Pre-Game Talk: 2014 Sochi Thread- General Thread

[MonahanTheMan]

**** there is so much wrong with this. Phaneuf shouldn't be anywhere near the team. Doughty? Pietrangelo? WEBER?!?

There is no way current Selke winner and cup champion, as well as best forward of the tournament four years ago Toews is not on the team. Kunitz, Ladd and Lucic all are unworthy considering some of the names still out there. You can't make the argument St. Louis shouldn't play with Stamkos despite chemistry and then have Kunitz make the team because he has chemistry with Crosby.

Then your goaltending is a **** show. Crawford has earned the chance to be #3, not the starter.

Phaneuf is on the team in a physical presence. Say all you want about him, but you can't dispute the fact that he's mean. Doughty is overrated and has been for a while, Pietrangelo was close for me, but I opted for players with better all-around games. Weber is coming off a bad season and I don't think it's a good idea to throw him into a high-stakes situation so soon, even when evaluating past performance.

Toews' skill is inflated because he plays for the Blackhawks. Sure, he is a great player, but there are far better centres that we have at camp. Maybe you could justify including him in a leadership role, but I see little reason otherwise, considering we have centres that do what he does better than he does it. Before you launch into a tirade about two-way game, all the centres we have at camp have excellent two-way games and any deserve to be there.

Kunitz is a great player with a good scoring touch, I see no reason not to include him. Even if he weren't playing with Crosby, he'd be doing very well. Ladd also has great scoring ability. Lucic I put on the team, like Phaneuf, as a physical presence, not to score goals or to be especially defense-oriented.

Lastly the goaltending I knew would rustle peoples' jimmies, but Crawford has just had a great season, and Holtby is very underrated. Smith is Smith, Price is hugely overrated, and there is no way in Hell I would ever want Luongo on any team I'd want to win.

 

[MonahanTheMan]

plus letang and green together

Don't see what's wrong with this, unless you're implying defensive liability. Letang has an excellent defensive game, and Green's is on par with everyone else at this camp.

 

[Anglesmith]

Don't see what's wrong with this, unless you're implying defensive liability. Letang has an excellent defensive game, and Green's is on par with everyone else at this camp.

Popcorn, anyone?

 

[MonahanTheMan]

Popcorn, anyone?

Obviously you can't relay everything about a player in stats, but look at his Corsi numbers. He is a great defensive player.

Regardless, I have him there to provide an offensive boost from the blueline. His defensive game is of little importance to the type of play the coaching is going to want from him.

 

[Lunatik]

For U.S.A., I think this roster is best, again, even if it's not what they're going to play.

Pacioretty - Kane - Kessel
Parise - Stepan - Callahan
Van Riemsdyk - Oshie - Wheeler
Abdelkader - Backes - Okposo

Martin - Suter
Shattenkirk - McDonagh
Yandle - Bogosian

Anderson
Schneider

Yikes, compared to Canada's, this is about as ugly as Godzilla made out of trash... they've got us on goaltending though.

Jonathan Quick isn't going to make team USA?

 

[MonahanTheMan]

Jonathan Quick isn't going to make team USA?

He's really only had one great season, compared to Anderson, who, contrary to popular belief, has had a few, and the same goes for Schneider. Personally I think Quick's overrated, so I left him off my team.

 

[Lunatik]

So let me get this straight.

Letang is good defensively and Anderson is better than Quick.



We are clearly being trolled.

 

[MonahanTheMan]

So let me get this straight.

Letang is good defensively and Anderson is better than Quick.



We are clearly being trolled.

You're not coming up with any substantive arguments. Here, let me provide some intelligence to the conversation.

Letang Relative Corsi stats (limited to above 20 games for 2012-13, above 40 for other seasons)

2012-13: 16.2 (fourth highest on team, best amongst Pittsburgh's defense)
2011-12: 6.4 (seventh highest on team, second amongst Pittsburgh's defense)
2010-11: 9.3 (fifth highest on team, best amongst Pittsburgh's defense)
2009-10: 12.1 (third highest on team, best amongst Pittsburgh's defense)
2008-09: 7.1 (fourth highest on team, second amongst Pittsburgh's defense)
2007-08 (rookie season): 1.8 (10th highest on team, but still 2nd amongst Pittsburgh's defense)

Letang has always been an underrated defensive player, even a great one last year.

