Team USA will be good next year, but this year......

[HabLover]

I'm not too sure? Why have they added so many 1986 and 1987 born players with the tourney on home soil? There several talented players born in 1985 that have been left off this roster and who could have provided a better chance of winning for the US. Next year should be good with a number of returnees, but that is then, this is now. I may be wrong here, but just an observation from looking at the roster.

It's also interesting looking at the debates between the selection process of Canada and the USA and how in Canada we are concerned about 19 yr olds(Bernier, Pouliot, Shantz) being left off the roster, but in the US they are arguing over a 17 yr old D-man(Johnson) being left off, who in all reality would probably see very little, if any, icetime. Just an observation on talent and age.

Click to read more...

 

[espo*]

I still think they'll be good and are a favourite.They've got lot's of skill on the team so unless there is some sort of chemistry problem that develops or early adversity they can't recover from i think they should be right there duking it out for the gold.They may have some weaknesses but only maybe..........the defense could turn out to be just fine if they get to play their game.The goaltending would seem to be top notch so i have a hard time thinking they won't be really competitive. I can't wait until the games start.

 

[Crosbyfan]

I'm not too sure? Why have they added so many 1986 and 1987 born players with the tourney on home soil? There several talented players born in 1985 that have been left off this roster and who could have provided a better chance of winning for the US. Next year should be good with a number of returnees, but that is then, this is now. I may be wrong here, but just an observation from looking at the roster.

It's also interesting looking at the debates between the selection process of Canada and the USA and how in Canada we are concerned about 19 yr olds(Bernier, Pouliot, Shantz) being left off the roster, but in the US they are arguing over a 17 yr old D-man(Johnson) being left off, who in all reality would probably see very little, if any, icetime. Just an observation on talent and age.

I was surprised Johnson was left off. A lot of people think he's close to Brule. Maybe if he was a forward of that calibre they would have put him on the roster. A lot of "concern" lately about Brule being left off the Canadian roster in spite of Canada's depth, almost as much as the talk about Bernier.

 

[nomorekids]

i clearly remember last year...no one gave the US a chance..and they won the gold. they're being written off once again as a bunch of scrubs...but honestly, this team is built similarly. parise is gone, but replaced by pineault and schremp, who i think could easily make up for the loss. hensick will be a great addition, as well. the defense is a little thin, but not as weak as they're being made out to be...though it's not like the USA's defense was anything special last year either, outside Stuart and Suter. Guys like Hagemo and Likens and possibly even Lee are being overlooked simply due to the fact that they're not household names at this point. I think the biggest thing going in team USA's favor is the fact that they have the best goaltending by a considerable margin. Montoya gave the USA a chance to win in the gold medal game, long enough for the offense to wake up and take the game back. Talk that he "sucks this year" which I've seen a few times on this board...is ridiculous. I'm not declaring USA the favorite..but I don't think they're as weak as some do, either.

 

[Papa Smurf]

i clearly remember last year...no one gave the US a chance..and they won the gold. they're being written off once again as a bunch of scrubs...

....your kidding, right?

 

[Le Golie]

i clearly remember last year...no one gave the US a chance..and they won the gold. they're being written off once again as a bunch of scrubs...but honestly, this team is built similarly. parise is gone, but replaced by pineault and schremp, who i think could easily make up for the loss. hensick will be a great addition, as well. the defense is a little thin, but not as weak as they're being made out to be...though it's not like the USA's defense was anything special last year either, outside Stuart and Suter. Guys like Hagemo and Likens and possibly even Lee are being overlooked simply due to the fact that they're not household names at this point. I think the biggest thing going in team USA's favor is the fact that they have the best goaltending by a considerable margin. Montoya gave the USA a chance to win in the gold medal game, long enough for the offense to wake up and take the game back. Talk that he "sucks this year" which I've seen a few times on this board...is ridiculous. I'm not declaring USA the favorite..but I don't think they're as weak as some do, either.

I remember the US being considered the favourites last year. Russia and Canada were considered thier biggest challengers.

 

[#66]

I think that the US D is kind of built around the concept of team speed and puck movement. So IMO its a perfect fit. The D is mobile and they should have a good transition game. Maybe someone who has seen Johnson play can confirm but from what I hear his forte is rushing the puck and physical play. These stregths might take him out of position and cramp the US's style.

