2018 Winter Olympics: Pyeongchang

[Cowtown]

I’d rather the US get cashed by the Czechs than lose to Putin’s pros.

Hoping the ladies can beat the Canucks for gold otherwise this Olympics has been a complete bust.

Anyone (okay, 98%) whose skill set is good enough to play in the NHL is already there. All the teams I saw lack high end finishing skills, so that's a push. Frankly, I'm tired of watching the pro heavyweights bump out the also-rans until the semi-finals. This year it's practically wide open. That said, I get tired of the Euros and their cheap stickwork after the whistle - mostly the former Soviet states. Cajkowski from the Slovak team was a FAH.

As for the women, there's an order of magnitude between the top two teams and the rest, making other match-ups difficult to watch until the inevitable final.

The one thing to really take away from this is just how desperately the NHL needs the International ice size. There was actually room to skate, and enough room for the officials to stay the hell out of the way. They're always in the way in the NHL. The NHL today is nothing more than a gauntlet of speed skaters with a flurry of sticks all up and down the ice. So you watch them chip and chase until the puck is finally in the other team's end, and then it's like a team photo in front of the net. It's tough to watch.

 

[orange79]

Did this need a ‘spoiler’ button??...

Yes

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Yes

Not if you watched it at 6:30 AM.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Anyone (okay, 98%) whose skill set is good enough to play in the NHL is already there. All the teams I saw lack high end finishing skills, so that's a push. Frankly, I'm tired of watching the pro heavyweights bump out the also-rans until the semi-finals. This year it's practically wide open. That said, I get tired of the Euros and their cheap stickwork after the whistle - mostly the former Soviet states. Cajkowski from the Slovak team was a FAH.

As for the women, there's an order of magnitude between the top two teams and the rest, making other match-ups difficult to watch until the inevitable final.

The one thing to really take away from this is just how desperately the NHL needs the International ice size. There was actually room to skate, and enough room for the officials to stay the hell out of the way. They're always in the way in the NHL. The NHL today is nothing more than a gauntlet of speed skaters with a flurry of sticks all up and down the ice. So you watch them chip and chase until the puck is finally in the other team's end, and then it's like a team photo in front of the net. It's tough to watch.

I don’t think it’s as wide open because other countries sent their domestic pros. The Ruskies, Czechs, Swedes, and Fins have pro talent and are only missing their elite NHL players. So it’s still a referendum on all countries’ pro talent except the US.

The Canuck talent pool is a league unto itself so it matters little to them IMO. NHL talent or not, Canada will always have a huge talent pool regardless of NHL participation.

The US is double-stuffed by no NHL participation. To your earlier point - anyone good enough is already in the NHL. We’re forced to send 17-22 college kids who weren’t elite enough to be 1 & done.

Couldn’t agree more about rink size.

I’ve always appreciated international hockey for allowing more skilled action due to spacing.

At least the NHL realized how much their clutch & grab style sucked the life outta the sport a few years back.

They too often distract themselves from the real problem (small rinks) with foolish ideas like goalie pad size.

Jus expand rink sizes! Phase it in, if necessary.

 

[ForCuseSake]

American ladies look tight and nervous most of the first.

Glad they snuck in a goal with 25 seconds left!! LETS GO USA!!!!

 

[Cowtown]

American ladies look tight and nervous most of the first.

Glad they snuck in a goal with 25 seconds left!! LETS GO USA!!!!

Canada-US games are hard for me to watch.

 

[ForCuseSake]

USA looks a mess.

Sloppy puck handling, bad communication.

 

[ForCuseSake]

What a game.

That was flippin AWESOME!!

Edit - the tears of Marie Phillip Poulin taste delicious.

Thank you, ladies! That was well worth staying up late!

 

[Toga]

USA! That 4 on 4 OT was some exciting hockey!

 

[CanadianSU]

The better team won tbh.

 

[Toga]

The better team won tbh.

Some great passing there.

 

[ForCuseSake]

The US looked so jittery for most of the first and all of the second.

I didn’t think they had a chance until halfway through the third.

Thought for sure Canada would own OT and was shocked the US looked faster and was making goood decisions with the puck.

Those goalies were ice. Canadian goalie was fantastic and saw a ton of rubber in the third and OT.

