XXII Olympic Winter Games All Sports, Continued PARALYMPIC GAMES

[The 29th Pick]

They were shutout. How is that Lundqvist's fault?

Goaltenders being blamed for the team not scoring seems to be a theme around here.

see what happens when a goalie cant stick-handle the puck

 

[Uli Hiemer]

luongo and st.louis.

 

[The 29th Pick]

To the point of low scoring in the Olympics and the NHL, I wonder if they're already thinking of making more changes in the game to increase scoring?

 

[Richer's Ghost]

To the point of low scoring in the Olympics and the NHL, I wonder if they're already thinking of making more changes in the game to increase scoring?

Bigger ice surface and get rid of the trapezoid? Maybe call some penalty shots too.

Oh wait...

 

[Camille the Eel]

Olympic Ice Post Mortem

Let's talk about something besides Pete. The moderator can move this or combine it with something else if I'm out of line. But, in no order:

1. I sure am happy the Olympic hockey is done. Very boring. Mostly about as interesting as my local high school hockey.

2. I love seeing no trapezoid. Get rid of the trapezoid in the NHL. The less artificial rules the better. Let them play.

3. Bigger ice is boring ice. Everything to the outside and not really a visible premium on skating either. I like the size of the NHL rinks.

4. A wake up call for USA Hockey. We looked the the NJ Devils. Anemic and without the superior talent - the Alfredson, or Crosby, or even Jamie Benn, or Selanne, ore whomever, necessary to make the plays that count. Now having Ovechkin and Kovalchuck did not in itself do anything for Russia. But with the core group at USA what was needed was more raw talent.

5. USA has not produced a player post Mike Modano of his caliber.

6. Mike Quick is an amazing goalie. Our results would have been worse without him.

7. Finally who knows how this affects now the NHL season resuming. I think it maybe makes the NHL an anticlimax for a while. But probably folks get over it by the playoffs.

 

[SeidoN]

Mike Quick

kay.

 

[sbresistor]

 

[SeidoN]

USA Hockey ‏@usahockey 7m

Phil Kessel was selected by the directorate tonight as the top forward in the 2014 Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament. #TeamUSA #USAHockey

what, no Kunitz?

 

[Uli Hiemer]

I was really impressed with Finland- played great, like a true team despite all their injuries.

 

[The 29th Pick]

Bigger ice surface and get rid of the trapezoid? Maybe call some penalty shots too.

Oh wait...

I thought the bigger ice surface was better for offense...but I guess it doesnt matter that much

they're gonna make the nets/goals bigger soon

 

[Japam]

Trapezoid stays until the second Marty announces retirement. But yeah, seeing the last 2 weeks without it was nice.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

Trapezoid stays until the second Marty announces retirement. But yeah, seeing the last 2 weeks without it was nice.

I would be pissed.

 

[The 29th Pick]

Trapezoid stays until the second Marty announces retirement. But yeah, seeing the last 2 weeks without it was nice.

I would be pissed.

it would be even worse if they remove the trapezoid when (if) Martys signs with another team

 

[NC107*]

Trapezoid stays until the second Marty announces retirement. But yeah, seeing the last 2 weeks without it was nice.

That would be a mistake for the NHL.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

No more NHL players at the Olympics please. I don't care if Russia wins gold every year.

 

[Camille the Eel]

No more NHL players at the Olympics please. I don't care if Russia wins gold every year.

I agree. There's something out of whack about it in the context of the entire event. You've got Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinsky calling ice skating and all of that show and then segue to Doc and Jeremy Roenick and Mike Millbury calling Alex Ovechkin. Something surreal about it all. And diminishing to hockey actually; it felt amateur, looked amateur in the context, took away from the drama of NHL action. Made it look somehow insignificant. Though Canadians might disagree.


Now here's a scenario - baseball becomes a summer olympic sport and A Rod plays for the Dominican Republic.

 

[tr83]

The trapezoid can stay but make it a safe zone. If the goalie comes out of the trapezoid, he's fair game to hit when he has the puck. That'll make them think VERY carefully about playing it.

 

[Mory Schneideur*]

I know I'm repeating myself but these Sochi Olympics were so boring. I can't figure out what the big story is this time around. Last time at least we had team USA vs Canada and the whole Marty/Lou drama. We had Parise vs Crosby. This time around to me it's like they went through the motions a bit. Maybe it's the jetlag and time zone difference?

I don't have any memorable moments from Sochi hockey though.

 

[Camille the Eel]

and bad for the prestige of the NHL actually.

To amplify, when I can switch from Finland vs. Slovakia or the Czech Republic, with a slew of NHL players, to watch a snowboard race or a biathalon - a ladies relay ski-ing and shooting let's say - the NHL is not all that glamorous or all that dramatic.

When you put yourself on the same par as a kind of roller-derby speed skating - the mystique of pro hockey seems slightly diminished.

Let college hockey players and junior do the olympics in the future. That's what the famous miracle on ice was - a couple of guys from BU were the stars.

 

[Japam]

and bad for the prestige of the NHL actually.

To amplify, when I can switch from Finland vs. Slovakia or the Czech Republic, with a slew of NHL players, to watch a snowboard race or a biathalon - a ladies relay ski-ing and shooting let's say - the NHL is not all that glamorous or all that dramatic.

When you put yourself on the same par as a kind of roller-derby speed skating - the mystique of pro hockey seems slightly diminished.

Let college hockey players and junior do the olympics in the future. That's what the famous miracle on ice was - a couple of guys from BU were the stars.

Exactly, I want to see a bunch of young guns playing their hearts out representing their country instead of the USA Penguins led by Hollowman Parise.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

Jagr, Zid, and Patty brought some NJ Devils hockey to the Olympics:

“I thought we were all over the place,” Krejci said, per MetroWest Daily News. “We didn’t even know what we were doing at some points.”

You don’t have to dig very deep to find those that question [Hadamczik's] methods in general, including going back to a seventh place finish at the worlds last year in Stockholm, where players took issue with many of the decisions being made.

He seemed uncertain who to use in shootouts, for one thing, and deferred to veteran players during key games for strategic decisions.

[Jan] Hejda made more pointed comments when he was left off the Olympic team last month, coming out in the Czech press and declaring that Hadamczik barely used a discernible system at all and that the team would have to win on its own.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/...dnt-even-know-what-we-were-doing-at-olympics/

 

[BenedictGomez]

Middle-aged American couple cons way into competing for small island nation at Sochi Olympics.

http://deadspin.com/dominicas-fake-ski-team-scammed-the-olympics-and-the-p-1529973935

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

Middle-aged American couple cons way into competing for small island nation at Sochi Olympics.

http://deadspin.com/dominicas-fake-ski-team-scammed-the-olympics-and-the-p-1529973935

Apparently, from what I read in the paper this morning, Dominica was aware. They have this provision in their laws that allows for foreigners to pay an exorbitant amount of money to become citizens. I have no idea how the qualifying works or how this couple managed to get to the Olympics, but it's a damn shame and hilarious at the same time.

 

[Xegiie]

well olympic games are something special ( only every 4 years!)

i think most players rate these games very high.. if not highest, you are representing your country after all, not just 1 city.
Not allowing best players to play would be a crime.
Congratz to Canada altho it was pretty boring since they were the favorites before games even begun :/

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

It doesn't feel that way to me. For some reason the Olympics have become a diluted event. There's not enough parity for me to care enough. I would much prefer amateurs go out there and represent the country. I don't know why the Olympics just don't do it for me anymore.

But I can see your point.