OT: 2014 Sochi Olympics Team Canada Announcement Tuesday on TSN

[Vexed]

Thats not what I'm inferring at all but at some point, over 5 years, you'd expect to see some sort of improvement from your defensive unit at least ONCE. Phaneuf has seen two coaches, and how many different personnel during that time? Yet, our defence has looked consistently respectable for about 48 games during our supposed anchors entire time here.

Phaneuf has been fine. I don't understand why he gets blamed for Franson's slow skating or Gardiner playing behind the offensive net. His pair with Gunnar is very good.

Its like you guys really think that just because a couple players on championship teams get all the hype the other players on their teams didn't also have to be stellar.

Not making this team doesn't make you a bad player though. That assertion is ludicrous.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

First funny joke of 2014 from the hockey world

StevieY: We and the coaching staff asked if Kunitz belongs on this team on his own merit without Crosby and we all agreed that he does.

LOL

 

[BertCorbeau]

Getz most likely plays on the wing as he did in Vancouver. Tavares is not a winger. Stammer on the wing if he is in.

For other posters above, after Perry and Stammer, Carter is the most pure sniper this country has. Carter will skate with Crosby and Kunitz out of the gate; Perry with Getz and Stammer with Toews or Tavares.

I think Stammer and Tavares would be magical together

 

[Vexed]

I think Stammer and Tavares would be magical together

I drool over the thought tbh

First funny joke of 2014 from the hockey world

StevieY: We and the coaching staff asked if Kunitz belongs on this team on his own merit without Crosby and we all agreed that he does.

LOL

Its really not that funny

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

Phaneuf has been fine. I don't understand why he gets blamed for Franson's slow skating or Gardiner playing behind the offensive net. His pair with Gunnar is very good.

Its like you guys really think that just because a couple players on championship teams get all the hype the other players on their teams didn't also have to be stellar.

Not making this team doesn't make you a bad player though. That assertion is ludicrous.

Absolutely not. My assertion of Phaneuf is based off of having watched him for nearly 5 full years. He was absolutely terrible defensively his first season and a half in Toronto - he'd still get caught throwing a check at the blueline or behind the play in the offensive zone far too often. Since then, coaches in Toronto have turned him into a bit of a hybrid (a la Stevens) which helped mask some of his questionable decision making. As of late, though, he just looks like a neutered version of his old self on the ice, which is only half-bad because we don't have to watch him overplay the body like he used to. Its pretty clear to me that coaches have really dumbed his game down because of certain limitations.

 

[Vexed]

Absolutely not. My assertion of Phaneuf is based off of having watched him for nearly 5 full years. He was absolutely terrible defensively his first season and a half in Toronto - he'd still get caught throwing a check at the blueline (boneheaded) or behind the play in the offensive zone far too often. Since then, coaches in Toronto have turned him into a bit of a hybrid (a la Stevens) which helped mask some of his questionable decision making. As of late, though, he just looks like a neutered version of his old self on the ice, which is only half-bad because we don't have to watch him overplay the body like he used to. Its pretty clear to me that coaches have really dumbed his game down because of certain limitations.

Fair enough. There is a reason they say defensemen don't often come into their primes until after 26yrs old or so.

I find there is this running theme on the forums where a lot of fans believe a players progression ends and their decline begins about 5 years earlier than it really does, especially with D.

He's improved every year since he's been here and I would put him out there confidently against any opposition in the NHL.

That being said, (and since this isn't a Dion thread) I wouldn't have thought much about him for the Olympics because of the big ice which isn't a slight against him. Its the same reason Joe Thornton isn't on the team among others.

 

[The Blue Devil]

It's Crosby. No way it's not Crosby. He's the best player in the world and was the captain of the 2010 team that won gold. He's the poster boy for hockey, period.

Didn't Nieds have the C?

 

[Vexed]

Didn't Nieds have the C?

Yup.

Although I agree that Crosby is the only real choice unless you want to bring the drama to the team before it begins.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Forwards:

Kunitz - Crosby (C) - Bergeron ... I could have sworn Bergy and Crosby played together in the WJC back when - whatever can get Crosby going I guess

Duchene - Tavares - Stamkos ... Speed, skill, scoring - this could be a lethal combination

Benn - Getzlaf - Perry ... Size, some grit, scoring with skating ability

Nash - Toews (A) - Sharp ... Nash and Toews played together in Vancouver in a shut down role - keep Sharp there for some scoring potential

That leaves Marleau and Carter available to swing up and down the line up and fill in at centre if need be

Defence

Keith - Weber (A) ... Keith will feed Weber one-timers all day

Vlasic - Doughty ... Vlasic's excellent two way presence can allow Doughty to be aggressive offensively

Bouwmeester - Pietrangelo ... Quality bottom pairing teammates with chemistry

Hamhuis and Subban could be a good pairing that compliments each other too .. Would love to get Subban in there for the powerplay - his clapper is ridiculous

Goaltending

Luongo - de-facto starter after winning the gold in Vancouver

Price - should get an opportunity to steal the starting job and see if he can get hot (because when Price is on, he's unbeatable)

Smith - Umm.. Yeah

 

[Johny Drama]

I have a feeling Tavares is going to emerge as one of the top players in this tournament.

