I am strangely proud of Russia...

[Slitty]

We all know Russia lost... and despite all arguements of "what if", it was their own fault they lost because they lost their composure because Canada was up a couple of goals on them when they shouldn't have been. (both the disallowed goal and control of play) Its their own fault, Canada also dominated physically and made Russia fearful of using their skill in exchange for getting hammered.


Yet...
This is why I am proud: EVERY single time a Canadian guy touched Malkin no matter how hard or soft, the Russians, despite being unimagineably bad at it, retaliated and stood up for their player. It was actually quite funny to see Emelin or whoever was closest at the time inexpertly take down the Canadian who shoved Malkin or something and get a penalty. It cost Russian dearly as they were perpetually on the penalty kill, yet I was very pleased with how they stuck up for their star and captain.

Oh, and we got the silver medal too by beating the "favourites" , USA.

Click to read more...

 

[Den]

Slitty, you are on a dangerous ground here... There will be a bunch of well-wisher coming now... What you are saying is poetic of course, but I'd rather they stayed away from the box at Malkin's cost

 

[Slitty]

Slitty, you are on a dangerous ground here... There will be a bunch of well-wisher coming now... What you are saying is poetic of course, but I'd rather they stayed away from the box at Malkin's cost

Its bittersweet really, I screamed "why?!" outloud when they did it (took down a player that had just bumped Malkin)... but even though I am sad about the loss, after everything has been said and done I am immensly proud that such an attitude was adopted.

The guys seemed to genuinely adore Malkin.

 

[Slitty]

Two years in a row our boys were blown out in the final now, I really feel for them all... but more so for the fantastic players in Shirokov and Kulemin because despite being two of Russia's best players, they still havent been drafted. Sure Malkin shed more tears than anyone on the ice save Khudobin... but I dont feel for Malkin. He should have played better and he will go on to a glorious career while it was the last chance for the great but vastly underrated guys like Shirokov and Kulemin to showcase themselves. Shirokov is my favourite junior age player now :

 

[Le Golie]

I can't tell for sure, but is that a picture of Shirokov telling the crowd to be quiet?

 

[rulin]

Those photos are nice.

Not because I enjoy seeing the players cry, but because they show that the players cared.

 

[Habs Icing]

Slitty & Den,

There's a saying in English to the effect that pride goes before a fall. And I think that's what happened to the Russian team. They were overly proud of the one facet of hockey where they exceled. But hockey is multifaceted. When the Canadian team was outhustling them and outworking them and outsmarting them and frankly outplaying them their pride couldn't take it so they responded the way they did.

This Russian team reminded me alot of the pre-80 Canadian teams: they (the Canadian teams) thought they were superior to the Russians but lost a lot of the games and would respond with dumb penalties and even dumber plays.

All that arrogant pre-game talk about beating the Canadians and beating them easily spoke volumes. At the time I thought it showed confidence but in hindsight I realize it showed an empty bravado.

The Americans suffered from it too although they were more discreet.

And I honestly hope that the Russian management doesn't adopt the viewpoint taken by many Russian fans on this board: that the victory was stolen from them. That attitude will only bring future failure. They lost to a better team. Once they realize that, they can begin to improve on the weak aspects of their game. And that my friend will be good for Russian and international hockey.

 

[CSKA]

I can't tell for sure, but is that a picture of Shirokov telling the crowd to be quiet?

here we go

 

[RorschachWJK]

I can't tell for sure, but is that a picture of Shirokov telling the crowd to be quiet?

You're my new hero. Can I have your autograph, oh Great One?

 

[Den]

Slitty & Den,

There's a saying in English to the effect that pride goes before a fall. And I think that's what happened to the Russian team. They were overly proud of the one facet of hockey where they exceled. But hockey is multifaceted. When the Canadian team was outhustling them and outworking them and outsmarting them and frankly outplaying them their pride couldn't take it so they responded the way they did.

This Russian team reminded me alot of the pre-80 Canadian teams: they (the Canadian teams) thought they were superior to the Russians but lost a lot of the games and would respond with dumb penalties and even dumber plays.

All that arrogant pre-game talk about beating the Canadians and beating them easily spoke volumes. At the time I thought it showed confidence but in hindsight I realize it showed an empty bravado.

The Americans suffered from it too although they were more discreet.

And I honestly hope that the Russian management doesn't adopt the viewpoint taken by many Russian fans on this board: that the victory was stolen from them. That attitude will only bring future failure. They lost to a better team. Once they realize that, they can begin to improve on the weak aspects of their game. And that my friend will be good for Russian and international hockey.

There's a much more fundamental "problem" with Russian hockey: we usually don't think that hustling is hockey. Nevertheless, somehow, that approach allowed us to be more succesfull against you at juniors.

But in this particular game I think they hustled and hit more than usual, but that didn't pay off. To me Pogee is the decider.

 

[Siberian]

I am proud of team Russia because they were the best team in the tournament, Canada was close second.

I am just reading a lot of comments about the team Russia, and where they lost to Canada and what needs to be changed and other stuff but it is all lyrics. I really do not think Russia should not change anything - this was a highly skilled team, big, strong, balanced.

