Team USA announced

[HabLover]

Lashoff and Johnson's omission isn't going to be the reason the U.S. team (and in particular the defense) doesn't do well. All along it was going to be a smaller, finesse oriented squad. If the U.S. can play a similar game as last year, and execute, we'll be fine. If the D gets bogged down in it's own zone, we're in trouble, it's that simple.

Team USA probably missed the boat on Dustin Byfuglien out of the WHL. The guy is huge, strong, skates well, has undoubtedley the biggest shot in the WHL and is on pace for something like 30 goals as a D-man! And to top it off, he plays on a below average team in Prince George. I would almost guarantee he is better than at least 2 or 3 of the D-men picked for the team. I don't know why Team USA is taking so many 1986 and 1987 born players to this tourney on home soil if they truly want to win!

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Team USA probably missed the boat on Dustin Byfuglien out of the WHL. The guy is huge, strong, skates well, has undoubtedley the biggest shot in the WHL and is on pace for something like 30 goals as a D-man! And to top it off, he plays on a below average team in Prince George. I would almost guarantee he is better than at least 2 or 3 of the D-men picked for the team. I don't know why Team USA is taking so many 1986 and 1987 born players to this tourney on home soil if they truly want to win!

You keep saying that. There are only two: Hagemo and Lee, and Lee is unlikely to be a key contributer. As for Byfuglien, I can say with a certainty he wasn't on the radar, and for all he does well, he just doesn't fit in with the philosophy used to build this team.

 

[MePutPuckInNet]

well....the more I read the more irritable I become. Since I'm Canadian, I want desperately to root for Canada....but, they're making it mighty hard. When will Hockey Canada realize that "BIG" only works for 40 minutes? It's the last 20 that can kill ya.

Team USA....makes me wonder if they've had some friggin mad hockey guru down in a dungeon somewhere hatching a plan to take over the hockey world or something. The speed of this team is going to be the key factor to their damn near unavoidable success. . It really pisses me off.

 

[Captain Conservative]

Did anyone else find this statement questionable? That's the first I've heard that Likens is almost as good as Phaneuf. Maybe I'm just clueless about Likens but if he's anywhere near Phaneuf level you'd think he'd be hyped a little more on these boards.

I meant Johnson-Suter. Sorry!

 

[nomorekids]

well....the more I read the more irritable I become. Since I'm Canadian, I want desperately to root for Canada....but, they're making it mighty hard. When will Hockey Canada realize that "BIG" only works for 40 minutes? It's the last 20 that can kill ya.

Team USA....makes me wonder if they've had some friggin mad hockey guru down in a dungeon somewhere hatching a plan to take over the hockey world or something. The speed of this team is going to be the key factor to their damn near unavoidable success. . It really pisses me off.

i think al ot of your countrymen are going to think youputfootinmouth

 

[HabLover]

any chance we see fritsche centering pineault? as a cbj fan i would love to see that, even though i think pineault will be a center for the cbj. hes a big kid who can really skate and shoot the puck. he will surprise people. most forget about him as being a top talent cause he got lost at bc and was only drafted in the second.

Is Fritsche hurt?? Will he be ready for the tourney?

 

[Colt.45Orr]

2 things:

TeamUSA's d takes a HUGE blow in losing Mark Stuart... he was playing solid, 30mins a night of tough, in-your-face-hockey last year...and he can match up with anyone physically - I don't see anyone else on the d that can do that this year.


That should not be overlooked... nor the fact that he was their captain.

Bergeron is better than Parise.
Parise may have better upside (had 4a tonight actually) but Bergeron is the more complete/better player right now... don't worry the tourny will confirm this to any remaining doubters...

Enough Bruins-bias for now -goodnight.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Is Fritsche hurt?? Will he be ready for the tourney?

Fritsche is fine. He'll be ready to go for the tournament.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

2 things:

TeamUSA's d takes a HUGE blow in losing Mark Stuart... he was playing solid, 30mins a night of tough, in-your-face-hockey last year...and he can match up with anyone physically - I don't see anyone else on the d that can do that this year.


