News Article: Rangers on team USA

[Fitzy]

The group stage will be just for fun, as just the top 4 get a bye and the remaining 8 play a one game elimination. USA will have a big game vs Russia to fight for the bye, will see Gaborik, Hossa, Chara and Slovakia in what could be a decent match as well as a motivated Anze Kopitar and Slovenia.

 

[ecemleafs]

Team USA will have 7 defensemen and Ryan will be one of them. Orpik, Jones, Gleason may be in competition for the #7 spot.

I'd have

Suter Carlson
McDonagh E. Johnson
Martin J. Johnson
Yandle Shattenkirk

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

The group stage will be just for fun, as just the top 4 get a bye and the remaining 8 play a one game elimination. USA will have a big game vs Russia to fight for the bye, will see Gaborik, Hossa, Chara and Slovakia in what could be a decent match as well as a motivated Anze Kopitar and Slovenia.

IMO definitely the toughest group.

 

[McDonagh]

Canada!!!!!!! Nash will be there, Staal I'm not so sure about. There are a lot of defensemen he has to beat to get there, and not much about his play this season has told me he's Team Canada worthy. What he does have going for him is he is a left handed shot, and Canada seems to be mostly righties (Subban, Letang, Green, Weber, Seabrook, Boyle, Doughty, Pietrangelo, GIRARDI???? )

 

[Gardner McKay]

He should be but some of articles I read had
Suter
Yandle
Johnson
Carlson
Orpik
Shattenkirk
All ahead of Ryan and one guy even mentioned Seth Jones SMH .

Orpik? That's got to be a joke. He is a shell of his former self.

 

[NYR90]

off the top of my head i cant think of how he doesnt make the team.

Sedin
Sedin
Landeskog
Zetterberg
Backstrom
Steen
Erikson

ud think they are locks. prob missing a player or 2. hagelin is an ideal 4th liner on an olympic team.

Alfie
Berglund
Zibenijad
Franzen
Johansson
Silfverberg

That would be most of his competition.

Still think Hags makes it though. He's great on the boards and speed kills.

 

[ponzu4u]

Wonder if Poile let himself be a little happy tonight watching Stepan and McDonagh?

 

[truebluegoalie]

Wonder if Poile let himself be a little happy tonight watching Stepan and McDonagh?

I doubt he was even a little happy, but I am sure he took notice.

 

[PIM]

I get excited for the olympics and I think the US has a good team, definitely strong in goal, even without Quick, and defense. Then I look at the Canadian roster and reality sets in.
Anyway not surprised to see any of those Rangers' names mentioned.

Canadian roster is elite down the middle and on D, but imo USA has better wingers cumulatively, and better goaltending. Personally I'm pulling for Ryan Miller to get back in there.

Such a tremendous 3rd/checking line.

Can't wait for the Olympics this year. Though the US always seems to do better with loosened expectations.

I doubt Callahan gets anywhere near anything but the 4th line. USA's right wing depth chart is:

Patrick Kane
Phil Kessel
Bobby Ryan
Ryan Callahan

 

[Fitzy]

The top 5 teams are all extremely talented. Canada should outplay anyone else in a potential matchup, but remember this; this is a big ice surface.

Canada and the U.S. both went to the finals on the regular NHL ice rinks. In 2006, neither cam close to the finals on the large ice surface.

Forwards I would rank the countries

Canada, Russia, USA, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, Czech Republic. Sweden has better top end star power but the U.S. is deeper from top to bottom.

I think we see a Sweden-Russia final, but I've been wrong before.


In terms of Callahan's role on the team, it's interesting because he has been killing penalties marginally less with NYR this season. Its as if AV is trying to save his energy for other times. But for USA his primary role will be the leading PK guy.

 

[BBKers]

Alfie
Berglund
Zibenijad
Franzen
Johansson
Silfverberg

That would be most of his competition.

Still think Hags makes it though. He's great on the boards and speed kills.

Sedin - Sedin - Eriksson
Steen - Bäckström - Landeskog
Franzen - Zetterberg - Alfie
Hagelin/Mojo - Berglund - Hörnqvist

There you go.

