End of Line
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and why would we want to see that? As far as I am concerned the worse they play the happier I am
Oh I agree, I just want to see Geno perform well. The rest of Russia? Eh who cares.
GDT: Olympic Hockey part II (US Finishes 2nd, Advances to Quarterfinals)
- Thread starter ColePens
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Oh I agree, I just want to see Geno perform well. The rest of Russia? Eh who cares.
UnrealMachine
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not sure about the relative merits of Babcock, but will say that whomever coaches canada shouldn't get too much credit for rolling four lines with that much talent available.
#66
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Malkin/ Tarasenko would be awesome to watch. IMO they're games are made to play off one another.
A lot of those guys are used to playing somewhere between 20-25 minutes. Playing only 15 minutes makes them less effective, which is why Team Canada is having a hard time finding the back of the net. What Babcock should start doing is leaning on who he think are his 9 best forwards. Give them more ice time and allow them to find some continuity.
His head probably wouldn't be so fat too if he played here. Probably the first thing Kadar would work with him on.
Definitely . . . because you know what the Pens think of their fat, out of shape player.
The last 2-3 weeks have been as good a run of two way hockey as I've seen from Geno since the 2009 playoffs. Oh, he scored a bunch of points in 2011-2012, but he's just everywhere . . . first in, first back, a bull on the puck, etc.
I've got to add this: Ovechkin is the single most overrated 'elite' player in the league, and it's not even close. He doesn't backcheck. He turns over the puck left and right. He has ZERO on ice awareness for where the other team's players are and where his own guys are. And, the guy literally BAILS on forechecking (watch him tonight . . . he'll be closest and just lay back for Malkin to do the work for him).
Ovechkin does one thing . . . and I'll be the first to admit he does it well. He's got that wonderful one motion curl and drag shot.
But, that's ******* it. And, Russia is neutralizing its greatest asset to placate that one trick pony.
I never thought that I'd see anything dumber than Iginla on Malkin and Neal's LW when it came to how Malkin is used. I stand corrected.
LOL, I said that before the Olympics.
Let Geno do his thing instead of feeding the one trick pony.
DegenX
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Ovechkin is the face of the Sochi Olympics ... dude's mug is on everything. And while, personally, I think that's the stuff of nightmares, you have to wonder just how much freedom Bil has as a coach. At some point, though, one would think that medaling on your home soil would take precedence.
But, I'd love to see Malkin with Kulemin and Tarasenko.
Kule-Anisimov-Tarasenko has played like a true checking line and got the better of its matchups in the US game.
Kule got a shift with Malkin and Semin last game. Kule did what I expected. Got the puck for Geno, looked for Geno, and the line generated a prime chance.
1. Ovechkin is a dog. He really is. I'm sorry, but I'll knock JJ because he's not a fit for Malkin and Neal, but it's not as if the guy doesn't try anyway. ******* Ovi doesn't try. Doesn't work. Bails on forechecks. Barely plays defense. Backchecks like backchecking is a communicable disease. Loses a lot of board battles and turns over the puck a lot. Total tunnel vision. Really, the guy is a one trick pony. That he's EVER mentioned in the same sentence as guys like Sid and Geno (or even Toews or Stamkos) is a joke.
2. I cannot imagine that Bill didn't have the 'freedom' to put Malkin on the top PP. Ovechkin being in a prominent role is a given. Wasting Malkin as part of the equation is Bill's choice.
3. Kule-Geno-Tarasenko would've been awesome. Popov replacing Semin helps, because Popov works, meaning instead of having to do all the work for that useless piece of **** and Chance the Hockey Player, Geno now has someone helping him do the work for that useless piece of ****.
Tell us how you really feel Kirk.
Ovi's been like that for a long time. But all he needs is one chance to score. Not too many of them in the world.
Nah, I always knew he didn't play defense and about the issues that always have been there.
But, watch him on the forecheck. He literally bails on going in. His on ice awareness is ****. He turns himself into trouble and never looks for his linemates (I knew he was a shooter, but I didn't know it was tunnel vision like this). And, he loses board battles more frequently than Brandon Sutter.
As I said, I knew he was lazy and didn't play defense. But, he's a glorified Brett Hull. And to hear his name uttered among the best in the league . . .
mpp9
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Nah, I always knew he didn't play defense and about the issues that always have been there.
