The Panther
Registered User
This tournament was mentioned in another thread, and I happened to take a quick look at the results, which seem a bit odd.
Wiki summarizes it here: 1990 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships
Canada, Sweden, and the Soviets were all dominant in the first round. Canada was the only undefeated club. Sweden lost only to Canada in a pretty close game. The Soviet Union lost once to Sweden.
Norway and Germany got pounded on, as might be expected at this point in hockey history.
What is up with the USA here? Here are their first four games, all losses:
1 - 7 to Czechoslovakia
3 - 6 to Canada
1 - 10 (yikes!) to the Soviet Union
1 - 6 to Sweden
In the US's first four games, they were outscored 29 to 6!! I realize c.1990 isn't necessarily a high point in US hockey prime-era players, but we're in between the 1980 Miracle and the 1996 World Cup. Who was on this roster? Were they missing a lot of key players? After this horribad start, the US did win three straight games, but over the weaker teams only.
Canada's results are weird, too. Undefeated, as noted, in the first round. This includes a 3-3 tie with the Soviets, the only game Canada didn't win. Then, in the final round, Canada suddenly loses all three games, being outscored 16 to 7:
2 - 3 to the Czechs
1 - 7 to the Soviets
4 - 6 to Sweden
What happened here??
Also, after beating the USSR earlier, Sweden lost to them in the final round, and then managed only to tie the Czechs. After this downfall, the Swedes then beat reeling Canada to secure 2nd place.
By the way, the scoring leaders in the whole tournament were:
- Yzerman
- Khomutov
- K. Nilsson
- Reichel
- Loob
I don't see the boxscores or even the rosters of these clubs, so I don't know exactly who was on each team. Anyone have it?
Anyway, why was the USA so God-awful to begin, and why did Canada lay down like a farm-girl on prom night in the final round?
Wiki summarizes it here: 1990 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships
Canada, Sweden, and the Soviets were all dominant in the first round. Canada was the only undefeated club. Sweden lost only to Canada in a pretty close game. The Soviet Union lost once to Sweden.
Norway and Germany got pounded on, as might be expected at this point in hockey history.
What is up with the USA here? Here are their first four games, all losses:
1 - 7 to Czechoslovakia
3 - 6 to Canada
1 - 10 (yikes!) to the Soviet Union
1 - 6 to Sweden
In the US's first four games, they were outscored 29 to 6!! I realize c.1990 isn't necessarily a high point in US hockey prime-era players, but we're in between the 1980 Miracle and the 1996 World Cup. Who was on this roster? Were they missing a lot of key players? After this horribad start, the US did win three straight games, but over the weaker teams only.
Canada's results are weird, too. Undefeated, as noted, in the first round. This includes a 3-3 tie with the Soviets, the only game Canada didn't win. Then, in the final round, Canada suddenly loses all three games, being outscored 16 to 7:
2 - 3 to the Czechs
1 - 7 to the Soviets
4 - 6 to Sweden
What happened here??
Also, after beating the USSR earlier, Sweden lost to them in the final round, and then managed only to tie the Czechs. After this downfall, the Swedes then beat reeling Canada to secure 2nd place.
By the way, the scoring leaders in the whole tournament were:
- Yzerman
- Khomutov
- K. Nilsson
- Reichel
- Loob
I don't see the boxscores or even the rosters of these clubs, so I don't know exactly who was on each team. Anyone have it?
Anyway, why was the USA so God-awful to begin, and why did Canada lay down like a farm-girl on prom night in the final round?