The swedish team is surrounded by chaos and uncertainty

[Ola]

According to Philadelphia radio, Forsberg is going to Turin, Handzus is not. Michal hurt his shoulder in a game against Washington and has a rotator problem that will force him to miss the Olympics.

I love Peter, but this is really disconcerting me. You have two guys who are just at the complete opposites of the spectrum as far as their priorities. Handzus hasn't missed an NHL game in over 4 seasons and he's using the Olympic break to take time off, despite playing in the game against Ottawa on Saturday. Conversely, Peter missed the final 8 games before the break and is going to the Olympics, despite having chronic groin injuries (among others) throughout his career.

If Peter gets hurt in Turin, this situation is going to get really bad and Flyers fans everywhere are going to be very very upset.

And what have Handzus won again? Do you think Messier would have stayed home?

I am a Swede and biased as hell. Not everything I write is what I really think on a subject.

But I saw Foppa play allot in Sweden last year. What he said after one game pretty much summed up his results, he stated that a player on the other team destroyed the atmosphere on the ice, a player assigned to check him.

Forsberg was a winner early in his career. Quit frankly he haven't been a winner in a long time. Unless he suffers another freak injury, which is possible with him, I honestly belives that the Games will be great for Peter, which is great for the Flyers. A healty Forsberg on the ice won't win the SC for the Flyers, they will need Peter playing his best hockey in his career for them to win. Participating in the Olympics will get him fired up.

 

[Ola]

given that that is the first that i've heard of it... i find that highly unlikely... not to mention the NHL clubs would destroy those squads.

Teams come over and play preseason in Europe all the time, why not have the SC champion play three straight against the winner of the EHL instead?

Bettman have said he is positive of the idea, Rene Fasel would love it. They will work something out, maybe not next fall but atleast in the next couple of years.

Like you said I don't think the NHL teams would take it serious, right aways atleast. They would rotate players just like they do in preseason ect and just do enough to win it, which won't be all that hard...

 

[Borlag]

given that that is the first that i've heard of it... i find that highly unlikely... not to mention the NHL clubs would destroy those squads.

Did you forget that during the lockout there were numerous NHL players who played in various european leagues and yet weren't dominating at all. And I'm not talking about just fringe players or regulars, but people who are considered as key players for their NHL teams.

 

[Jester]

Did you forget that during the lockout there were numerous NHL players who played in various european leagues and yet weren't dominating at all. And I'm not talking about just fringe players or regulars, but people who are considered as key players for their NHL teams.

yeah... cuz they weren't taking it seriously... also know that Mike Knuble did extremely well in Sweden.

player for player they can't compete... otherwise NHL players being released wouldn't even be an issue... now would it?

 

[Ola]

yeah... cuz they weren't taking it seriously... also know that Mike Knuble did extremely well in Sweden.

player for player they can't compete... otherwise NHL players being released wouldn't even be an issue... now would it?

You mean 39 points in 46 games extremely well? I actually don't think anyone had a really good year. No records where broken ect.

They play a good team game and would be tougher competition then the bottom 3 in the NHL. They win every now end then during the preseason tours. Anyway the best team in Europe is close enought to keep a game close and exciteing. But I can't see them winning a best of three series though. Unless they bring a US 1980 effort and the NHL team underestimates them.

 

[Borlag]

yeah... cuz they weren't taking it seriously... also know that Mike Knuble did extremely well in Sweden.

player for player they can't compete... otherwise NHL players being released wouldn't even be an issue... now would it?

I seriously doubt it'd be only because of that. And if so, then that kind of attitude problem could easily happen in a match like that; Stanley Cup winning team vs. a top team from Europe. It's not always so simple as to just saying that "they don't stand a chance". Just look what all has happened in hockey. Underdogs beating significantly stronger teams, Belarussia - Sweden for example. Or in Nagano where USA dropped pretty much straight away, and later when Finland beat Canada during the same Olympics.

Even in the NHL there's been incidents like that, just look at Rangers trying to buy themselves to get the Cup and that getting them nowhere, then this season they were predicted to be amongst the worst teams, look how they're doing now.

Fact is that no matter how good or bad a team looks on the paper, there can always be surprises.

 

[NFITO]

The Cup champs will never go on a tour against Euro teams after winning the Cup... maybe as a preseason schedule the next year - but then you'll get a lot of prospects playing.

But after the Cup finals, no player is going to want to go overseas and play... these guys just went through 4 rounds of best of 7 series, and had to put together 16 wins against tough competition, where every game is physically and mentally demanding... after kissing the Cup, who's going to want to go overseas and prove anything to the European teams??

it just won't happen... these players have nothing to prove after winning the Cup. Even if they're forced to go, they wouldn't even play hard - if at all - and who can blame them?? after going through the playoffs, and winning the Cup in the NHL, they deserve their rest and time off, rather than playing in a meaningless series overseas... if the NHL forces this, expect some of the team to be farm players and other prospects, and the rest - guys going on vacation overseas after winning it all.

 

[kootenayfan]

don't worry, as long as you've got the sedins you cannot be stopped.

Hail Daniel and Henrik!

 

[Ola]

The Cup champs will never go on a tour against Euro teams after winning the Cup... maybe as a preseason schedule the next year - but then you'll get a lot of prospects playing.

But after the Cup finals, no player is going to want to go overseas and play... these guys just went through 4 rounds of best of 7 series, and had to put together 16 wins against tough competition, where every game is physically and mentally demanding... after kissing the Cup, who's going to want to go overseas and prove anything to the European teams??

it just won't happen... these players have nothing to prove after winning the Cup. Even if they're forced to go, they wouldn't even play hard - if at all - and who can blame them?? after going through the playoffs, and winning the Cup in the NHL, they deserve their rest and time off, rather than playing in a meaningless series overseas... if the NHL forces this, expect some of the team to be farm players and other prospects, and the rest - guys going on vacation overseas after winning it all.

Preseason best of 3 series is what is beeing discussed.

 

[katodelder]

any news on Norstrom's concussion-like symptoms status? Who replaces him if he can't go?

what about Sweden's lines (with Forsberg):

Modin-Sundin-Alfredsson
Samuelsson-Forsberg-Zetterberg
Sedin-Sedin-Holmstrom
Axelsson-Pahlsson-Jorgen Jonsson
Hannula

Lidstrom-Ohlund
Kenny Jonsson-Norstrom?
Backman-Havelid
Tjarnqvist

 

[larsmark]

Forsberg has said that if he doesn't feel like he can go 100% he won't go. He said that his groin injury isn't something that can be trained away so if he feels pain he won't even try to play, so don't worry flyers fans. If he is healed up he'll play and then it's ok, otherwise he'll get back to Philadelphia again.

 

[Pantokrator]

I am not Swedish, and I am a Flyers fan, but I think Peter has a right to play, it is in his contract, and he should be the one to determine if he is able to play. I don't buy the whole priorities argument. Sure, I would like Forsberg to not play and get healthy, but that is for selfish reasons. if I put myself in his shoes, I'd want to play too.