 

[Hossa]

i clearly remember last year...no one gave the US a chance..and they won the gold. they're being written off once again as a bunch of scrubs...but honestly, this team is built similarly. parise is gone, but replaced by pineault and schremp, who i think could easily make up for the loss. hensick will be a great addition, as well. the defense is a little thin, but not as weak as they're being made out to be...though it's not like the USA's defense was anything special last year either, outside Stuart and Suter. Guys like Hagemo and Likens and possibly even Lee are being overlooked simply due to the fact that they're not household names at this point. I think the biggest thing going in team USA's favor is the fact that they have the best goaltending by a considerable margin. Montoya gave the USA a chance to win in the gold medal game, long enough for the offense to wake up and take the game back. Talk that he "sucks this year" which I've seen a few times on this board...is ridiculous. I'm not declaring USA the favorite..but I don't think they're as weak as some do, either.

Unfortunately, while last year's victory was impressive and a big step in the right direction for the US hockey system, it was by no means some sort of Miracle on Ice Part II. That team was considered to be every bit the contender that Russia and Canada were last year. No one gave Switzerland a chance, or even Sweden for that matter. The US was not in that boat. I think you've glorified the US' victory a bit here.

 

[Crosbyfan]

I remember the US being considered the favourites last year. Russia and Canada were considered thier biggest challengers.

I think he means leading into the final game. The US had become the underdog.

 

[Papa Smurf]

I remember the US being considered the favourites last year. Russia and Canada were considered thier biggest challengers.

They were heavy favorites last year. but for some reason, whenever the US accomplishes something in hockey, people, especially Americans, reffer to it as a Miracle. Why? I have no clue, thats just the way it is I guess.

 

[MrMastodonFarm*]

....your kidding, right?

I hope he is, because if not he is out of his gord.

The USA team last year were a favourite going into the tournament last year.

 

[nomorekids]

I remember the US being considered the favourites last year. Russia and Canada were considered thier biggest challengers.

you couldn't tell it around here.

much like now, posters were picking apart the american roster, pointing out all the reasons they'd fail. realistically..canada was the obvious favorite, but no one AROUND HERE gave the states much of a chance.

 

[Jacob]

I think that the US D is kind of built around the concept of team speed and puck movement.

They tried this formula at the Olympics in 2002, though.

 

[#66]

They tried this formula at the Olympics in 2002, though.

True but I'm hoping that these kids will be more structured than that group or the team from the 04 WC.

 

[Jacob]

Or hopefully Goligoski can singlehandedly carry the team to the gold medal, picking up tournament MVP and the Nobel Peace Prize along the way.

 

[Crosbyfan]

you couldn't tell it around here.

much like now, posters were picking apart the american roster, pointing out all the reasons they'd fail. realistically..canada was the obvious favorite, but no one AROUND HERE gave the states much of a chance.

I think a lot of people "around here" thought Canada would be competitive with their predominately '85 team but not the favourite. That changed going into the final game as Canada dominated up to that point while the US played solidly but did not dominate in the same manner.

 

[Papa Smurf]

I think a lot of people "around here" thought Canada would be competitive with their predominately '85 team but not the favourite. That changed going into the final game as Canada dominated up to that point while the US played solidly but did not dominate in the same manner.

Besides, the US can thank the great All-American player Marc Andre Fleury for giving the USA the winning goal!

(j/k)

 

[#66]

Besides, the US can thank the great All-American player Marc Andre Fleury for giving the USA the winning goal!

(j/k)

And the rest of that team having a pretty awful third.

 

[Papa Smurf]

I think that Canada is in fact the favorites this year. But thats not saying a whole lot because the US and Russia are right up their ally.

I predict a either a Canada/USA final, or a Canada/Russia final.

(USA + Russia are both in the same pool right?)

http://www.nhl.com/onthefly/news/2004/12/222532.html

 

[#66]

Or hopefully Goligoski can singlehandedly carry the team to the gold medal, picking up tournament MVP and the Nobel Peace Prize along the way.

Cure cancer, stop war, and make a video with Paris Hilton.

 

[Genghis Keon]

you couldn't tell it around here.

much like now, posters were picking apart the american roster, pointing out all the reasons they'd fail. realistically..canada was the obvious favorite, but no one AROUND HERE gave the states much of a chance.

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=34506

Pretty much everyone had the US in the top 4, many in the top 2 (at least one Russian had them fifth, though). The general consesus wasn't that Canada was the obvious favourite and the US had no chance. Maybe there are more threads about it, but I only saw one pimping Russia and slandering everyone else, especially Canada.

