Olympics: Gdt Canada vs Sweden

[Mestaruus]

Crazy how it changed.. best on best that was 2 gold medal contenders.

I thought Group B was the toughest but Czechs flopped and Swiss and Danes were out in Quarters. Group C has 2 of the 4 teams in Semi's!

3/4 of group C in semis you mean.

Well yes group B was hardest before the tournament certainly. Before the tournament if I was Finland I wouldn't want to swap place with Czech for example. In hindsight group C was pretty good too, with Slovakia being a bit better than many probably expected.

 

[Atas2000]

Canadians as always will whine and bring up the lack of NHLers, but reality is, Sweden played a hell of game.

Congrats Sweden.

We all know the canadian B-Team will beat everybody's A-Team with one arm behind their back on a bad day. And it only took 7 minutes.

I'd rather be a Canadian than an arrogant, condescending American. And best on best its not even close. Canada's B team could beat most. McDavid, Mackinnon, Crosby, Tavares say hello. What other team can start with those 4 down the middle? Go away.

 

[Atas2000]

The Swedes made the most out of the situation. Canada ran out of gas and a stupid mistake would cost them the game. Good game, Sweden. See you in the semis.

 

[Janvonpobben]

Classy.

Cherry has never been classy.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

What was your point exactly? Have I said that Power will be a bad player? I just wrote that Slafkovsky clearly outshone both Power and Berniers. If you take the young Slovaks size and ability to consideration you have to wonder if he would have been even more hyped if he was from NA? I´m just wondering.

I was under impression you weren't just saying Slafkovsky had a better tournament but is the better prospect. I was reminded of how Kakko's steller tournament play shot him up draft boards and it was pretty much 50/50 as to who was better between him and Hughes on this board at the time of the draft. Now I think he clearly is behind Hughes/Seider/Zegras in a redraft so my point was basically we shouldn't overreact to a single tournament, especially one as weird as this one.

With that said I actually really like Slafkovsky as a prospect, and think if he were Canadian as you are wondering he's probably tearing up the CHL and is a top 5 lock if I were to guess, and maybe even a guy some people have at 1 on their board. If Slafkovsky keeps on this trajectory and tears up the WJC (which should happen before the draft I believe) then he could even end up the 1st overall pick still as a Slovakian.

 

[karhukissa]

He is 19 years old, 6 foot 5, 215 pounds, he 's still a puppy out there, yet he logged an awful lot of ice time, he's a horse

Fair enough but people are seriously saying that he's better than Seider or has higher "ceiling". I didn't see anything like that. But he's still a great prospect and i hope he has a great career.

All European top-4 as it should be, Canada's obviously a powerhouse but don't come against top European guys with Ho-Sangs and some juniors and expect anything else than wooden participation medal.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Cherry has never been classy.

Cherry's almost 90.

I think hes seen Canada win a few times. Im sure he'll be ok.

 

[Czechboy]

Fair enough but people are seriously saying that he's better than Seider or has higher "ceiling". I didn't see anything like that. But he's still a great prospect and i hope he has a great career.

All European top-4 as it should be, Canada's obviously a powerhouse but don't come against top European guys with Ho-Sangs and some juniors and expect anything else than wooden participation medal.

They got bronze last non pro Olympics
Been in 5 of the last 6 finals for Skoda Cup
Lost today by 1 goal (and an empty netter) and were tired after 50 minutes

I'd say they are better than a wooden participation medal. The tourney is very close and even. Even match.

 

[Czechboy]

Well I do believe there will be more than one good D from "CzechoSlovakia" these coming years. Jiricek is not the only one with big potential. There is Svozil, Nemec, Strbak, Knazko, Spacek etc. Good for hockey.

I also believe the organization does it's thing on prospects as well. I always liked Vaakanainen, Jokiharju and Laaksonen but they are struggling a bit even if I see big potential in them.
Thomson is a player I don't believe so much in, but he will get his chances in the Senators organization.
I´m a Philly fan and I really hope they will draft Jiricek or Slafkovsky. That says quite much when there are two promising finns in this draft.

I really hope Svozil and Spacek do well.. same with Hamara, Moravec and Krutil.

The other guys don't help Czech hockey at all. They help us much as Power, Dahlin and Heiskanen.

 

[SaltNPeca]

Grats Sweden. You bounced the reigning World Champs, now on to the reigning Olympic champs!

 

[canuck2010]

Fair enough but people are seriously saying that he's better than Seider or has higher "ceiling". I didn't see anything like that. But he's still a great prospect and i hope he has a great career.

All European top-4 as it should be, Canada's obviously a powerhouse but don't come against top European guys with Ho-Sangs and some juniors and expect anything else than wooden participation medal.

Agree with you on the all Europe final. It should be that way. Neither of the North American teams were very good in my opinion and went as far as they deserved. Can't speak for the USA but I would love to know how the Canadian team came together. As you might recall their roster wasn't set until the very end. I wonder if management had trouble finding players.

 

[MeHateHe]

We only care about soccer in Canada now, anyway. Mmm. Sour grapes are the best.

 

[MasterPecno]

No flippin way bro. Look at USA. Slovaks outplayed them the entire game. Bunch of kids (USA had 15 college players) also not a good idea.

