Teams' tragic flaws

[artilector]

Even in a short tournament, its hard to win three games in a row against great teams if you have flaws in any major component of the game. What are the major flaws of each team, and how likely do you think those teams will be able to mask them successfully?

Russia - defensive team discipline, 40% (in other words I'd give Russia a 40% chance to start playing decent team defense, as opposed to the current swiss cheese)
Canada - slow D, 50% (the forwards must take the game to the other team)
Czechs - goaltending, 40% (Vokoun has looked flat out shaky, but maybe he'll rebound)
Finland - dunno, they are pretty solid all around
Slovakia - see Finland
Sweden - dunno, they have kind of sucked all around.
Switzerland - offensive skills, 0%
USA - finishing, 20% (on this level, can't hope to score by commitee)

Click to read more...

 

[Macman]

Finland and Slovakia -- a lack of experience in big games. It wouldn't shock me if both are done in the quarters.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Finland and Slovakia -- a lack of experience in big games. It wouldn't shock me if both are done in the quarters.

Finland was in the finals of the World Cup less than 2 years ago.

 

[stockwizard*]

Judging my the threads title I presumed you were specifically referring to team Canada.
Of course Team's Canada trajic flaw is allowing Gretzky to be involved with this team.
Think I am wrong? Think again.

Before the tournament started he guaranteed spots for Yzerman and Lemieux.
This is foolish enough in its own right, but he also guaranteed a spot for Bertuzzi, saying that if he is reinstatted he will be on this team.

He added his buddies Quinn and Doan and unfortunately Quinn took McCabe.

If Lemieux and Yzerman hadn't withdraw we would have had a roster of:

Doan, Draper, Smyth, McCabe, Bertuzzi, Lemieux, Yzerman, Regehr.
Are you ******* kidding me?

Now I am not arrogant enough to believe we can beat the best of the world with our "C" class players.

I love those who say "It wouldn't matter if we replace 5 or 6 players" Get a clue.

We deserve to loose and when it is over I want Gretzky to go home to his wife.

I believe his legacy will be tarnished even further after he failed to do what was best for the country.

 

[Macman]

Finland was in the finals of the World Cup less than 2 years ago.

Sure, but what else? Their experience in big games compared to Canada and the Czechs is negligible.

 

[MXD]

Finland was in the finals of the World Cup less than 2 years ago.

I don't know if that was the point of the original poster, but I agree I wouldn't like Antero Nittymaki to be a starter in any QF game on the sole basis of experience.

 

[gr8haluschak]

Judging my the threads title I presumed you were specifically referring to team Canada.
Of course Team's Canada trajic flaw is allowing Gretzky to be involved with this team.
Think I am wrong? Think about it.

Before the tournament started he guaranteed spots for Yzerman and Lemieux.
This is foolish enough in its own right, but he also guaranteed a spot for Bertuzzi, saying that if he is reinstatted he will be on this team.

He added his buddies Quinn and Doan and unfortunately Quinn took McCabe.

If Lemieux and Yzerman hadn't withdraw we would have had a roster of:

Doan, Draper, Smyth, McCabe, Bertuzzi, Lemieux, Yzerman, Regehr.
Are you ******* kidding me?

Now I am not arrogant enough to believe we can beat the best of the world with our "C" class players.

I love those who say "It wouldn't matter if we replace 5 or 6 players" Get a clue.

We deserve to loose and when it is over I want Gretzky to go home to his wife.

I believe his legacy will be tarnished even further after he failed to do what was best for the country.

Oh shut up - you know what a flaw is it is the simple fact that nonsense like this is allowed to be posted. What has he done that was not right for his country - put together and ENTIRE ROSTER that knows how to win. Oh but the first response was why is so and so on it and Staal or Crosby isn't - plain and simple SO AND SO HAS BEEN THERE BEFORE AND KNOWS WHAT TO DO WHEN IT COUNTS. But let me guess you could do a better job of making a team, yeah I can see it now lets put our 23 top scorers on the team, job done. Tell me who was it that built the team for the 2002 Olympics ? tell me who was it that built the team for the 2004 world cup ? who has four cups and how many awards despite the fact he was too small and not skilled enough to play in the NHL ? The guy knows how to win - Tell me What have you done ?