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

Looks like Kulemin will be playing alongside #71 and #8. Not bad.

Slava Malamud ‏@SlavaMalamud 16m

Russian lines seem pretty set: Radulov-Datsyuk-Kovy, Ovi-Malkin-Kulemin, Tarasenko-Anisimov-Tikhonov, filler-filler-filler.

 

[The Legend]

I think Stammer and Tavares would be magical together

Crosby, Stamkos, Tavares - done and done.

 

[Radiohead]

Kunitz - Crosby (C) - Bergeron ... I could have sworn Bergy and Crosby played together in the WJC back when - whatever can get Crosby going I guess

I think it was Bergeron-Crosby-Perry.

 

[Raym11]

Forwards:

Kunitz - Crosby (C) - Bergeron ... I could have sworn Bergy and Crosby played together in the WJC back when - whatever can get Crosby going I guess

Duchene - Tavares - Stamkos ... Speed, skill, scoring - this could be a lethal combination

Benn - Getzlaf - Perry ... Size, some grit, scoring with skating ability

Nash - Toews (A) - Sharp ... Nash and Toews played together in Vancouver in a shut down role - keep Sharp there for some scoring potential

That leaves Marleau and Carter available to swing up and down the line up and fill in at centre if need be

Defence

Keith - Weber (A) ... Keith will feed Weber one-timers all day

Vlasic - Doughty ... Vlasic's excellent two way presence can allow Doughty to be aggressive offensively

Bouwmeester - Pietrangelo ... Quality bottom pairing teammates with chemistry

Hamhuis and Subban could be a good pairing that compliments each other too .. Would love to get Subban in there for the powerplay - his clapper is ridiculous

Goaltending

Luongo - de-facto starter after winning the gold in Vancouver

Price - should get an opportunity to steal the starting job and see if he can get hot (because when Price is on, he's unbeatable)

Smith - Umm.. Yeah

Marleau wont be a floater, itll be Duchene. Marleau will probably be 3rd line all tourney

 

[MorriPage]

Does anyone know when they'll be finalizing which players are wearing which numbers? I want to get a Team Canada jersey and put someone's name on the back (undecided who as of yet) and there are like 5 or 6 players who wear the same numbers as each other.

 

[BertCorbeau]

^ I'm not against that .. Really I feel that Marleau, Duchene, and Benn can swing into any of those 2nd or 3rd line LW spots and the line would be effective

 

[Divine]

One of the most confusing decisions was Kunitz over Neal - James Neal has been pure dynamite the last three seasons, and is scoring at a much higher pace than Kunitz.

 

[Simcoe23]

Looks like Kulemin will be playing alongside #71 and #8. Not bad.

Slava Malamud ‏@SlavaMalamud 16m

Kuli is going to light it up on that line.

 

[OneArmedMango]

Looks like Kulemin will be playing alongside #71 and #8. Not bad.

Kulemin tore it up in the KHL with Malkin in the lockout, his line was given an award as best in the league. Kulemin's 30 goal season may have been a bit flukey but he's quite a talented offensive player, Carlyle is just using him wrong. Every year but this year, his lines goals for dropped when he wasn't on it. If I see him sold cheap to another team at the deadline and see him tear it up, I will eat a cactus. I love the guy

 

[The Blue Devil]

and this makes you happy because?

I'm not thrilled in the sense that some posters are so they can go on more tangents about how much he sucks, but I like that he gets a couple of weeks off to rest up for the late season push.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

Kulemin tore it up in the KHL with Malkin in the lockout, his line was given an award as best in the league. Kulemin's 30 goal season may have been a bit flukey but he's quite a talented offensive player, Carlyle is just using him wrong. Every year but this year, his lines goals for dropped when he wasn't on it. If I see him sold cheap to another team at the deadline and see him tear it up, I will eat a cactus. I love the guy

Sun still rises from the east and sets in the west. Yup. The world hasn't changed yet

 

[gabeliscious]

Looks like Kulemin will be playing alongside #71 and #8. Not bad.

Slava Malamud ‏@SlavaMalamud 16m

holy scnikies.

thats fairly ridiculous.



regarding canada.....

stamkos-crosby-nash
duchene-getzlaf-perry
sharp-toews-tavares
carter-bergeron-marleau

 

[Eyedea]

Getz most likely plays on the wing as he did in Vancouver. Tavares is not a winger. Stammer on the wing if he is in.

For other posters above, after Perry and Stammer, Carter is the most pure sniper this country has. Carter will skate with Crosby and Kunitz out of the gate; Perry with Getz and Stammer with Toews or Tavares.

I don't know if anyone mentioned it yet but Tavares has spent time on the LW in the past (specifically during the lockout shortened season). They even asked him earlier today on TSN and he referenced that he can play on the left side if there isn't a fit at centre.

 

[Peasy]

Funny Kulemin will play top 6 for Russia but not the Leafs

 

[Divine]

Funny Kulemin will play top 6 for Russia but not the Leafs

That just emphasizes how good the Leafs truly are.