Tell you the truth , I’d rather lose with a young fast team then an old slow team

that being said , julien is old style coach , staal as your giro guy ? We were in trouble from the beginning

 

[nhlfan9191]

We all know the canadian B-Team will beat everybody's A-Team with one arm behind their back on a bad day. And it only took 7 minutes.

Canada could’ve sent 30 teams better then the one in that tournament. The Olympics is a joke.

 

[MasterPecno]

Canada was sloooow. I hope julien is nowhere close to the World Cup team. I’m happy it is cooper who prefers fast over defensive and slow

 

[theVladiator]

I was under impression you weren't just saying Slafkovsky had a better tournament but is the better prospect. I was reminded of how Kakko's steller tournament play shot him up draft boards and it was pretty much 50/50 as to who was better between him and Hughes on this board at the time of the draft. Now I think he clearly is behind Hughes/Seider/Zegras in a redraft so my point was basically we shouldn't overreact to a single tournament, especially one as weird as this one.

With that said I actually really like Slafkovsky as a prospect, and think if he were Canadian as you are wondering he's probably tearing up the CHL and is a top 5 lock if I were to guess, and maybe even a guy some people have at 1 on their board. If Slafkovsky keeps on this trajectory and tears up the WJC (which should happen before the draft I believe) then he could even end up the 1st overall pick still as a Slovakian.

A bit off-topic, but I do not think Kakko's #2 draft position was driven by his tournament play. Sure, his surprising success at the WC have driven up the volume on "Kakko number one" narrative here on hfb, but he was comfortably #2 through most of the year on the strength of his Liiga performance. I do not think he ended up "shooting up" the board at all. There are probably much better examples where single tournament success has undeservedly propelled a player higher on the draft board that he should have been, as I certainly do not think Kakko's is a good example of that.

 

[theVladiator]

Canada was sloooow. I hope julien is nowhere close to the World Cup team. I’m happy it is cooper who prefers fast over defensive and slow

Did Julien even make it to China? I thought it was going to be Colliton.

 

[Snowsii]

Canada could’ve sent 30 teams better then the one in that tournament. The Olympics is a joke.

No.. The joke is on chinese qurantine protocols and NHL.. Every league, except NHL let players to come..

 

[Atas2000]

Canada could’ve sent 30 teams better then the one in that tournament. The Olympics is a joke.

The Olympics is the Olympics, whether Canadianbs and their home league decide to stay away or not. If you for whatever reason don't send your best it is your problem. Make up whatever excusse and narratives you like.Nobody cares.

What I care for is though that the US/Canadian league prevents players form other nations from going to the Olympics. For that US and Canada should be banned.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

The Olympics is the Olympics, whether Canadianbs and their home league decide to stay away or not. If you for whatever reason don't send your best it is your problem. Make up whatever excusse and narratives you like.Nobody cares.

What I care for is though that the US/Canadian league prevents players form other nations from going to the Olympics. For that US and Canada should be banned.

Dumb take of the thread right there. Slight irony coming from Russia but we don't need to get into that in this thread lol

 

[nhlfan9191]

The Olympics is the Olympics, whether Canadianbs and their home league decide to stay away or not. If you for whatever reason don't send your best it is your problem. Make up whatever excusse and narratives you like.Nobody cares.

What I care for is though that the US/Canadian league prevents players form other nations from going to the Olympics. For that US and Canada should be banned.

Its not an excuse. It’s just a fact that there’s no feeling of anything on the line in a tournament where you have to send a roster like this. Losing in the quarters should hurt but it really felt like it meant nothing. I do agree somewhat that it is what it is when the NHL doesn’t allow the players to go. Still hard to take it serious.

 

[cg98]

The Olympics is the Olympics, whether Canadianbs and their home league decide to stay away or not. If you for whatever reason don't send your best it is your problem. Make up whatever excusse and narratives you like.Nobody cares.

What I care for is though that the US/Canadian league prevents players form other nations from going to the Olympics. For that US and Canada should be banned.

Lol I've read some pretty horrible takes from you and this is pretty up there for hilariously awful.

 

[Janvonpobben]

Canada could’ve sent 30 teams better then the one in that tournament. The Olympics is a joke.

So could sweden. Your point?

 

[Sempiternal]

Pay for Mason and Owen's flight home and let the others find their own way back.

 

[BMann]

Its not an excuse. It’s just a fact that there’s no feeling of anything on the line in a tournament where you have to send a roster like this. Losing in the quarters should hurt but it really felt like it meant nothing. I do agree somewhat that it is what it is when the NHL doesn’t allow the players to go. Still hard to take it serious.

No one is going to look back in the history books and mark the results with an asterisk. The players who have won the medals will feel wonderful, have great memories of their team mates, representing their nation and will have that to cherish when they are in their old age. There have been several disciplines here where some of the best athletes are also missing but down to injury or illness. That does not diminish the efforts of the medal winners.

What is sad is that the NHL which pretends to proselytize the cause of ice hockey decides that All Star Games are more important than showcasing the sport to the biggest audience possible. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the matches so far and seeing young players like Knies, Slafkovsky and the like.

The players that lost today had a look of disappointment and hurt and those that made it through were delighted. Tells you all you need to know.