 

[stockwizard*]

Oh shut up - you know what a flaw is it is the simple fact that nonsense like this is allowed to be posted. What has he done that was not right for his country - put together and ENTIRE ROSTER that knows how to win. Oh but the first response was why is so and so on it and Staal or Crosby isn't - plain and simple SO AND SO HAS BEEN THERE BEFORE AND KNOWS WHAT TO DO WHEN IT COUNTS. But let me guess you could do a better job of making a team, yeah I can see it now lets put our 23 top scorers on the team, job done. Tell me who was it that built the team for the 2002 Olympics ? tell me who was it that built the team for the 2004 world cup ? who has four cups and how many awards despite the fact he was too small and not skilled enough to play in the NHL ? The guy knows how to win - Tell me What have you done ?

Naturally I would take a combination of skill and experience.

Gretzky took his buddies. If your theory holds true why not call Messier out of retirement to play? He knows how to win doesn't he?

Is it a unwritten rule that from now on you have to have played in a world cup to be called up to represent our country? I guess we would run out of players very fast if that was the case.

Gretzky IMO has been exposed for what he is.

 

[AlMo]

Someone mentioned how the Slovaks and Finns lack that big game experience and I agree. I wouldn't be at all bit surprised if they are both eliminated tomorrow.

The Finns are in tough against the USA. Thye havent won many games but the states have been in all their games and if Dipietro or Esche can stand on his head then it could spell the end for the Finns.

As for the Slovaks they are up against a rival and games with this much intensity can go either way. I'm sure the Czechs will go all out against their former countrymen.

As for Canada, it doesn't get any better than this. They are up against their biggest hockey rival and if they don't show up for this game then they wouldn't show up for any other game.

 

[bcrt2000]

We deserve to loose and when it is over I want Gretzky to go home to his wife.

Uhh, Janet is in Turin with Wayne. And Gretzky's reputation isn't tarnished, he didn't do anything wrong in the eyes of the NJ State Police, nor did he do anything wrong in the eyes of society at large. Maybe there are cynics out there, but hey, we don't give a **** what cynics think. If you were watching Wayne after today's game, he was even able to joke about the whole betting thing with Ron and Janet as well, which just shows what strong character he has.

 

[thebodyczech]

I don't want to jinx my own team, but the Slovaks do have a weakness: consistency in net. Budaj has shown that he can get the job done, but pressure still gets to him; hence the plethora of rebounds to team USA.

 

[gr8haluschak]

Naturally I would take a combination of skill and experience.

Gretzky took his buddies. If your theory holds true why not call Messier out of retirement to play? He knows how to win doesn't he?

Is it a unwritten rule that from now on you have to have played in a world cup to be called up to represent our country? I guess we would run out of players very fast if that was the case.

Gretzky IMO has been exposed for what he is.

We don't have a combonation of skill and experience - ARE YOU SERIOUS, you might as well just admit you have no clue about hockey right now if you don't think this is true. As well tell me where are you going to get experience if YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED IN AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT ? is it magically going to fall from the sky. What has Gretzky been exposed as, lets hear it. How about this lets have all of those that have won a gold medal put their hands up and lets see whose is up. You talk about Gretzky being exposed well with your two great posts here you have been exposed for what you are !

 

[stockwizard*]

We don't have a combonation of skill and experience - ARE YOU SERIOUS, you might as well just admit you have no clue about hockey right now if you don't think this is true. As well tell me where are you going to get experience if YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED IN AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT ? is it magically going to fall from the sky. What has Gretzky been exposed as, lets hear it. How about this lets have all of those that have won a gold medal put their hands up and lets see whose is up. You talk about Gretzky being exposed well with your two great posts here you have been exposed for what you are !

Exactly. Gretzky should have the balls to pick a few players who haven't played in the Olympics and World Cup.

So you are saying you agree with his pathetic picks?

 

[Spawn]

"If Lemieux and Yzerman hadn't withdraw we would have had a roster of:

Doan, Draper, Smyth, McCabe, Bertuzzi, Lemieux, Yzerman, Regehr.
Are you ******* kidding me?"

If Yzerman and Lemieux were there, then Doan and Draper probably wouldn't so there goes that one arguement, Doan has probably been Canadas best forward to IMO, and Bertuzzi although he has been sucky, he has been the least sucky of Canadas dissapointing offence. AND whats wrong with Smyth, he's also been one of Canadas best forwards this tournement, and he's got 27 goals in the NHL and is near on pace for his best season, so he deserves to be there based just on how he is playing.

