Canada blows it AGAIN!!!

You know I am soooo flippin tired of these Gold medal game losses in the last three years. 2002 we had two 2-goal leads and we lost 5-4. Last year we have a 2-1 lead going into the 3rd. Now we have a 3-1 lead into the third and then Crosby and Getzlaf both miss chances that would have made it 4-1 which would have solidified a gold medal. I'm sorry too say but Fleury played horrible in that 3rd period. It was a disgrace. This was one of Canada's best teams ever and they cough it up like that in the end. It was disgusting. Mario Durocher should have told his boys that a two goal lead is the most dangerous lead to have in Hockey. IF we are the best in the world at Hockey, and no one says we aren't, then how in the hell do we give up 3 unanswered goals. We should have closed the deal off early in the 3rd. Canada is staring to getr very good at crying on the blueline after every Jr. tourney, they are good at that I'll say. I think thisd whole "Relax its just a game" thing has caught up to some people. There was absolutely no urgency to get a fourth goal. They should have been gunning for that. Anyways, we have got to stop losing these Jr. tourneys all of the time in choking fashion. What if this type of thing happens in the World Cup in September? It will be a one game elimination as well. What if Brodeur banks it off of Pronger in a Gold Medal game.

 

Oh, crap I hope something like that doesn't happen at the World Cup. I think we need to be positive and not bring "what ifs" into it.

 

Yeah. And what if I break a nail tonight? What the heck am I going to do?

It's a silver medal. Canada's record remains pretty damn good compared to other nations. Check it out and see for yourself.

Get. Over. It.

 

Well, if you look at the history of the tournament, Canada had a lot of lucky breaks and good fortune on its side.

Things tend to even out and the unfortunate thing for them is that things kind of evened out consecutively as they did. You win some, you lose some - there's certainly no shame in silver, I can tell you that.

 

Congrats to USA, they played an awesome tournement and they were diserving to be up there with Canada. But unfortunatly for them, they didn't won the game, Canada lost it. Canada was dominating and the game was theirs, but lucky goals cost them the victory.

I'm proud of our boys anyway, they played an awesome tournement and they gave us great holydays moment. Congrats to them all and let's hope that next year will be ours.

And btw, it is Canada 6th medal in a row, no bad, hey?

 

Well, I'm just glad they didn't lose to some guy pushing off the net....

 

Were you in Canada's dressing room during the 2nd intermission?

...Didn't think so.

The USA just expressed a huge beef with that notion, didn't they?

Canada isn't by far and wide the best nation in hockey anymore. It's not that we're getting worse, but other nations are getting better.

 

I thought that Canada played in a panic in the 1st and third periods, playing sloppily while trying to bring the play to the US. THe Americans just played steady and patient... I think better coached overall.

 

Look at it this way, in 2005 we won't have Meltdown Fleury in the nets.

 

Yeah, I'm sure Canada was upset with the few great saves he made in this game. He absolutely robbed a guy of a goal.

Team effort, team sport. Novel concept, eh?

 

And if Montoya would have done the same thing as Fleury, Canada would have won because of their valiant effort? Yeah, I guess it's impossible for a team to "beat" Canada, Canada has to "lose" the game for any other team to win.
Sorry, but in the championship game if one team comes back from a 3-1 deficit to win, it's not because of "lucky goals."

Canada let up in the third and got beat, plain and simple.

 

Canada didn't blow it, the USA earned it. They're simply better.

 

Yeah, I remember him costing you each of the past seven years...

 

nebulae is plural.

 

You echoed my sentiments perfectly. The U.S. was the better team today, and came back from two down in the 3rd to claim that title.

 

Agreed. Both teams were even physically but US had the edge mentally and that's what made the difference.

 

Again agreed.

I underestimated the American team. Props to them.

 

The US was a more mature team and I think they were better able to handle their nerves of this important game. I was concerned with the age of Team Canada. But, this team will be more experienced heading into next year and it will only be a matter of time before Canada wins another gold medal. Exhibit patience my fellow Canadians.

Further, many in Canada are being way too harsh on this junior team. Its not unjust for our country to expect perfection but when things don't go as planned, you gotta accept it and move on. It's not worth stressing over something that has happened.

