OT: 2014 Winter Olympics Sochi: Part II

[bohlmeister]

Exactly, look at the score.

This also doesn't explain why pretty much every game I tried to watch I got excited about it prior to the game, but then just stopped watching and did other things while half heartedly listening.

I even was planning on watching the gold medal game, but accidentally saw who won when I was about to click the replay link, and instead of being upset I was happy I opened up a couple hours in my day. It was boring hockey no matter what the time left on the clock was.

I don't really know what to tell you. The teams executed game plans that gave them the best chance at winning. Entertaining the fans really has nothing to do with it. They are there to win medals, not entertain you.

 

[Foppa2118]

I don't really know what to tell you. The teams executed game plans that gave them the best chance at winning. Entertaining the fans really has nothing to do with it. They are there to win medals, not entertain you.

Well that wasn't really my point now was it. I said it was boring hockey, and that I hope they go to the smaller ice surface where they don't have to play trapping defensive hockey to win. You said it was only boring because it was 1-0 late in the game which isn't true since most of the games were the same all the way through.

Canada has just as good a chance if not better to play their usual style on the smaller ice surface, you don't have to stick up for them winning. I wasn't cheapening their win by blaming it on boring hockey. That's just how you have to play on the bigger ice to be successful.

 

[bohlmeister]

Well that wasn't really my point now was it. I said it was boring hockey, and that I hope they go to the smaller ice surface where they don't have to play trapping defensive hockey to win. You said it was only boring because it was 1-0 late in the game which isn't true since most of the games were the same all the way through.

Canada has just as good a chance if not better to play their usual style on the smaller ice surface, you don't have to stick up for them winning. I wasn't cheapening their win by blaming it on boring hockey. That's just how you have to play on the bigger ice to be successful.

Oh OK. Sorry. I misunderstood then.

The big ice is definitely worse, and makes the games more boring. No debate there. I thought that the USA and Sweden games were much faster paced then the rest I watched throughout the tournament. USA Russia was a good game as well. For the most part though, I agree that it was not good hockey.

 

[InjuredChoker]

i didn't find the hockey boring at all. i don't find low scoring games boring, just because they are low scoring. blues-kings series last year. just awesome one.

iirc, the 2 canadians at the far out were just coming off change. most of the time, canada played defense by dominating possession. and when they lost it, they fought like maniacs to get it back. i don't find games like that boring at all, it's just the low event ones for me.

hockey wasn't as awesome on big ice as it was in vancouver but i still enjoyed it. i'm used to big ice hockey though.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Most of the games were good until a team got a two goal lead and then it was just teams holding on. I don't find low scoring games boring either, just depends on the action. What a lot of the games lacked was drama. There were a few like Russia-US and who can forget how the women's gold medal game ended. Not a lot of upsets either. I had fun watching the Olympics, I loved watching our guys play and especially against eachother. I saw every game they played in.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

i didn't find the hockey boring at all. i don't find low scoring games boring, just because they are low scoring. blues-kings series last year. just awesome one.

There's no point comparing it to the Blues/Kings because the intensity wasn't close. These weren't just low scoring games, there were minimal scoring chances in most of them too. It wasn't entertaining.

So glad the NHL is back.

 

[InjuredChoker]

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle 39 min
Carlyle says he wants his players to look at how Canada won in Sochi and realize that "defence does win."

glad we have roy.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

No he hasn't. He's always got at least one forechecker pressuring the puck carrier and another in the neutral zone. Even when they're protecting the lead he's got a forechecker.

Yeah you're right. When a team is about to enter our zone we have a man forechecking. That makes a lot of sense.??
Sure our system involves forechecking in the offensive zone when we are playing agressive. But I have seen many times this year where the Avs are protecting a lead late in the game and coming back have five men across the line just like you see here. You can be bored all you want but it's how you win hockey games.

 

[CrimsonPuma*]

glad we have roy.

Defense wins with you have 6 #1 defenders... and a team of all stars who bought into a defensive scheme...

 

[Foppa2118]

Yeah you're right. When a team is about to enter our zone we have a man forechecking. That makes a lot of sense.??
Sure our system involves forechecking in the offensive zone when we are playing agressive. But I have seen many times this year where the Avs are protecting a lead late in the game and coming back have five men across the line just like you see here. You can be bored all you want but it's how you win hockey games.

You don't really have any idea what you're talking about at this point, you're just trying to be argumentative because you think I'm slighting Canada.