People also pick apart why Canada will fail and why Russia will fail (and they do it every year). When you're a good team, everybody knows it, so they look for the few weaknesses instead of the obvious strengths. I mean Dubnyk, Nastyuk and co aren't bad goalies by any stretch of the imagination (they are quite good, in fact), but they are seen as weak links that could prevent Canada from winning. Medvedev was seen as Russia's weak link every year he played and he was still good enough to give them a couple titles. USA obviously wasn't perfect last year and they still won. I don't think any team has ever gone into a WJC without being questioned (and that includes Canada when they won it five or so years in a row, without losing a single game through their run). It's what to expect when you're good.

 

[VOB]

No more kids, this was my prediction last year:

Gold-U.S.A. (Its our time!)

Silver-Russia (explosive offense with great goaltending is a lethal mix)

Bronze-Finland (gritty finns always play well above their potential on home ice)

Canada will place fourth. They remind me alot of the U.S. team from last year, great young talent but I emphasize the word young, and this will be their undoing. Just as I predicted the U.S. will be the favorite for the gold medal in the 2004 tournament last year, I will also say the same about the Canadians for the 2005 tourney but the problem is that they will lose alot of 1985 to the NHL.

As you can see, I clearly underestimated the talent of Canada's young players. They did not overachieve, they simply were that good! A few mental lapses in the final period of the final game and some weak goaltending by a "franchise" tender caused them to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Rabid Ranger was correct in stating that Canada is the class of this year's tournament. In my opinion, they are peerless. I believe they will be more dominant in this tournament than the Canadian team was during the recent World Cup. Barring any unforseen circumstances (like a players revolt), they will cruise to the gold medal.

 

[HabLover]

No more kids, this was my prediction last year:

Gold-U.S.A. (Its our time!)

Silver-Russia (explosive offense with great goaltending is a lethal mix)

Bronze-Finland (gritty finns always play well above their potential on home ice)

Canada will place fourth. They remind me alot of the U.S. team from last year, great young talent but I emphasize the word young, and this will be their undoing. Just as I predicted the U.S. will be the favorite for the gold medal in the 2004 tournament last year, I will also say the same about the Canadians for the 2005 tourney but the problem is that they will lose alot of 1985 to the NHL.

As you can see, I clearly underestimated the talent of Canada's young players. They did not overachieve, they simply were that good! A few mental lapses in the final period of the final game and some weak goaltending by a "franchise" tender caused them to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Rabid Ranger was correct in stating that Canada is the class of this year's tournament. In my opinion, they are peerless. I believe they will be more dominant in this tournament than the Canadian team was during the recent World Cup. Barring any unforseen circumstances (like a players revolt), they will cruise to the gold medal.

You may be right and I think alot of people will agree with you, but Canada still has to play the games on the ice and you never know how good some of the European teams will be? Russia will have a few superstars in their lineup, but we'll see how the rest of the team shapes up. The USA could do the same thing Canada did last year and end up in the final game. The biggest difference though is, Team USA's key players will be their 19 yr olds, unlike last year where Canada's best were their 18 yr olds. The USA has a star goalie returning, but so did Canada last year. Canada was very young last year and the USA is pretty young themselves this year. As you stated VOB, Canada should dominate this year as every line they put out is a threat at anytime, but crazier things have happened!

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Personally, the only quibble I have with this team is on the blueline, as I would have preferred Johnson and Lashoff, but in the end, I don't think it's going to make much of a differance. The big criticism of the U.S. team last year remains: too small, and will get beaten down in all three zones. Guess what? That didn't happen! The skating and puck moving ability of the American team enabled it to nuetralize to a certain extent larger opponents, including Canada. I think it's possible that can happen this year as well. It's not like last year's team had many bangers anyway, with the exception of Stuart. Add in the best goaltending in the tournament and a lethal offense, and the U.S. can't be counted out. I maintain Canada is the favorite, but the U.S. isn't as far behind as some are suggesting.

 

[X-SHARKIE]

I think Drew Stafford well especially need to step up and perform very well. Ryan Kesler did a hell of a job bringing a physical and mature game on the top two lines. Dowell well crash and bang but he doesn't have the skill Stafford does.

Defensively i'm a bit puzzled with the selections. I thought of Jack Johnson as a lock, I mean he's actually impressing me more this year then Suter did two years ago! Same with Matt Lashoff, this guy was extremely impressive last year and his numbers are excellent this year! It's a shame.

Brian Lee is a wildcard though, Jeff Likens ...if he was two inches taller would've been a mid round pick in 04, extremely competive and has some skill.

Overall I think you underate the Americans if you say were looking ahead to much.

I actually think for example, a kid like Phill Kessel well produce very good numbers.