Anderson Save Percentage (number of times above .920)
.931 in five games with the Panthers in 2006-07
.935 in 17 games with the Panthers in 2007-08
.924 in 31 games with the Panthers in 2008-09
.939 in 18 games with the Senators in 2010-11
.941 in 24 games with the Senators in 2012-13

Quick Save Percentage (number of times above .920)
.929 in 69 games with the Kings in 2011-12

 

[herashak]

Quick snipped from team usa puuuuuuhleeeeeease. 10/10 good troll

 

[MonahanTheMan]

Quick snipped from team usa puuuuuuhleeeeeease. 10/10 good troll

I'm not saying that's what they'll do, I'm saying that's what I would do if I was coming up with the roster.

Quick is the most overrated goalie in the league. To compound that, nobody can deny that he had a bad year last year. You sure you want a still-recovering goaltender in the hot seat on the world stage for Canada?

Or are you just trying to countertroll by posting ignorantly and ignoring what I've said so far?

 

[Lunatik]

Letang is horrible defensively. No amount of BS stats can change that.

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

Monahan, I will critique your roster when I get home. It's gunna be a long post.



I'll start with Perry. Why the hell do you have Perry on Team Canada? Much less on international ice?

 

[Backlund]

I'm not saying that's what they'll do, I'm saying that's what I would do if I was coming up with the roster.

Quick is the most overrated goalie in the league. To compound that, nobody can deny that he had a bad year last year. You sure you want a still-recovering goaltender in the hot seat on the world stage for Canada?

Or are you just trying to countertroll by posting ignorantly and ignoring what I've said so far?

Too bad your not the one picking USA's team. They may as well hand us gold with that team.

 

[Anglesmith]

Monahan, Corsi numbers speak to the team driving possession while the player is on the ice, as far as I know. With a loaded up team like Pittsburgh, that seems inevitable, especially for a player of Letang's skill. He does not accomplish this number by being sound defensively, but rather by, for the most part, keeping the puck in the offensive end. Having watched the playoffs recently, it's puzzling for people to figure out why you'd your faith in those numbers rather than how he actually plays. Further, you're then advocating that that is the method that those in charge of the team should use when evaluating talent.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Obviously you can't relay everything about a player in stats, but look at his Corsi numbers. He is a great defensive player.

Regardless, I have him there to provide an offensive boost from the blueline. His defensive game is of little importance to the type of play the coaching is going to want from him.

My god. I am seriously questioning whether you have ever seen him play in any capacity. He is consistently one of the most notorious top pairing defenders in terms of defensive lapses. The guy has some real offensive zone skill but to say he is a "great" defensive player is just flat out ridiculous. Don't get mad that people are disagreeing, you are just flat out mistaken on this one.

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

This is the roster I'd personally like to see Canada play, even if it's not the one they'll choose, since they'll doubtlessly go for name recognition over skill (e.g. Toews over Hall).

Kunitz - Crosby - St. Louis
Hall - Stamkos - Giroux
Ladd - Getzlaf - Nash
Lucic - Staal - Perry

Letang - Green
Boyle - Hamhuis
Subban - Phaneuf

Crawford
Holtby

Now I'll just sit back and let the hater ****storm begin...

I'm finally on a computer, so here are my comments on your roster. I'll go line by line on it, as I am highly intrigued by this roster.

Kunitz - Crosby - St. Louis- I understand why you have these players on these lines. Kunitz and Crosby have major chemistry when playing with eachother and st.Louis is a beast at everything he does. However, you have to ask yourself is this: What happens if we replace Tavares with Kunitz? I think Kunitz is a product of Crosby, so why would Tavares work? Tavares is obviously the superior player to Kunitz, so I think having Stamkos, Giroux, Nash, or Tavares over Kunitz is a better idea.

Hall - Stamkos - Giroux- I really like this combination. Nothing wrong here in my opinion. You have speed, skill, defensive awareness, everything.

Ladd - Getzlaf - Nash- The only problem I have with this line is Ladd. I would much rather have Eric Staal than Ladd.

Lucic - Staal - Perry- This is the line that I have a problem with. Perry will be useless on international as he is an awful skater, bad defensively, and is extremely undisciplined. Not a good combo for this type of ice surface. Since you already have Perry and Staal on the same line who are gritty, what's the point of having Lucic? You could easily find a player who is as gritty and has a better scoring touch than him. And I have a really bad feeling about Lucic on big ice.

