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I think you are being too narrow
This year's Olys is probably the MOST paritied competition in my lifetime (I am 24) I have ever seen to include the 87 Canada Cup and every Olympics, Canada/World Cup and World Championship I have seen.
Sweden is in business because they finally have a goalie who is not likely to let one in off of his dome or struggle with 50 foot shots to initiate line changes. That said, the game against Canada will be a struggle. Not to sound cliche but Sweden's defensive mobility is great but if they get hunkered down in their zone, Canada's forwards can wear them out. While I agree that the Czechs might be the MOST difficult opponent, I would say USA and also Finland are right there. Sweden-Finland is a game that I am very much looking forward to.
Canada is just going to have to get stellar play from its defense, period, control the puck effectively at the points and no jail breaks going the other way. They have the best variety and most depth at forward although maybe not the most top line talent (that would be Svenska). The Czechs are their toughest matchup also, probably because the Czechs are the next best all around team with Sweden right there with them.
Russia will lose to Finland, I am calling that now, I think the Finns will have a good tourney much like they did in Toronto but no Kipper means no better than bronze IMO.
Czechs are going to have to play with great intensity, watching them in three competitions in the past two years, they had a nice turnout at both World Championships relative to the rest of the field and good enough at the World Cup but only in Austria did they really play cohesively. They are the best team in goal right now, even if you take into account Brodeur's hot play. Hasek and Vokoun are the best 1-2 punch in these games. I dont think they have a problem matching up with anyone, Canada and Sweden are just good teams that could give them trouble. The way Vokoun played in Austria, I think he should make some starts but Hasek is like Jesus over there so he will probably make most starts (anyone heard different?). Vokoun was nice in Toronto but out of his mind in Austria, great show.
US is a joke, they are about as likely to medal as my 8th grade basketball team...in ice hockey. Sad to say but we are at an impasse, really need this bunch of juniors to step up and be big down the line.
Finland is going to need to play with the same passion and grit they did in Toronto; no longer are they a one line team with average goaltending, they have depth and a decent netminder in Nittymaki but they need to really hit on all cylinders and get great defense from their forwards. Guys like Lehtinen are up and down their roster but their blue line is not as solid.
This year's Olys is probably the MOST paritied competition in my lifetime (I am 24) I have ever seen to include the 87 Canada Cup and every Olympics, Canada/World Cup and World Championship I have seen.
Sweden is in business because they finally have a goalie who is not likely to let one in off of his dome or struggle with 50 foot shots to initiate line changes. That said, the game against Canada will be a struggle. Not to sound cliche but Sweden's defensive mobility is great but if they get hunkered down in their zone, Canada's forwards can wear them out. While I agree that the Czechs might be the MOST difficult opponent, I would say USA and also Finland are right there. Sweden-Finland is a game that I am very much looking forward to.
Canada is just going to have to get stellar play from its defense, period, control the puck effectively at the points and no jail breaks going the other way. They have the best variety and most depth at forward although maybe not the most top line talent (that would be Svenska). The Czechs are their toughest matchup also, probably because the Czechs are the next best all around team with Sweden right there with them.
Russia will lose to Finland, I am calling that now, I think the Finns will have a good tourney much like they did in Toronto but no Kipper means no better than bronze IMO.
Czechs are going to have to play with great intensity, watching them in three competitions in the past two years, they had a nice turnout at both World Championships relative to the rest of the field and good enough at the World Cup but only in Austria did they really play cohesively. They are the best team in goal right now, even if you take into account Brodeur's hot play. Hasek and Vokoun are the best 1-2 punch in these games. I dont think they have a problem matching up with anyone, Canada and Sweden are just good teams that could give them trouble. The way Vokoun played in Austria, I think he should make some starts but Hasek is like Jesus over there so he will probably make most starts (anyone heard different?). Vokoun was nice in Toronto but out of his mind in Austria, great show.
US is a joke, they are about as likely to medal as my 8th grade basketball team...in ice hockey. Sad to say but we are at an impasse, really need this bunch of juniors to step up and be big down the line.
Finland is going to need to play with the same passion and grit they did in Toronto; no longer are they a one line team with average goaltending, they have depth and a decent netminder in Nittymaki but they need to really hit on all cylinders and get great defense from their forwards. Guys like Lehtinen are up and down their roster but their blue line is not as solid.
edd1e
Registered User
FoppaArGud said:
Not solid? Pitkänen,Timonen,Salo,Numminen,Lydman? i quite happy with our Defense..
edd1e said:
I agree. Our main problem has always been, and will be again, goalscoring. But what it comes to our goaltending, I'm quite happy with Lehtonen and Niittymäki. I think Lehtonen will be our #1 and actually I think he really can even win this tournament for us if everything goes well.