 

[gr8haluschak]

Exactly. Gretzky should have the balls to pick a few players who haven't played in the Olympics and World Cup.

So you are saying you agree with his pathetic picks?

Well you obviously can't read either so I am not wasting my time because those are seconds of my life I will never have back but before I go lets hear who were PATHETIC PICS - and who should REPLACE them Mr Answer , I laugh at the ones you have mentioned which proves you have no clue how to build a team if guys like Smyth Doan and Draper are not of value since yeah why would you want guys to shut down other teams top players right ? Add to the fact that you are talking BS about Smyth and Bertuzzi, who I hate but am man enough to admit this, have been PROBABLY OUR TWO BEST FORWARDS OUT THERE, which tells me a) you have yet to watch a game or b) you honestly have no concept of the game or c) a little of both

 

[Big Mama*]

Exactly. Gretzky should have the balls to pick a few players who haven't played in the Olympics and World Cup.

So you are saying you agree with his pathetic picks?

He picked McCabe. He hasn't played World Cup or Olympics. Unfortunately, all the other guys have played together and had a training camp together. That has made McCabe odd man out and it shows.

 

[stockwizard*]

Well you obviously can't read either so I am not wasting my time because those are seconds of my life I will never have back but before I go lets hear who were PATHETIC PICS - and who should REPLACE them Mr Answer

Sorry, you have become too emotional to debate with me.

Come back later when you have calmed down.

 

[stockwizard*]

He picked McCabe. He hasn't played World Cup or Olympics.

You mean Quinn picked McCabe. Gretzky went along with it.

 

[Vincent_TheGreat]

Canada, slow defense? I'm not buying it, sure Regher is not a speed demon, but they are not slow, far from it! Canada's problem is playing consistent for a full game, they need to come together more as a team. Canada has no skill flaws, its the chemistry that is not clicking!

 

[therealdeal]

Judging my the threads title I presumed you were specifically referring to team Canada.
Of course Team's Canada trajic flaw is allowing Gretzky to be involved with this team.
Think I am wrong? Think about it.

Before the tournament started he guaranteed spots for Yzerman and Lemieux.
This is foolish enough in its own right, but he also guaranteed a spot for Bertuzzi, saying that if he is reinstatted he will be on this team.

He added his buddies Quinn and Doan and unfortunately Quinn took McCabe.

If Lemieux and Yzerman hadn't withdraw we would have had a roster of:

Doan, Draper, Smyth, McCabe, Bertuzzi, Lemieux, Yzerman, Regehr.
Are you ******* kidding me?

Now I am not arrogant enough to believe we can beat the best of the world with our "C" class players.

I love those who say "It wouldn't matter if we replace 5 or 6 players" Get a clue.

We deserve to loose and when it is over I want Gretzky to go home to his wife.

I believe his legacy will be tarnished even further after he failed to do what was best for the country.

Werd, Gretz has never done anything for Hockey Canada, its just been one dismal failure after another.






































Wait a second...

 

[gr8haluschak]

Sorry, you have become too emotional to debate with me.

Come back later when you have calmed down.

Exactly what I though you have no clue and when people are calling you out you have nothing to back the BS you are spouting off

 

[Big Mama*]

You mean Quinn picked McCabe. Gretzky went along with it.

Coaches didn't pick the players. It was Gretzky, Lowe, Tambellini and the scouts. Quinn said the coaches had very little input into the selection process because they don't see enough of the players.

 

[stockwizard*]

Coaches didn't pick the players. It was Gretzky, Lowe, Tambellini and the scouts. Quinn said the coaches had very little input into the selection process because they don't see enough of the players.

No, NO. There are reports that Quinn went to the top brass and told them they he knows McCabe, and that he belongs on this team.

Look guys, I have a feeling in about 24 hours you will all be agreeing with me.

 

[Big Mama*]

No, NO. There are reports that Quinn went to the top brass and told them they he knows McCabe, and that he belongs on this team.

Look guys, I have a feeling in about 24 hours you will all be agreeing with me.

I think they realized long ago that Quinn knows McCabe. The problem was that he should have been invited to the training camp so he would be better integrated into the team.

 

[stockwizard*]

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/International/2006/02/20/1452189-sun.html

Here is another guy that agrees with me.
"Gretzky hockey gamble appears to be losing big"