Also, where is Tavares, Toews, and Bergeron in this lineup? They are easily the better option(s) than Kunitz, Ladd, and Lucic. I'd also have Stamkos paired with St.Louis and Crosby, as there would be so much "umff" on that line. you have skill, defense, speed, and amazing one-timers. Everything you can imagine. Stamkos has some major chemistry with St.Louis, and since they are both Olympic bound, why not put them together?

I don't know where to start for your defensive pairings. You don't have Weber, Doughty, Keith, or even Alex Pietrangelo. These four players are superior to Mike Green, Kris Letang, and Dion Phaneuf. Doughty is as physical as Phaneuf, and is rarely caught out of position, unlike Phaneuf.

And since you say that Kris Letang is "amazing defensively":



Here is an article that provides further explanation:

http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2013/06/05/know-whos-been-awful-kris-letang/

For your goaltenders, I'd have Luongo on the squad as he has some Olympic action, while Crawford and Holtby have not.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

St.Louis - Crosby - Tavares
Staal - Giroux - Stamkos
Hall - Toews - Nash
Sharp - Bergeron - Carter
Marchand

Weber - Doughty
Jbo - Petro
Keith - Seabrook
Subban

Those would be my lines.

 

[MarkGio]

St.Louis - Crosby - Tavares
Staal - Giroux - Stamkos
Hall - Toews - Nash
Sharp - Bergeron - Carter
Marchand

Weber - Doughty
Jbo - Petro
Keith - Seabrook
Subban

Those would be my lines.

Chemistry is important in a short tourney.

I like your blue-line but in terms of forwards I'd rearrange the lines to have something like this:

Giroux - Crosby - Tavares
Staal - Toews - Sharp
Nash - Stamkos - St. Louis
Hall - Bergeron - Carter

I'd actually swap Bergeron with Richards or swap Carter with Marchand

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

I'm don't think putting Giroux with Crosby would be the best idea.

 

[MarkGio]

I'm don't think putting Giroux with Crosby would be the best idea.

Why not? Those are both powerful, speedy scorers and would be tough to defend together. On a big ice I can see the ice-time being spread out quite a bit because guys get tired faster. Lots of line changes so chemistry is very important and the ability to generate things quickly is important.

 

[Anglesmith]

Why not? Those are both powerful, speedy scorers and would be tough to defend together. On a big ice I can see the ice-time being spread out quite a bit because guys get tired faster. Lots of line changes so chemistry is very important and the ability to generate things quickly is important.

Because the latter "just doesn't like" the former.

 

[Pirate King Luffy]

Why not? Those are both powerful, speedy scorers and would be tough to defend together. On a big ice I can see the ice-time being spread out quite a bit because guys get tired faster. Lots of line changes so chemistry is very important and the ability to generate things quickly is important.

I am assuming, because they are both rivals and have a history, I guess. But when it comes to Team Canada, I am sure they would put their differences...(if they have any) aside for a chance at a gold medal.

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

Why not? Those are both powerful, speedy scorers and would be tough to defend together. On a big ice I can see the ice-time being spread out quite a bit because guys get tired faster. Lots of line changes so chemistry is very important and the ability to generate things quickly is important.

Giroux has stated that he doesn't care for Crosby at all. In fact, Crosby broke both of his wrists during the 2012 NHL playoffs. Hopefully they would put their differences aside for Team Canada, but you're never sure!


Honestly, I'm going to take flack for this, but the Olympics is my favorite hockey tournament. I love Olympic hockey, and I honestly get more "pumped" for the Olympics than the NHL.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

G and Stammer actually had some pretty awesome chemistry at the worlds, I think that line with having a guy like Staal would be pretty sick. Size, speed, and all world skill.

And Giroux does hate Crosby. Can't say I blame him. He hacked his stick after every FO 2 years ago in the playoffs, what a little puke. GO Canada GO!!

 

[MarkGio]

Giroux has stated that he doesn't care for Crosby at all. In fact, Crosby broke both of his wrists during the 2012 NHL playoffs. Hopefully they would put their differences aside for Team Canada, but you're never sure!


Honestly, I'm going to take flack for this, but the Olympics is my favorite hockey tournament. I love Olympic hockey, and I honestly get more "pumped" for the Olympics than the NHL.

Those guys are both going to make the team no matter what. Same locker room, same training room, same training videos, etc. I bet they'll have more respect for each other when they win a gold medal!

Its my favorite too. Its like a 10 team all-star game tournament. Best hockey on the planet IMO