Roy always has one or two skaters pressuring the puck carrier and if they're trapping it's in the neutral zone with a skater up high forcing the pass to the area they want to trap. Never all five stacked at the blueline, you're absolutely incorrect.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

You don't really have any idea what you're talking about at this point, you're just trying to be argumentative because you think I'm slighting Canada.

Roy always has one or two skaters pressuring the puck carrier and if they're trapping it's in the neutral zone with a skater up high forcing the pass to the area they want to trap. Never all five stacked at the blueline, you're absolutely incorrect.

I have no idea what i'm talking about? I never said a thing about Canada? Canada just won the olympics. I don't think there's anything some opinionated internet poster could say that would make me upset about my country for hockey. You showed a picture very similar to screenshots i've seen this year. I remember one time for certain thsi year the guys on Altitude froze the screen on 5 guys across the line. Another time it was another group of intermission guys from an away feed who did the same thing to show our players. Like I said, Roy often plays agressive but he has also played passive too. I've seen 2 frozen moments on TV of this and I also witnessed it during some live play. Maybe you never saw those few moments that it had happened but don't tell me i'm absolutely incorrect when it's something i've seen.

 

[Foppa2118]

I have no idea what i'm talking about? I never said a thing about Canada? Canada just won the olympics. I don't think there's anything some opinionated internet poster could say that would make me upset about my country for hockey. You showed a picture very similar to screenshots i've seen this year. I remember one time for certain thsi year the guys on Altitude froze the screen on 5 guys across the line. Another time it was another group of intermission guys from an away feed who did the same thing to show our players. Like I said, Roy often plays agressive but he has also played passive too. I've seen 2 frozen moments on TV of this and I also witnessed it during some live play. Maybe you never saw those few moments that it had happened but don't tell me i'm absolutely incorrect when it's something i've seen.

You remember one time they froze the screen and had guys sitting back instead of pressuring the play and the puck? I remember seeing that on the majority of the shifts in the Olympics. It's not the same, and it's not a tactic that Roy employs.

 

[Nihiliste]

I agree that I find big ice hockey boring. I still loved it for watching a quality of execution that isn't possible given the limited personnel each team has in the NHL. I would prefer small ice next olympics but I doubt the IIHF would be interested.

 

[Foppa2118]

I agree that I find big ice hockey boring. I still loved it for watching a quality of execution that isn't possible given the limited personnel each team has in the NHL. I would prefer small ice next olympics but I doubt the IIHF would be interested.

It's definitely commendable how Canada was able to dominate the games that matter against the medal contenders by sticking to a gameplan.

It makes me want to give most of the credit to the coaching staff and the video scouts rather than the players though. The players get credit for sticking to the system and being naturally talented, but I'd rather they get credit for displaying that talent more and executing offensively like they did in 2010.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

You remember one time they froze the screen and had guys sitting back instead of pressuring the play and the puck? I remember seeing that on the majority of the shifts in the Olympics. It's not the same, and it's not a tactic that Roy employs.

I remember them freezing the screen once on Altitude yes, but I have seen it live more than that. When Roy plays passive this exact picture can be seen a lot. Just like a lot of other NHL teams.

Smaller ice is certainly more fun to watch but 5 across the line is something you will see regardless. Maybe not as much but it's a defending style that works and will continue to be used in the NHL. It's actually been used a lot more in recent years which proves coaches are finding success with it.

 

[Avs71]

It's definitely commendable how Canada was able to dominate the games that matter against the medal contenders by sticking to a gameplan.

It makes me want to give most of the credit to the coaching staff and the video scouts rather than the players though. The players get credit for sticking to the system and being naturally talented, but I'd rather they get credit for displaying that talent more and executing offensively like they did in 2010.

Babcock had mentioned how he had no idea how to win on the big ice and that is why they brought Ralph Krueger in. Pretty smart call. Nice to see a top coach admit he doesn't know it all too, and actually look for help as opposed to blindly leading his team into one of the biggest tournaments.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

There's no point comparing it to the Blues/Kings because the intensity wasn't close. These weren't just low scoring games, there were minimal scoring chances in most of them too. It wasn't entertaining.

So glad the NHL is back.

In the Canadian games the scoring chances were minimal for the teams they played. Except for the Finland game where they played the 6 goalie scheme, Canada must have had around 20-30 scoring chances a game. They were that dominate in the offensive zone.