USA vs. Canada

[wingwop]

Okay Ken, this is the perfect place for some good old north american hooligan stlye trash talking.

I gotta admit, when the olympics started, I just wanted wings to get the gold. As the tourney went on, I started bleeding my red white and blue. At least whatever happens, wings will get the gold, silver and very possibly bronze too!!

I think as far as game plans the Canadians had better stay out of the box. The USA powerplay has been fantastic. I also feel the Canadians have to get the puck deep. Richter is much easier to beat with traffic in front cause he'll give up some rebounds.

For the Americans, I think they need to do what they've done the whole tournament with the exception of the 3rd period vs. Russia.
A large dose of LeClair in Brodeur's face and the defensemen have to make the finese players pay when they cut through the middle. Actually, that's the easy part.

Lets just all hope the refs put the whistles away. I'd hate to see them decide this game. Special teams and goaltending will win or lose this game. Call me biast, but I give edges in both catagories to the Americans.

I hate to do this but my prediction is:

4-2 USA

Goals by: LeClair, Amonte, Roenick and Guerin
Yzerman and Lemeiux

[ken_valyi]

That's some fine analysis, and to put my Canuck pride on top the net next to Brodeur's waterbottle, your prediction is very likely how the game could turn out if Canada can't play as well as a team as the Americans are currently.

Canada has to avoid that dynamite US powerplay. If the refs call a lot of penalties, even if it's an equal amount for each team, I think the US will win. I too want to see the refs call only the most obvious infractions that directly effect the game. It would a tragedy if this game were decided by a dive.

For the US to win, just to stick their game plan of clogging up the neutral zone with those big forwards and make the Canucks dump the puck into their zone. Put LeClair at Brodeur's doorstep all game long and let him see as few shots as possible. IMO this is America's game to lose... and trust me I hate to admit to that. :(

For Canada, they have to keep the puck out of their own end. They can't let those US forwards set up shop down low or the goal judge is going to get an awful case of trigger finger. America's lone weakspot, and it ain't much, is on defense. Canada has to work the US defense over, lots of finished checks, shoot the puck deep everytime, tire those boys out, try to make them turnover the puck.

While I want Canada to win, they have to play far superior hockey then they have shown us in this tournement.

I have to predict a Canada win, because of pride and emotion more then anything, and on that basis I predict it will be a 2-1 win in OT (please God no shootout!)

USA - Le Clair
Canada - Lemeuix, Yzerman (OT)

[cASe SenSiTive]

The US is gonna lay the smack down on Canada.

We're still pissed about you guys stealing our World Series trophy a few years back.:p

5-2 USA

[ken_valyi]

USA coach: Canada's hockey style "stupid" (http://www.canoe.ca/2002GamesHockeyFeb02/23_brooks-can.html)


"Playing that (dump and chase) style is their style, their philosophy in Canada," said Brooks. "They like that style. I think the game is a little more profound than that. I think the ability of the players can allow them to do so much more.

"If you look at football, basketball and football, possession is the name of the game. It seems kind of stupid to me to work hard to get the puck and then say, 'I'm going to give it back to you, then try to get it back again.

"That's going to be (Canada's) style on this rink, the small rink or out in the parking lot."

Brooks said his team is capable of playing more creative, stimulating hockey.

"Our team is very adept at playing what I call a hybrid style. I believe in a hybrid system, where you play East-West when necessary and stretch the zones.

I don't think the Canadian coaches share that. Maybe (head coach) Pat Quinn does a little, but I don't think the others (associates Jacques Martin, Ken Hitchcock and Wayne Fleming) do."

Who am I to agrue with Herb? The man has a point.

[ChrisFrez]

Of course i'm rooting for Team USA, but to be perfectly honest, I won't be incredibly upset if Team Canada wins the Gold. We have so many Detroit Red Wings represented amoungst the teams this time in the Olympics, everybody seems to be coming home with a medal (okay, Sorry Sweden and Czech Republic) ;)

Team USA needs to keep doing what they have been doing all along in the Olympics - play well in their own zone, which creates their offensive opportunities.

Team Canada needs to starting having ALL it's lines play like more a team. They have a big defense which can help them out quite a bit if they can get them into the play (note to Pronger and Mcinnis - pass the puck occassionally instead of ALWAYS taking the shot).

This game is gonna be awesome! It should be a good ole fasioned NHL type game, played how every NHL game should be played :)

[wingwop]

One last pre-game comment: keep the shifts SHORT. The first team to get a line stuck out there for a minute or minute and a half is gonna pay the fidler whore!!!

[cASe SenSiTive]

Ack!

Well, at least I predicted the correct score.:rolleyes:

[wingwop]

Oh well, that was an awesome game though. How about Chelios going over and shaking the hands of all the officals after the loss.

[ken_valyi]

Did you catch the picture with Shanny, Chelios, Hull, and StevieY with the medals?

Great picture! I feel for Cheli. He really led with his heart and had an awesome tourney.

[wingwop]

That's too funny. I just posted the same thing somewhere on the board.

[P.J Stock]

That was an extremely entertaining game! I thought richter played a great game, but the fowards didnt do much.

How did Mario miss that empty net??:)

[ken_valyi]

"We would have loved to win, but if we couldn't, there's nobody better to do it," U.S. forward Jeremy Roenick said. "We were playing hockey's creators."

Young and old lead Canada to gold (from this article) (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/winter02/hockey/news?id=1340029)

The class showed by the American and Canadian players is inspiring. It would be a lot easier to celebrate this win if we got to beat the crap out of the Ruskies, but then US wouldn't get the silver which they more than deserved.

[wingwop]

Yeah, they may not have gold, but they make up for it in class. And who knows, maybe the olympic committee will award them one anyway!!hehe

[ken_valyi]

Anything is possible... I hear the goal judge was French! ;)

[wingwop]

I think the AMERICAN refs could have helped the cause a little better as well. We needed the chick!!!

Imagine the backlash if the officiating was disputed. Buttman's master plan would have backfired in his smug little face.

[ken_valyi]

If that chick had been the ref, I think Theo would have lost it, and probably decapitated her with his stick right out on the ice. That man makes Darcy Tucker look stable, sorry PJ.

[wingwop]

No sh!t, he makes Tyson Nash look cool as a cucumber. His fire helped that team a lot more than his play did.

[FLII ME]

Are you making fun of DT?

Come on he is a great hockey player, the type you hate to play against, but love to have on your team

[wingwop]

Hell, if he'd played with Gretzky, he'd be a 70 goal scorer, right Tom. hehe