Olympic Hockey is Better

[Saklander]

NHL bigger than the Oly´s.... I Don´t think so....
BTW Didn´t sound like that The night before USA-CAN in 2002.

Now all we got to do is dump the Canada Cup (WC I know) It has outlived it´s time, "everybody" gets along, so no need for "Goodwill Games" like tournaments

 

[5minsforfighting]

I can't wait till the NHL is back. This Tournament was boring for the most part.

Second that.

 

[Caz]

Now all we got to do is dump the Canada Cup (WC I know) It has outlived it´s time, "everybody" gets along, so no need for "Goodwill Games" like tournaments

Can't agree with this. It's good to have World Cup,
as it is played in smaller rinks, NHL rules etc.
It's one side of the same coin of a Best-of-the-best
tournament, if OGs is the other. Plus we don't get to
see these tournaments too often anyways.

 

[twelve]

Of course teams can overcome the trap. They do quite often. The problem is that playing the trap slows things down in the neutral zone. That equates to a less exciting game because players aren't able to fly in from the neutral zone as easily as in a non-trapping game.

I can understand that.
Though I personally think it's just as entertaining to watch a team work to outplay the other. Even if that takes some of the speed out of the game and takes a bit longer.

 

[jekoh]

Do all-star game teams use the trap ?

Does it make the game exciting ?

 

[mytor4*]

NHL bigger than the Oly´s.... I Don´t think so....
BTW Didn´t sound like that The night before USA-CAN in 2002.

Now all we got to do is dump the Canada Cup (WC I know) It has outlived it´s time, "everybody" gets along, so no need for "Goodwill Games" like tournaments

the only thing the olympics have bigger than the nhl is there rinks. in the nhl you see teams play together. what makes the oylimpics suck is that the team that can gel the fastest in 6-8 games have the best chance to win. if the olympics hade a 2 month tornament[which i know is impossible] than and only than you would see the best hockey in the world played as all teams would get adjusted with each other.

 

[Chimpradamus]

I can't wait until Europe finally starts their own International Hockey League, brings home their players and realizes they can't continue to be farmed on their best players by NHL for coffee money.

 

[twelve]

Do all-star game teams use the trap ?

Does it make the game exciting ?

If a team is faced by a better skilled opponent, I'd rather they use the trap than loose 10 - 0.
In that instance, the trap makes the game more exciting, because the less talented team can try and balance their short comings with a good gameplan and hard work which makes the game less one-sided and in that way more exciting.

 

[vwg*]

I couldn't stand watching the Americans trying to play on the bigger ice. They looked pretty lost out there. Most of the Europeans played on the bigger ice before entering the NHL, so they were more used to it. I would have to get used to the bigger ice surface for me to get into the games. Don't get me wrong, I love international hockey, I watched most of the World Cup, but Olympic hockey just didn't do much for me.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Do all-star game teams use the trap ?

Does it make the game exciting ?

All-star game = exciting



People are judging are tourney that is still going on why? The best is yet to come...

 

[jekoh]

All-star game = exciting

My point exactly : it's not exciting despite being all-offense.

 

[Art Vandelay]

My point exactly : it's not exciting despite being all-offense.

Ok, i misunderstood.

Thought you were saying that the Olympics are like the all-star game.

 

[sarge88]

Wow, that's a lot of dislikes for one post. Are you sure you like hockey?

Personally, I love the Olympic playoffs just as much as I love NHL playoffs. I'll take NHL regular season over Olympic preliminaries any day of the week, but playoffs is a whole different story. I was on the edge of my seat for 5 straight hours today, as a hockey fan you can't ask for much more than that.

I didn't even scratch the surface of who I dislike in that post.

I like NHL hockey, not the dull, void of contact, call everything garbage that we've had to endure over the past 2 weeks. (which sadly, is what the NHL is evolving toward)

I do not like watching guys who refuse to play hard for a paycheck in the NHL going all out in the Olympics. Just as many don't like the laissez faire attitude that some the NA players seem to have toward the Olympics. Which is another reason why the pros shouldn't be there.

 

[#66]

I agree that its great and the ice size has something to do with it. The main reason I think that its better is that teams haven't had the chance to be over-coached. Sure the Finns can have a system but it seems more like natural hockey to me rather than having players and teams that are picked apart to death.

 

[sarge88]

Were you watching a re-run of the womens games?

No but I did enjoy the toughness of the women's game in comparison the what the men have shown.

 

[sarge88]

ehh? so you dislike the best players on the four best teams in the world? you are a true hockey fan indeed

Dislike is putting it mildly.

Aside from P.J. Axelsson, none of them play for a team that I care about or have anything invested in.

And the majority of them play for teams that I spend most of the time rooting against.

I just cant understand fans putting aside their feelings about players that they root against for 3 years and then rooting for them for 2 weeks.

I am assuming you are a fan of Sweden. If a Czech player cheap shots your favorite player tomorrow and injures him badly, will you find it easy or difficult to root for the Czech team in the finals?

Will you care who wins at all if Sweden in eliminated?

 

[Bloggins]

I can't wait until Europe finally starts their own International Hockey League, brings home their players and realizes they can't continue to be farmed on their best players by NHL for coffee money.