But, watch him on the forecheck. He literally bails on going in. His on ice awareness is ****. He turns himself into trouble and never looks for his linemates (I knew he was a shooter, but I didn't know it was tunnel vision like this). And, he loses board battles more frequently than Brandon Sutter.
As I said, I knew he was lazy and didn't play defense. But, he's a glorified Brett Hull. And to hear his name uttered among the best in the league . . .
I think he knows he's not anywhere near the best in the world anymore. Only reason people put him in that tier is b/c of his shot. Probably has just accepted it and floats for the most part now. Relying on his one trick. A damn good trick it is.
Scandale du Jour
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Nah, I always knew he didn't play defense and about the issues that always have been there.
But, watch him on the forecheck. He literally bails on going in. His on ice awareness is ****. He turns himself into trouble and never looks for his linemates (I knew he was a shooter, but I didn't know it was tunnel vision like this). And, he loses board battles more frequently than Brandon Sutter.
As I said, I knew he was lazy and didn't play defense. But, he's a glorified Brett Hull. And to hear his name uttered among the best in the league . . .
He was never good defensively, but he literally doesn't move from his spot when the other team is in the offensive zone. It really is incredible how far he's fallen. The first 5 years of his career he was possibly the best ever at gaining the zone with the puck all by himself. I thought he would fall to a 90 point player when he was about 27, but all OV has left now is his release.
billybudd
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To me, he looks like he locked himself in a hotel room in 2008 and has been drinking nonstop since then.
tinkezione
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If Russia allows for Norway to hang around, they're up for a great upset exit already today. It's disgusting how such a top-talented team plays individual effort pond hockey. And yeah, **** Ovechkin. He's been an absolute non-factor and it's a shame players like Malkin, Datsyuk and Tarasenko have to play with bunch of tools like Ovechkin, Kovalchuk and Radulov.
Team Russia seems to have a clear hierarchy, Kovalchuck and Radulov getting close to 1.5 minutes each PP while Malkin gets the last 30 or so seconds is lunacy.
It's a damn shame watching a talented team like that leave it all to the likes of Kovy and Radulov..
It's a damn shame watching a talented team like that leave it all to the likes of Kovy and Radulov..
Agreed. Absolutely.
Problem is when Malkin completely compromises his game and plays away from his strengths so the pony can keep getting to try his trick, it's counterproductive.
IMO, if you'd just switch Anisimov and Malkin, playing Malkin with Kulemin and Tarasenko, then those three would tear it up because you'd be letting Malkin play to his strengths.
It shouldn't matter where Ovechkin is most comfortable. Malkin is Russia's best weapon, and they're using Ovechkin on his wing to neutralize it far better than any other team could.
It's like Iginla on Malkin's LW last year. His inability to cleanly take a pass on the LW and forecheck was invaluable for Boston.
Sorry, replied above before I saw this follow up post from you.
I actually think Datsyuk with Kovalchuk and Radulov works for Datsyuk, although it would work a lot better if Kovalchuk were the NJ version rather than the Atlanta version these days.
That's what it is. I saw a few pucks dumped back into the offensive zone on a failed clear on Ovi's side. He's literally at the dot as the other team's guy is going to retrieve. He'll have a chance at it, and he just sits there and let's Malkin try to go get it, even though Malkin has started back in case the clear was good. Absolutely comical.
The other thing that stand out are how piss poor his vision is out there. He gets the puck, and it's like there's only one thought. Forget that Malkin is perfectly positioned to complete a give and go or that Semin is wide open coming late. Gotta telegraph that shot, even if a guy is there to block it and someone else is in position because, you know, once every two or three games, it's going to go in. And, on another level, it's interesting how, when he doesn't shoot, he keeps skating himself into trouble and turnovers, as if he lacks any awareness for how the play from the other team is developing too.
And, then, we he gets caught, there's no battle level for the puck.
He shoots. A few shifts a game, he'll go out of his way to make a hit. And, that's all there is to his game.
As I said, I knew his defense sucked. I knew he liked to shoot a lot. I just don't know when precisely he became a glorified Brett Hull.
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tinkezione
Butcher's Dog
Since he inked that multi-million-billion contract. He's nowhere even near his complete form of some 5 years back.
Slovenia hammering Austria so far. Vanek with an extremely lazy play on the 2nd goal. He turned the puck over and instead of back checking he just went straight to the bench. The 3rd Slovenian goal was by some dude with the last name Kovacevic. Same weird last name as our local Pens writer Dejan.
Noisespektrum
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