 

[Punxrocknyc19*]

Sedin - Sedin - Eriksson
Steen - Bäckström - Landeskog
Franzen - Zetterberg - Alfie
Hagelin/Mojo - Berglund - Hörnqvist

There you go.

any chance Stralman makes team Sweden?? or the only way he makes it is with injuries??

 

[Fitzy]

Sweden has on defense...

Ekman-Larsson
Edler
Grossmann
Hedman
Hjalmarsson
Karlsson
Kronwall
Tallinder

and many others ahead of Stralman. They have a great selection of smaller blueliners, they won't be looking for Anton who has been quiet and unspectacular this year.

 

[kovazub94]

Forwards I would rank the countries

Canada, Russia, USA, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, Czech Republic. Sweden has better top end star power but the U.S. is deeper from top to bottom.

I think we see a Sweden-Russia final, but I've been wrong before.
.

Russia is even more top heavy and suspect on depth than Sweden. Big ice is definitely a disadvantage for NA team but Russia is way off the top level on D and in the net.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Team USA's strengths will certainly be defense and goaltending. They're going to need to win games 2-1, 3-2, etc...

****, I really, really love the Olympics. Like, really. I can't wait.

Very surprised to see that Kreider is on the radar at all, but that's about the extent to which I forsee Kreider's Olympic future... at least for 2014. Callahan and McDonagh are certainly locks. Stepan could definitely be there too, but that's more a showing of how weak the USA's center-depth is.

D and goaltending. Take it home John, Jimmy, and Ryan

I think the U.S. supposed lack of offense is a little overblown. Almost all of the U.S. projected top 9 forwards are having very good-great offensive years and there is some tremendous size, speed and firepower on the wing. The U.S. will also have some excellent puck-moving d-men.

 

[5 4 Fighting]

Excited for our boys to play!

I got Russia winning the Olympics this year though.

Ovechkin-Malkin-Kovalchuk
Semin-Datsyuk-Tarasenko/Radulov

find me a better top 6.

maybe Stamkos-Crosby-Nash
Benn-Toews-Getzlaf

but Stammer is injured.

 

[The Gloaming]

Excited for our boys to play!

I got Russia winning the Olympics this year though.

Ovechkin-Malkin-Kovalchuk
Semin-Datsyuk-Tarasenko/Radulov

find me a better top 6.

Canada.

Also, Russia's defense is suspect at best, along with its goaltending.

 

[5 4 Fighting]

Canada.

Also, Russia's defense is suspect at best, along with its goaltending.

Bobrovsky backed up by Varlamov ain't suspect at all.

 

[aufheben]

Bobrovsky backed up by Varlamov ain't suspect at all.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[The Gloaming]

Bobrovsky backed up by Varlamov ain't suspect at all.

Meh...

Russia will have lots of pressure on them too.

 

[Fitzy]

Russia's defense is hardly good enough to field an average NHL D. That is a big concern. A lot of floating forwards like Radulov,few true two way guys like Datsyuk and Anisimov. They have been blown out by good teams in the past for that very reason.

 

[Zucc36]

Every player from Norway in the NHL will play in the Olympics....

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Russia's defense is hardly good enough to field an average NHL D. That is a big concern. A lot of floating forwards like Radulov,few true two way guys like Datsyuk and Anisimov. They have been blown out by good teams in the past for that very reason.

They win the gold for the Enigma category....

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Every player from Norway in the NHL will play in the Olympics....

Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Mats and the others

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

I think the U.S. supposed lack of offense is a little overblown. Almost all of the U.S. projected top 9 forwards are having very good-great offensive years and there is some tremendous size, speed and firepower on the wing. The U.S. will also have some excellent puck-moving d-men.

Looks competive to me:

Parise Stastny Kane
Ryan Kesler Kessel
Brown Stepan Cally
JVR Pavelski ?
bubble: wheeler, Pacioretty, Oshie, Backes, Okposo

Suter, Carlson, Yandle, Shattenkirk, McD, J Johnson
bubble: Martin, Fowler, Bogosian, E Johnson, Leddy, Faulk, BFug

Quick, Howard Bubble: Miller, Schnieder

C is a concern but 2 way play may make up for pure talent level like in 2010. Am i forgetting anyone, dont think young guns like Trouba, Jones, Galchenyuk are ready yet.