Fan base. Hockey is not nearly popular enough in most European countries right now that they could fill rinks with fans who are willing to pay top dollar for these stars on a consistant basis. Therefore the stars of Europe will continue to come to the NHL for the big $. And who can blame them? Hockey is by far the number 1 winter sport in Canada, not so in most European countries. In Canada, and many parts of the USA, the arena's are full to capacity with fans throughout the 80+ game season. That's where the money to pay these hockey stars comes from.

Do they stay in Europe and make a decent living, or make the NHL and be a millionaire. I know where I'd be going

 

[artilector]

The only games that have been boring were the ones involving Canada or non-top-7 teams in the prelims. Canada could not skate and could not score, thats why it was boring and could not break the trap. In the other games there was plenty of action, and it was the best players in the world going head to head - you can't beat that.. If you watched Russia's games, 5 of 6 have been fantastic to watch (the exception being the 1-0 against Kaz).

I really don't think we'd be talking about this if US/Canada did not have such an inept outing. Other top teams playing against each have been great to watch. The argument just amounts to "my team can't play well in the Olympics (ice too big, not enough time to gel, bla-bla-blah)". So what - every competition in which US/Canada for some reason is not doing well should be abolished?

 

[sarge88]

The only games that have been boring were the ones involving Canada or non-top-7 teams in the prelims. Canada could not skate and could not score, thats why it was boring and could not break the trap. In the other games there was plenty of action, and it was the best players in the world going head to head - you can't beat that.. If you watched Russia's games, 5 of 6 have been fantastic to watch (the exception being the 1-0 against Kaz).

I really don't think we'd be talking about this if US/Canada did not have such an inept outing. Other top teams playing against each have been great to watch. The argument just amounts to "my team can't play well in the Olympics (ice too big, not enough time to gel, bla-bla-blah)". So what - every competition in which US/Canada for some reason is not doing well should be abolished?

Conversely every competition where Europeans excel is the greatest event in the history of sport?

I don't want Olympic hockey abolished, and I haven't seen much of that talk here but they should be changed. The participation of the pros does nothing for me, personally. I enjoyed it much more when it was an amateur tournament, even when some amteurs could be considered professionals.

The game just isn't all that exciting to some of us. I watched the U.S. and Finland yesterday and was bored to tears. Finland's passive style and the U.S. team's difficulty generating any flow was awful to watch.

Are there stretches where Olympic hockey is good? Probably, but those stretches have been few and far between in the 6 or 7 games that I've watched.

 

[Bloggins]

The only games that have been boring were the ones involving Canada or non-top-7 teams in the prelims. Canada could not skate and could not score, thats why it was boring and could not break the trap. In the other games there was plenty of action, and it was the best players in the world going head to head - you can't beat that.. If you watched Russia's games, 5 of 6 have been fantastic to watch (the exception being the 1-0 against Kaz).

I really don't think we'd be talking about this if US/Canada did not have such an inept outing. Other top teams playing against each have been great to watch. The argument just amounts to "my team can't play well in the Olympics (ice too big, not enough time to gel, bla-bla-blah)". So what - every competition in which US/Canada for some reason is not doing well should be abolished?

I don't think you've been reading any of the threads over the past 18 hours. There has been a mere handful of fans complaining in any way about the Olympics. If you chose to focus your attention on the minority then you're mistaken about the overall attitude.
Your apparent anti-North American attitude, BTW, has also been in the minority. The majority of fans have been gracious in their team's victory and in their team's defeat.

 

[Tuggy]

Give me the NHL over the Olympics anyday. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed watching the hockey so far but I'd rather see my favorite NHL team win the Stanley Cup then Canada win a gold medal.

 

[Corto]

I didn't even scratch the surface of who I dislike in that post.

I like NHL hockey, not the dull, void of contact, call everything garbage that we've had to endure over the past 2 weeks. (which sadly, is what the NHL is evolving toward)

I do not like watching guys who refuse to play hard for a paycheck in the NHL going all out in the Olympics. Just as many don't like the laissez faire attitude that some the NA players seem to have toward the Olympics. Which is another reason why the pros shouldn't be there.

Not a healthy attitude there, mate.

 

[sarge88]

Not a healthy attitude there, mate.

Funny, but that is the same thing fans of NHL teams say about some European NHL'ers.

 

[tony2532]

I found the Olympic hockey very boring so far. Mind you I have mostly seen Canada's games.

It was nothing but trap, trap, trap. It was like watching the NHL 2 years ago.

 

[Kronblom]

Dislike is putting it mildly. Aside from P.J. Axelsson, none of them play for a team that I care about or have anything invested in.

And the majority of them play for teams that I spend most of the time rooting against. I just cant understand fans putting aside their feelings about players that they root against for 3 years and then rooting for them for 2 weeks.

I am assuming you are a fan of Sweden. If a Czech player cheap shots your favorite player tomorrow and injures him badly, will you find it easy or difficult to root for the Czech team in the finals? Will you care who wins at all if Sweden is eliminated?

IF the Czech Republic advance to the final, i would still watch and enjoy the game of hockey. Without cheering for any team. Just as I don´t really care who wins the Stanley Cup, but doesn´t stop me from watching 3-4 NHL-games per week. Basically some games are bad and some games are good, in the Olympics and in the NHL.

As for injuring any favourite player, none of these guys play for my favourite swedish team, I wish they did though. However I can understand that northamerican fans are upset when their NHL-players return injured.