Sharks Olympians 2014: Marleau/Vlasic-Canada, Niemi-Finland, Pavelski-USA

[Grave]

Wouldn't surprise me if nobody got on, Team Canada is more or less a popularity contest.

 

[MechaMarleau]

I lean slightly the other way when it comes to Thornton/Marleau/Boyle mainly cause they've all already got gold medals and are older and could probably use the weeks of recoup in the middle of the season. I won't be upset if they do go of course and it would be a great for them again i'm sure, but I would almost rather they not.

I think this is solved by none of them having a good shot. I thought Marleau would own on international ice even at 34, but Team Canada wants nothing to do with him.

 

[deekortiz3]

Might be a dumb question but... what position would Burns most likely play if selected?

 

[Barrie22]

Might be a dumb question but... what position would Burns most likely play if selected?

Winger, canada is not that deep at wing. But then again all the center depth canada has can easily be turned into wingers without making the team worse.

And burns is also a big commodity to have in an event a player gets hurt in sochi. He is one of only a handful of players that can basically play every skater position if needed.

 

[freddypuck]

Might be a dumb question but... what position would Burns most likely play if selected?

you know what Forward , i would see him on that team..

 

[LeeIFBB]

Couture getting snubbed would probably provide a nice bump to his game.

 

[magic school bus]

Couture getting snubbed would probably provide a nice bump to his game.

 

[nabbyfan]

If he keeps it up, I don't see how Team Canada could pass on Marleau. His game is extremely well suited for international ice, and he has veteran experience plus a gold medal. If I was picking the team, I would want Marleau and Vlasic there. Neither of them are big enough names to make it though.... They'll pick some over rated defenseman and leave Marleau and Pickles at home.

Pavelski is a lock for USA, and Niemi has certainly played his way into contention to get some minutes for Finland. I hope they don't all get selected though even though it's cool to see our guys represent their country, That's a lot of extra hockey if this team is going to make a deep run.

 

[SJeasy]

I think this is solved by none of them having a good shot. I thought Marleau would own on international ice even at 34, but Team Canada wants nothing to do with him.

There was a rumor that he asked not to be invited. I wouldn't call it an all out snub.

 

[nabbyfan]

There was a rumor that he asked not to be invited. I wouldn't call it an all out snub.

Do you happen to have a link or something for that rumor? Just seems surprising given how proud he seemed to be playing in Vancouver. Maybe he decided he needs the rest/time with family during the break.

 

[RexFeral]

Do you happen to have a link or something for that rumor? Just seems surprising given how proud he seemed to be playing in Vancouver. Maybe he decided he needs the rest/time with family during the break.

Maybe he doesn't want to go to Russia in protest of their hatred of gays?

 

[nabbyfan]

Maybe he doesn't want to go to Russia in protest of their hatred of gays?

Doubt that. Thorntons been in the ads for You can Play, and was invited to the camp... Just didn't go because of some family thing IIRC.

And not all Russian people hate gay people just because their government made some stupid laws.

 

[WestCoast]

This got me thinking how under the radar awesome Brent Burns has become, he is probably the best power forward in the NHL now and brings so much speed and tenacity. He would be awesome on one of the lower lines for Canada.

 

[RexFeral]

Doubt that. Thorntons been in the ads for You can Play, and was invited to the camp... Just didn't go because of some family thing IIRC.

And not all Russian people hate gay people just because their government made some stupid laws.

I meant that it would be in protest to the government not the people.

 

[Leidi J]

Some really complimentary quotes from Mike Babcock re: Couture and Marleau after the Wings game.

I don't think Patty/Cooch/Pickles are as much of long shots for team canada as the majority of uninformed fans on this site who never watch the sharks would lead the masses to believe...

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Some really complimentary quotes from Mike Babcock re: Couture and Marleau after the Wings game.

I don't think Patty/Cooch/Pickles are as much of long shots for team canada as the majority of uninformed fans on this site who never watch the sharks would lead the masses to believe...

