capitals. And when he played a game or two in Canada, every time he touched the puck he was booed. That shows the passion in Canada.

New point:
13. I'm not sure I like this format in the Olympics. I remember that the 1980 version was two groups of six teams; the top two from each group after the teams played the other five opponents went to the medal round, to play the two teams they hadn't played, yet. Then came the change in the late 90's where there was a qualfication round for some of the "lesser" teams, followed by a round-robin-style tournament, then ended with the elimination-style medal round.

This time three games are played to determine seeding and then all twelve teams are involved in a single-elimination tournament format.
 
It would be a big mistake for the NHL powers-that-be to ignore the call. I realize that as Mr. Bettman said that almost $2 billion in investment is playing in this tournament, but we haven't hit the medal round yet and already the ratings in the US for the US/Canada match outdid every hockey game over the past 10 years. In Canada, it was the most-watched single event in television history.

But you have to take into account that games played in Russia will almost never be live in the US, definitely not live in prime time. The ratings will not even be close in four years.


Sandra
 
Sandra,

10. Funny how Mike Babcock is coaching the best team in the tournament, but his goaltending is a huge question mark right now. He must feel like he's still in Detroit.

Goaltending is NOT the biggest problem in Detroit, actually a minor one.
 
Sandra,

10. Funny how Mike Babcock is coaching the best team in the tournament, but his goaltending is a huge question mark right now. He must feel like he's still in Detroit.

Goaltending is NOT the biggest problem in Detroit, actually a minor one.

True, this year is different. But over the years Detroit has often had the best team, but not the best goaltending.


Sandra
 
1 - Hockey is the best game of the major team sports for an ASG (football being the worst). Which is why in non-Olympic years the NHL should have a North America vs. Europe format.

2 - I am not a big fan of the Olympics, only watching the hockey really, but why would they not play the medal round in the BC Place Dome (not being used, IIRC except for the ceremonies) ? Assuming Canadian, US and Russian participation, its a certain all time record.

4 - Don Cherry is great.

5 - I do not buy this "home ice advantage". As stated this is an all-star tournament with players from all over the NHL. Further, how many people at the Olympics are Canadian? Leaving out people from BC, is it not just as likely that someone from Boston is visiting as someone from Montreal?

7 - If the NHL does not have the pros in every Olympics, it should just disolve. More people are paying attention to this game than to the NHL.

8 - For me, and for the 99.9% of sports fans that have DBS or cable, its just a matter of channel numbers.
 
U.S-Switzerland game tape delayed on West Coast - 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver : The Orange County Register

U.S-Switzerland game tape delayed on West Coast
February 23rd, 2010, 6:16 pm · 2 Comments · posted by Curtis Zupke, Staff writer
If you somehow get to play hooky from work or simply want to catch the U.S.-Switzerland quarterfinal men’s hockey game during part of your lunch hour Wednesday, grab a snack and settle in for …
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, followed by Days Of Our Lives and The Martha Stewart Show.

The U.S. will drop the puck at noon PST, but NBC is airing the aforementioned programs at that time in Southern California and showing the hockey game on tape delay at 3 p.m.

Those on the East Coast will see the game live.

So why are West Coast viewers getting the short end of the hockey stick?

Almost all of the men’s hockey preliminary games were shown mostly without delay on NBC sister channels MSNBC, CNBC or USA. But because Olympics programming on mothership NBC doesn’t broadcast live on the West Coast, viewers will get tape delays of hockey that’s shown there.

So if the U.S. advances to Friday’s semifinals, that game will be tape delayed by three hours on the West Coast.

Sunday’s gold medal game?

That is scheduled to shown on NBC at 3 p.m. on the West Coast – three hours after the game is played.
 
2 - I am not a big fan of the Olympics, only watching the hockey really, but why would they not play the medal round in the BC Place Dome (not being used, IIRC except for the ceremonies) ? Assuming Canadian, US and Russian participation, its a certain all time record.
BC Place is being used for the Closing Ceremonies the same day as the hockey final.
 
My rooting interest...number one, that no Rangers get hurt. Number two, USA. Mostly rooting for Sweden and Slovakia to get an early exit, so Henrik Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik get some much needed rest.

Your Rangers need all the rest they can get, because their downstate and jersey golf courses open up April 12th. this year.:D
 
1 - Hockey is the best game of the major team sports for an ASG (football being the worst). Which is why in non-Olympic years the NHL should have a North America vs. Europe format.

Well, regular NHL all-star games are ridiculous. The final score last year was something like 13-12, I think...zero defense. It is NOTHING like the Olympics, or the regular season. It's kind of like the Pro Bowl and NBA all-star games.

Because of the nature of the sport, the only all-star game that simulates the real thing is baseball.

5 - I do not buy this "home ice advantage". As stated this is an all-star tournament with players from all over the NHL. Further, how many people at the Olympics are Canadian? Leaving out people from BC, is it not just as likely that someone from Boston is visiting as someone from Montreal?

Tune in to tonight's Canada-Russia game, and then tell us Canada does not have home ice advantage. The crowd will be in a frenzy.

7 - If the NHL does not have the pros in every Olympics, it should just disolve. More people are paying attention to this game than to the NHL.

The 1980 Olympics, without NHLers, did OK...;)


Sandra
 
True, this year is different. But over the years Detroit has often had the best team, but not the best goaltending.


Sandra

What makes the BEST Goaltending ?

Are you going by Wins ? Save percentage or what ?

This is a whole other debate.
Detroit had the all world Hasek at one point and DIDN'T win it ..... (they did win one) .....

Great goaltending has a lot to do with team play .....
 
1 - Hockey is the best game of the major team sports for an ASG (football being the worst). Which is why in non-Olympic years the NHL should have a North America vs. Europe format.

2 - I am not a big fan of the Olympics, only watching the hockey really, but why would they not play the medal round in the BC Place Dome (not being used, IIRC except for the ceremonies) ? Assuming Canadian, US and Russian participation, its a certain all time record.

4 - Don Cherry is great.

5 - I do not buy this "home ice advantage". As stated this is an all-star tournament with players from all over the NHL. Further, how many people at the Olympics are Canadian? Leaving out people from BC, is it not just as likely that someone from Boston is visiting as someone from Montreal?

7 - If the NHL does not have the pros in every Olympics, it should just disolve. More people are paying attention to this game than to the NHL.

8 - For me, and for the 99.9% of sports fans that have DBS or cable, its just a matter of channel numbers.

They better HOPE so ....
The big draw is that it's your COUNTRY and it only happens for a few weeks every 4 years.

IF the NHL only played this type of schedule it would draw the same.
 
Sandra gets half of her wish- Sweden's out, which means more rest for Henrik

(4 goals on 13 shots? Oy.)

Sweden's out now ...... :)

Thats great, the Red Wings can get back to healing, didn't really look but I'm sure there were several on that team ... Unfortunately Holstrom was unable to play.

IF the Wings are going to make the playoffs they are going to need to be healthy.
 
I didn't realize how much I missed hockey until the Olympics. So, I had sign up for the rest of the NHL season on Center Ice. I was really trying to go a year without it.
 
I didn't realize how much I missed hockey until the Olympics. So, I had sign up for the rest of the NHL season on Center Ice. I was really trying to go a year without it.

Great job.

And I was just hearing on WFAN last night that the Olympic buzz would have no carryover to the NHL. People who don't know hockey really should not discuss hockey like they are experts. ;)


Sandra
 
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