 

[ForCuseSake]

It’s nice to finally see winners get their medals after their event instead of those kooky stuffed animals.

 

[Toga]

 

[STEVEHOLT]

That move is against the law in Saudi Arabia.

 

[clayman32]

What an exciting game. I was switching back and forth between it and skiing. Not sure why I didn't just stick with hockey considering bode miller's robot like monotone analysis dulls everything

 

[KaiserUEO]

The men’s team, clearly...could’ve used a lesson or 2 from the women on shoot out strategy.

Awesome win.

 

[Cowtown]

In spite of this being "alcohol-free February" I had a victory beer for the US womens' hockey team last night. The Canadian goalie and her defense were outstanding, but the team speed of the US was withering and relentless. They just kept coming and had the Canadians on the ropes through most of the third and the OT. Congrats, it was well-deserved.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[ForCuseSake]

Here’s hoping the ladies have a run of gold over the next two or three Olympic Games.

Or, at minimum, not make us suffer another 20 years before our next hockey gold!

 

[Cowtown]

What a game.

That was flippin AWESOME!!

Edit - the tears of Marie Phillip Poulin taste delicious.

Thank you, ladies! That was well worth staying up late!

If you're not a Canadian, you probably have no idea how much those games mean to all Canadians, and how hard the players work, supported out of their own pockets and those of friends and family. The burden of great expectations is a heavy one to carry, and she and her teammates have done it tremendously.

I cheer for the Americans in these games (and at great personal risk ) because they're the under dogs. But give a little credit where it's due: she's a phenomenal athlete and an awesome competitor, one of the greatest women players ever at that level. She'll probably end up in the hockey HOF.

 

[ForCuseSake]

If you're not a Canadian, you probably have no idea how much those games mean to all Canadians, and how hard the players work, supported out of their own pockets and those of friends and family. The burden of great expectations is a heavy one to carry, and she and her teammates have done it tremendously.

I cheer for the Americans in these games (and at great personal risk ) because they're the under dogs. But give a little credit where it's due: she's a phenomenal athlete and an awesome competitor, one of the greatest women players ever at that level. She'll probably end up in the hockey HOF.

I agree with everything you said about Poulin and understand how proud Canadians are of their game.

And that, plus Poulin’s cheapshot on Decker, made those tears taste glorious.

 

[Cowtown]

I agree with everything you said about Poulin and understand how proud Canadians are of their game.

And that, plus Poulin’s cheapshot on Decker, made those tears taste glorious.

I've played hockey for the best part of 40 years. Still do today. IMHO that hit wasn't intentional, although it still should have been a penalty. I think you have to have spent some time on skates to have a real feel for how that kind of play happens. You may have, however I don't know. BTW, did you see the constant physical contact Poulin took in the round robin game? The US team gave it to her pretty good, and she just took it and came back harder. Furthermore, I'm not advocating abandoning the rules, but contact is part of the game and if you give it out, you should expect to get it back, and do it without complaint. I was actually quite proud of Decker over how she sucked it up and just kept playing hard. I also thought Poulin sucked in the ref when she took a dive and drew that last penalty.

 

[ForCuseSake]

I've played hockey for the best part of 40 years. Still do today. IMHO that hit wasn't intentional, although it still should have been a penalty. I think you have to have spent some time on skates to have a real feel for how that kind of play happens. You may have, however I don't know. BTW, did you see the constant physical contact Poulin took in the round robin game? The US team gave it to her pretty good, and she just took it and came back harder. Furthermore, I'm not advocating abandoning the rules, but contact is part of the game and if you give it out, you should expect to get it back, and do it without complaint. I was actually quite proud of Decker over how she sucked it up and just kept playing hard. I also thought Poulin sucked in the ref when she took a dive and drew that last penalty.

It was definitely intentional as Decker was alone on the doorstep with the puck. A reasonable decision for Poulin to take a penalty in that instance but laying her out was excessive.

That hit might’ve led to a fight in some men’s games (definitely a scrum with lots of face washing depending on the rivalry/stakes).

If you’re an American playing hockey you know how true Kelly Youngblood was when he told his brother Dean:

“Don't take any from them Canucks. To them, you're just another wetback, crossing the border to play their game.”