Moreoever, I am really concerned about the morale of our junior players. Yes I think they'll get over this loss but I hope they don't suffer from any emotional scars that could result from such a tough loss. I'm especially worried about Fluery. He was way too hard on himself when he wasn't playing up to standards and I had a gut feeling the stress (lack of confidence) he was enduring would catch up to him and lower his level of play.

You know, believing in yourself is such a funny thing. It's usually fostered under the right circumstances and when a team/player has confidence, it/he/she tends to do better than when lacking it. So, why can't players just always believe in capabilities?

Anywayz, I have digressed. Sorry if you didn't like my philosophical point of view but its a opinion that I hold in high regard.

Oh and btw, Canada is above and beyond the best hockey nation in the world. Look at the recent championships we've won and look at our junior medal streak. As well, note how many awesome young players we have under 22 years old (Nash, Fluery, Horton for instance). Lets also not forget some of the Canadian ties on the US team (O'Sullivan, Parise, Murray). Heck, even O'Sullivan's parents were cheering for Canada! Canada, if its any consolation to those with the sour grapes, is the most influential hockey nation.

 

Yeah, but Fleury had a heck of an assist, eh.

 

Screw this "USA earned this" nonsense. Yes, they did. But when you're up 3-1 heading into the 3rd period and you lose in regulation you blew it, I don't care if it's the South Surrey Eagles facing the '76 Canada Cup team.

The game was Canada's to bury. The USA showed a resilience under pressure to come back that Canada could not match.

 

Your last sentence says it all, which is why the American team EARNED the win. Sure Canada blew it, because they thought 45 minutes of hard play was enough, it wasn't. So, IMO the team who plays a full 60 minutes is the team DESERVING of the win. The American team played with nothing to lose, while the Canadians played to not lose with a two goal lead.

Just because Canada didn't bury the game when they SHOULD have doesn't mean the Americans didn't earn the win.

 

BES, you kind of are saying the same thing both ways. The USA earned it and part of the reason is that they kept working hard and helped make Canada make some mistakes and let up to allow them the win. It is the same thing. The USA earned the win by working hard and making Canada do things that had them blow a lead. Its the same thing to me mate.

The better team won the gold. Today. I feel that USA played better as a team but Canada had more talented players. I have to wonder how a three game series would have looked but that isn't the case here so it don't matter. The better team in this particular tourney won the gold. Canada was great, they lost today.

The team that I would be hating to be a fan of though would be the Russians. Ove had an average tourney and the team didn't look special at all. They got what they deserved for the type of play they showed. Anshankov had a dandy of a tourney though.

 

The USA didn't play a full 60 minutes of hockey. The majority of the second period was controlled by Canada. What made the difference in the game, is that the USA did slightly more damage during their 40-45 minutes of good hockey....and part in thanks to a certain goaltender in a red jersey.

I really don't want to make excuses for Canada and suggest that the USA didn't earn the win, but if Fleury does something else with the puck on that play, we don't know who won the game.

 

It would have only made the score a tie. The way it looked to me, the USA had already gained all of the momentum and play by the time that bit had happened so, while we don't know what would have happened isn't that the same thing that can be said about every goal in every game?

I do agree though that both teams gave thier efforts off and on and that niether played a full 60 mins of brilliant hockey. It just turned out that since both played that way and Fluery made his mistake (s) (i would say) that it left the USA the better team today from my pov and that is what got them the win.

Oh, some have said that it isn't Fluerys fault and that since it is a team game that when Fluery had his mistake(s) that lead to USA goals does that mean that the whole team made mistakes in not scoring more and stopping the USA from scoring to help thier team win? An honest question, not having a piss. I am curious as I would normally agree that since it is a team game that no one player can win or lose it for you but, the goalie seems to be in a position to do exactly that for a team. Win it or lose it by either stellar or mistake filled play. Curious on your opinions.

Cheers mates.

 

Absolutely. And hey, all the better to.

The more diversity and competition there is in world hockey, the better for Canada.

The days when Canada was the be all and end all of hockey with a few odd exceptions were boring. What's being the best, if you barely have to earn it? I'd rather see a whole new batch of nations win the WCJ, see the competition tighten up and then win it once in the next five years, then win every WCJ in the next half-decade by beating a weak field with one or two underdog contenders.

Being the best in sport dominated by one-nation reaks of American inward thinking with such sports as American football and basketball (no offense to the yankees here, but you guys do have a very self-sustained sporting culture).