Its all about what direction Team Canada wants to go.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Some really complimentary quotes from Mike Babcock re: Couture and Marleau after the Wings game.

I don't think Patty/Cooch/Pickles are as much of long shots for team canada as the majority of uninformed fans on this site who never watch the sharks would lead the masses to believe...

Links?

 

[Leidi J]

Links?

I live in Michigan so I believe it was an interview with whoever their postgame reporter is here.

The reporter asked him if the ice was crowded and if that's what he expected coming into this game or something. He said that both teams checked well and then brought up that Couture and Marleau and Kennedy did a real good job going head to head against Dasyuk and Zetterberg. Also mentioned that he thought his 3rd line (2nd? The Weiss line) played well against our 3rd line and the rest was pretty even.

Or something...

It seemed to me that he was inferring that the Couture line outplayed their top line (or at least neutralized it), their 3rd outplayed ours, and the rest was a draw. I dunno... it was two days ago lol but that was the impression I took away from it at the time.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I live in Michigan so I believe it was an interview with whoever their postgame reporter is here.

The reporter asked him if the ice was crowded and if that's what he expected coming into this game or something. He said that both teams checked well and then brought up that Couture and Marleau and Kennedy did a real good job going head to head against Dasyuk and Zetterberg. Also mentioned that he thought his 3rd line (2nd? The Weiss line) played well against our 3rd line and the rest was pretty even.

Or something...

It seemed to me that he was inferring that the Couture line outplayed their top line (or at least neutralized it), their 3rd outplayed ours, and the rest was a draw. I dunno... it was two days ago lol but that was the impression I took away from it at the time.

Oh okay, gotcha. I'll take your word for it.

 

[Leidi J]

Oh okay, gotcha. I'll take your word for it.

LOL I mean he wasn't gushing or anything haha. Babcock doesn't generally say much. Which I guess is why it struck me that he mentioned/complimented them specifically without being asked when I heard it. Plus, I think he's seen plenty of them and Vlasic over the past several years and considering the success the sharks have had, it wouldn't surprise me if Babcock thought highly of them anyways

 

[FrizzleFry22]

Links?

http://video.redwings.nhl.com/videocenter/
October 21
MFCU Post Game Babcock


That might be what hes talking about.

 

[Juxtaposer]

http://video.redwings.nhl.com/videocenter/
October 21
MFCU Post Game Babcock


That might be what hes talking about.

Yep, that would be it. Thanks dude.

 

[Squeeven]

I personally think Niemi should be Finland's starting goaltender with Rask as the backup or they should at least be alternating with Rinne as the 3rd man. But I can't ****ing stand how underrated Niemi is on this site, he gets no credit for what he does on this team, its ridiculous. This poll pissed me off a bit: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?p=73206573&posted=1#post73206573 there was another poll between Nemo and Lehtonen and Lehtonen was winning by almost 10 votes which is stupid.

 

[Leidi J]

Really good article about Pavelski emerging as USA's best choice to center their top line in Sochi... quotes from Pavs and Tmac as well as really nice things from USA Hockey's Jim Johannson:

"People talk about hockey sense, and that's what Joe is about," said USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson. "He's always in the right place at the right time."

"If you play Pavelski at center, he makes the guys around him better," Johannson said. "If you play him on the wing, he makes the line better."

Although it's early, the Americans would appear to be better with Pavelski as top center. "He always seems to get points at critical times in the game," Johannson said

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...hockey-tracker-team-usa-joe-pavelski/3158421/

 

[Leidi J]

Also, another compliment from Babcock re: Couture that I found:

"Their team's changed," Babcock said Monday morning. "Couture, in my opinion, has basically taken over as their No. 1 centre."

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-s...r-makes-a-case-to-make-canada-s-olympic-team/

Which... we probably could have guessed was his opinion considering he matched Datsyuk/Zetterberg against his line.