Pitkanen is the lynchpin
not to toot the Flyers' horn, but even when fedotenko was killing philly and pitkanen was quiet during the 04 playoffs, i had faith in pitkanen. he has been great this year and gives Finland a guy who can play in all the big situations and who is as physical as any of those other D for Finland. problem is that he has been out and today he only took two shifts, i am not expecting him to be 100% or maybe even a scratch. Compare that D to Canada and the Czechs, even Sweden I think is a little stronger. My main point was that the Finns are very solid defensively with their forwards.
edd1e said:
not to toot the Flyers' horn, but even when fedotenko was killing philly and pitkanen was quiet during the 04 playoffs, i had faith in pitkanen. he has been great this year and gives Finland a guy who can play in all the big situations and who is as physical as any of those other D for Finland. problem is that he has been out and today he only took two shifts, i am not expecting him to be 100% or maybe even a scratch. Compare that D to Canada and the Czechs, even Sweden I think is a little stronger. My main point was that the Finns are very solid defensively with their forwards.
SectionX said:
The Tre Kronor and the Ottawa Senators have been very similar in this regard. I think both teams are going to do much better in 2006.
Mr Kanadensisk said:
I can't see how the Canada Cup have anything to do with the Olympics. Like comparing wrestling with a real sport.
The rest of the teams travel all over the world and play while Canada stays in the same hotell and gets to play on home ice with a canadian ref.
If John Muckler himself was the ref in the Senators games and the Maple Leafs and all other teams had to play Ottawa in Ottawa I am sure Ottawa would have a cup by now.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
I'm not sure if there is any match-up that should be considered a "nightmare." This year's Olympics, at least on paper will be pretty close. I still believe Canada is the clear favorite, especially with Brodeur playing very well right now, but the Czechs and Swedes shouldn't be underestimated. Russia has a lot of firepower up front, but question on defense and in goal. Finland's always tough, but will willpower overcome a lack of scoring punch? Slovakia is Russia junior. That leaves my homeland, the U.S. The biggest issue with the U.S. will be goaltending. If goaltending is solid, I think the U.S. will surprise. Look beyond the names on forward and defense, and some inherant misconceptions/stereotypes, and you'll see a roster that features most playing very well and putting up a fair amount of points.
This man knows of what he speaks
Pretty good analysis but I dont think the Finns will have a hard time scoring and they are a great all around defensive team. Their forwards are the best two way players around and they dont just sit around watching to see if Selanne scores anymore. I think we saw the future of Finnish hockey in 2004 during the World Cup, it is just unfortunate that they wont have Kipper in net. I think Nittymaki or Lehtonen is formidable but to be thinking gold they would definitely need Kipper in top form.
Rabid Ranger said:
Pretty good analysis but I dont think the Finns will have a hard time scoring and they are a great all around defensive team. Their forwards are the best two way players around and they dont just sit around watching to see if Selanne scores anymore. I think we saw the future of Finnish hockey in 2004 during the World Cup, it is just unfortunate that they wont have Kipper in net. I think Nittymaki or Lehtonen is formidable but to be thinking gold they would definitely need Kipper in top form.
Why isn't Slovakia listed? They have one of the best teams in the tournament and I'd be scared of them regardless of the team I have. They're offense can turn rocks into sand and on the big ice surface, they're deadly.
Gaborik - Demitra - Hossa
Satan - Nagy - Palffy
Bondra - Handzus - Svatos
Zednik - Stumpel - Radiojevic
Chara - Meszaros
Visnovsky - Suchy
Majevsky - Jurcina
Strbak
Budaj
Lasak
Gaborik - Demitra - Hossa
Satan - Nagy - Palffy
Bondra - Handzus - Svatos
Zednik - Stumpel - Radiojevic
Chara - Meszaros
Visnovsky - Suchy
Majevsky - Jurcina
Strbak
Budaj
Lasak
Big Phil said:
Come again? I think an Olympic bronze medal game qualifies as an elimination game (Nagano). Also, I woudn't say that Canada dominated the WCH2004 final. It was a pretty close game.
"Never a threat''...hopefully team Canada will be equally ignorant and arrogant inTurin.
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Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
FoppaArGud said:
The Finns ALWAYS have a hard time scoring. The differance is they usually keep the opponents from scoring as well and get great goaltending.
Jovanovski = Norris said:
The D, and even more so the goaltending, are thin. And isn't Palffy retired? Or is he going to play in the Olympics.
Jovanovski = Norris said:
umm Svatos is from czech rep and Palffy has retired. And no, I don't believe the slovaks will be good enough.
We were one of the best offensive teams.Jovanovski = Norris said:
Until we got a defense first head coach for an offense first team.
:And they still wont fire him
.BTW, Strbak-Visnovsky = a lock for the top pairing,
Maybe he was just trying to say that all the Slovakian players come from the Czech system 
Just kidding.
Svatos is SLOVAKIAN!
Just kidding.
Svatos is SLOVAKIAN!
shawn_kemp said:Maybe he was just trying to say that all the Slovakian players come from the Czech system
Just kidding.
Svatos is SLOVAKIAN!
ah well ESPNs misstake. They listed him as czechloslovakia, lol so I thought czech.
But seriously they dont have the goaltender or D to win.
12# Peter Bondra said:We were one of the best offensive teams.
Until we got a defense first head coach for an offense first team.
And they still wont fire him
BTW, Strbak-Visnovsky = a lock for the top pairing,
Who will Jurcina most likely play with? He has been nothing short of amazing over the past month for the Bruins, and has been solid on both ends of the ice.
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