That should not be overlooked... nor the fact that he was their captain.

Bergeron is better than Parise.
Parise may have better upside (had 4a tonight actually) but Bergeron is the more complete/better player right now... don't worry the tourny will confirm this to any remaining doubters...

Enough Bruins-bias for now -goodnight.

Yeah, losing Stuart hurts, but a guy like Casey Borer can play the stay-at-home role. Even with Stuart's presence last season it wasn't a crash and bang squad, and this year's version was built in the same way. As for Parise vs Bergeron, I'm not sure what that comparison is being made, unless you're suggesting Bergeron will be more of a key contributor this year than Parise was last year.

 

[MePutPuckInNet]

Bergeron - great player.

But his lack of speed, along with the rest of the Team Canada's collective lack of speed will be the downfall. Actually, I should correct that. It's not that they "lack speed" so much as Team USA is collectively faster.

speed kills. it will always boil down to that, in my opinion. Big guys are great, but if they can't keep up [ala Brent "the hook man" Seabrooke and Braydon "I'm skating with my thumb up my butt" Coburn] with the little guys, and they don't have the quick step and lateral movement that the little guys have....well.....I'm smelling another doomsday.

Big dump trucks are great for plowing snow and for grinding their way through the mud, but if I'm driving in downtown Boston, I want a BMW - so I can drive on the sidewalk and haul ass around the big dump truck ahead of me if I need to.

 

[neg marron]

ditto

No Robbie Earl. Kind of surprising.

i can't believe it either he's having a great season but i guess team usa figures they have dany fritsch so they don't need robbie earl
should have invited gerald coleman also

 

[Rabid Ranger]

i can't believe it either he's having a great season but i guess team usa figures they have dany fritsch so they don't need robbie earl
should have invited gerald coleman also

I think there are some questions about Earl's attitude. He strikes me as bit of a prima donna. As for the goaltending, with Montoya entrenched as the number 1, there wasn't much of a possibility of someone like Coleman sitting on the bench as the number 2. Schneider is in that position to gain experience for next year, where he'll likely be the number 1, in Vancouver of all locations! How cool is that?

 

[Heat McManus]

that's a pretty bold prediction, because to me...canada doesn't look as good as last year, and the US looks just about the same.

I have to disagree. The US looks different. The US has seven returning players (Montoya, O'Sullivan, Suter, Fritsche, Stafford, Dowell, and Hunwick.) Of those 5 are or could be impact players. Of the D, I've only seen Goligoski and Suter play and I've been imressed by both.


Canada's D should have Belle, Coburn, Phaneuf, Seabrooke from 2004. Upfront, Crosby, Stewart, Richards, Dawes, Getzlaf, Carter, and Colliton returning as well. For Canada, I see goaltending being a possible problem although I've heard both Dubnyk and Nastiuk are capable tenders.
If I'm Sutter, I don't know how i don't play Crosby.

 

[ALF AmericanLionsFan]

Disappointed to not see Johnson named.

 

[Oilers Chick]

I have to disagree. The US looks different. The US has seven returning players (Montoya, O'Sullivan, Suter, Fritsche, Stafford, Dowell, and Hunwick.) Of those 5 are or could be impact players. Of the D, I've only seen Goligoski and Suter play and I've been imressed by both.


Canada's D should have Belle, Coburn, Phaneuf, Seabrooke from 2004. Upfront, Crosby, Stewart, Richards, Dawes, Getzlaf, Carter, and Colliton returning as well. For Canada, I see goaltending being a possible problem although I've heard both Dubnyk and Nastiuk are capable tenders.
If I'm Sutter, I don't know how i don't play Crosby.

Actually Team USA has eight returning players, not seven. You forgot about Jeff Likens.

 

[jcpenny]

Bergeron - great player.