I still have a feeling that IIHF is just a joke of an organization how it allowed Hockey Canada and Canadian press to manipulate them. Non-sense was the fact that a swedish referee was misteriously replaced by an american one in the last second, and the whole team Russia thought they were refeered by a swede. They only found out 3 hours after the game ended.

This was that type of game, who was going to score first was probably going to win the game. Russia should have been getting two 5 on 3 PP in the first period alone. Both calls against Emelin in the first period were BS, bth times canadians took a dive. The bad officiating was taking the confidence out of Russians and giving it to Canada.

 

[shawn_kemp*]

Slitty, you were promoting the "death to Russia" motto a few days ago! what happened to you?

 

[Kaizer]

Slitty, you were promoting the "death to Russia" motto a few days ago! what happened to you?

He is promoting "death to Crosby" now.

 

[shawn_kemp*]

He is promoting "death to Crosby" now.

Kaizer, you just made me laugh pretty badly!!!

 

[Crossroads*]

I am proud of team Russia because they were the best team in the tournament, Canada was close second.

Gold medal: Canada

Silver medal: Russia.

Ah, it feels good to say it.

Stop your whining.

 

[Siberian]

Stop your whining.

I'm sorry, you must have missed the country wide whining by Canada when they wanted north american referees for team Canada.

 

[Oilerfan120582]

The Russians definitely tried to prove that they could stand up to the Canadians physically, but they did so in an undisciplined manner. The key to playing a physical style of game is controlled aggression, something which the Canadians (while not perfect at it) were much better than the Russians.

Siberian - out of curiousity, how old are you?

 

[Kaizer]

Ah, it feels good to say it.

Stop your whining.

You are the one and only who is whining about posts that you don't like in this thread.

 

[gobolt7]

Enough with the flame wars, anymore will result in thread closure and warnings.

 

[Habs Icing]

There's a much more fundamental "problem" with Russian hockey: we usually don't think that hustling is hockey. Nevertheless, somehow, that approach allowed us to be more succesfull against you at juniors.

But in this particular game I think they hustled and hit more than usual, but that didn't pay off. To me Pogee is the decider.

Den, take a look at the results of the last 10, 15 years the Russian approach has not been more successful. Canada has won more medals (and more gold medals) than Russia.

When Russia started playing Canada on a regular basis in the 70's & on they exposed gaps in the Canadian game. The Canadians adapted and developed their game to another level. Right now the Canadians are exposing gaps in the Russian game. The just need to take correct parts of their game.

 

[Kaizer]

Den, take a look at the results of the last 10, 15 years the Russian approach has not been more successful. Canada has won more medals (and more gold medals) than Russia.

Hmm. I can't even imagine why it happened

 

[SENATOR]

How much Canadians were whining when they thought Russians took their gold medals in the last Olympics in figure skating. Don Cherry bombs irked Russian community to the level, Russian-Canadians people were signing up to remove the bigot from CBC airways. The whining from Canadian media was disgusting to no end.

WJC was fixed big time. First round was a joke. Canada got a warm up time with US at the end. How convenient. Then the murderous officiating by US referee. Why this change was made? How much he got paid by Canadian hockey mafia? How come when the crack down on interference was initiated, then all of a sadden in the gold medal game, Canadian players were allowed to clutch and grab and run interference. Proverbial Canadian BS. Let the kids play. Translation. Let the goons play. Too many questions, no answers. Canadians knew they stood no chance against Russians with Swedish officiating. That’s why American referee never bothered to check up stairs for the good goal The whole WJC was a big joke.

 

[Den]

I can't even imagine why it happened.

Although the inclusion of the last 7 years in the "the last 10,15 years" seems strange to me

 

[NyQuil]

WJC was fixed big time. First round was a joke. Canada got a warm up time with US at the end. How convenient. Then the murderous officiating by US referee. Why this change was made? How much he got paid by Canadian hockey mafia? How come when the crack down on interference was initiated, then all of a sadden in the gold medal game, Canadian players were allowed to clutch and grab and run interference. Proverbial Canadian BS. Let the kids play. Translation. Let the goons play. Too many questions, no answers. Canadians knew they stood no chance against Russians with Swedish officiating. That’s why American referee never bothered to check up stairs for the good goal The whole WJC was a big joke.

Did you know that Elvis is still alive?

Apparently he's working as a baker in Des Moines with Adolf Hitler and Jim Morrison.

 

[Le Golie]

How much Canadians were whining when they thought Russians took their gold medals in the last Olympics in figure skating. Don Cherry bombs irked Russian community to the level, Russian-Canadians people were signing up to remove the bigot from CBC airways. The whining from Canadian media was disgusting to no end.

WJC was fixed big time. First round was a joke. Canada got a warm up time with US at the end. How convenient. Then the murderous officiating by US referee. Why this change was made? How much he got paid by Canadian hockey mafia? How come when the crack down on interference was initiated, then all of a sadden in the gold medal game, Canadian players were allowed to clutch and grab and run interference. Proverbial Canadian BS. Let the kids play. Translation. Let the goons play. Too many questions, no answers. Canadians knew they stood no chance against Russians with Swedish officiating. That’s why American referee never bothered to check up stairs for the good goal The whole WJC was a big joke.

If it was fixed, the Russians were in on it because looking back, they put up a pretty feeble effort. Give it up.