But his lack of speed, along with the rest of the Team Canada's collective lack of speed will be the downfall. Actually, I should correct that. It's not that they "lack speed" so much as Team USA is collectively faster.

speed kills. it will always boil down to that, in my opinion. Big guys are great, but if they can't keep up [ala Brent "the hook man" Seabrooke and Braydon "I'm skating with my thumb up my butt" Coburn] with the little guys, and they don't have the quick step and lateral movement that the little guys have....well.....I'm smelling another doomsday.

Big dump trucks are great for plowing snow and for grinding their way through the mud, but if I'm driving in downtown Boston, I want a BMW - so I can drive on the sidewalk and haul ass around the big dump truck ahead of me if I need to.

First of all i need to know if this tournament is on NA ice or olympic ice? Since when Canada lacks speed? They sure didnt last year and its not the reason why they lost to the U.S. Crosby, Dawes, Carter,Richards,Meyer, Coliton,Dixon and even bergeron sure arent slow.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Here's the transcript for the news conference the U.S. hockey brass had on the subject of the WJC team: http://www.usahockey.com/servlets/F...3BA5FE009/05 wjc team announce transcript.rtf

 

[Rabid Ranger]

First of all i need to know if this tournament is on NA ice or olympic ice? Since when Canada lacks speed? They sure didnt last year and its not the reason why they lost to the U.S. Crosby, Dawes, Carter,Richards,Meyer, Coliton,Dixon and even bergeron sure arent slow.

Canada doesn't lack speed. IMO though, the U.S. team collectively is a bit quicker, and I think that was a differance maker last year.

 

[espo*]

How come they did'nt hire Eaves again to coach them? I would have thought they would have at least gone another year with the guy who led them to their first title.I seem to remember their coaches in the past repeating as bench boss for several years in a row,maybe my memory is off here.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

How come they did'nt hire Eaves again to coach them? I would have thought they would have at least gone another year with the guy who led them to their first title.I seem to remember their coaches in the past repeating as bench boss for several years in a row,maybe my memory is off here.

Eaves didn't want the job, plain and simple. Dean Blais was named in his place, but he took a job with the Bluejackets. That's how Sandelin came into the picture. Make no mistake, Scott Sandelin is an excellent coach and will do a fine job.

 

[MePutPuckInNet]

Canada doesn't lack speed. IMO though, the U.S. team collectively is a bit quicker, and I think that was a differance maker last year.

Yes, thanks for deciphering me, Rabid Ranger.

It's not that Canada lacks speed as much as Team USA is faster. They were certainly quicker last year,,,,and if anyone doesn't think that was a significantly contributing factor they must not have been watching.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Yes, thanks for deciphering me, Rabid Ranger.

It's not that Canada lacks speed as much as Team USA is faster. They were certainly quicker last year,,,,and if anyone doesn't think that was a significantly contributing factor they must not have been watching.

No deciphering needed, I knew what you were talking about. The U.S. team is built to be a very fast, puck possession team. If anyone is expecting a bunch of bangers, welll, you'll be sorely disappointed. I don't care what the U.S. brass says, this year's team IS a carbon copy of last year's. If it's not broke, don't fix it. I think this approach works for a junior hockey tourney. Would it work in the NHL? Unlikely, but that's not an issue.

 

[espo*]

Eaves didn't want the job, plain and simple. Dean Blais was named in his place, but he took a job with the Bluejackets. That's how Sandelin came into the picture. Make no mistake, Scott Sandelin is an excellent coach and will do a fine job.

why would'nt he want the job? Feelings can't come any better then winning a gold medal in hockey for your country.I'd hang onto the job like grim death if i had the talent to do it. Hmmm........

 

[Reilly311]

why would'nt he want the job?

I believe it's because he wanted to stay with Wisconsin the whole season.

 

[MePutPuckInNet]

HELP...THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.

Who were Team USA's alternate captains at the 2004 WJC? I can't find it ANYWHERE.

[thank you]