GDT: 2014 Winter Olympics Part IV, POTENTIAL SPOILERS

[GloryDaze4877]

Exactly.

Women's hockey has come a long way and removing it from the Olympics would set it back so far that it may not recover.

Give it time, it's already gotten much much better the past 20 or so years.

I realize that there is a huge gap in talent right now between the US/CAN and the rest of the women's hockey field, but I thought the quality of play on the two elite teams is excellent. The only big difference I can see between the top men and women are the velocity of the shots. The women don't appear to have the strength to drive the puck the way the men do, but everything else was top notch IMO.

 

[sooshii]

I'm not shocked to learn the Russian players don't get along. All about the individual players rather than the team.

They probably haven't heard which side of the jersey it's about.

I'm in NJ for training this week. Couple inches of snow delayed the start til this afternoon. More hockey for me! who knew the Swiss were such wimps (my company's Swiss, not hockey)?

How bout that Slovenia team!

Saw on the twitter that Kunitz is back on TC's top line with Sid & Bergy. Guess all that talk about the lines being fine, look we're still winning was blowin smoke.

 

[Terrier]

Pool and Bowling should be in the olympics. After a couple of beers im unbeatable lol and ready to win the gold.

If Great Britain had had its way, London 2012 would have featured snooker(and darts?).

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Nice goal

 

[Terrier]

Bad break for Norge.

 

[Shaun]

even in russia edzo is the worst

 

[Terrier]

even in russia edzo is the worst

Stop it right there!

 

[Fossy21]

Radulov has been Russia's best player along with Bobrovsky so far this tournament, from what I've gathered. It's a shame, because he's so easy to hate.

 

[bp13]

Radulov has been Russia's best player along with Bobrovsky so far this tournament, from what I've gathered. It's a shame, because he's so easy to hate.

Well he basically handed the US the game all by himself, so you take the good with the bad.

And man does this Russian team look beatable. Are Ovechkin and Malkin even playing today?

 

[qc]

Radulov has been Russia's best player along with Bobrovsky so far this tournament, from what I've gathered. It's a shame, because he's so easy to hate.

It's the face. He just has one of those punchable faces.

 

[Fossy21]

It's the face. He just has one of those punchable faces.

He does look like an old cartoon (bull)dog, but it's not just that. Don't like his demeanor/attitude either. But that could be said of a lot of his teammates.

 

[NiKrejci]

Radulov is one of those highly skilled guys when motivated will dominate any league he's in. Pretty sure he was a PPG player in his short return to the NHL, but he had his problems. It's rare for him to find motivation.

 

[qc]

Let's go Norge!

 

[Madturk]

I realize that there is a huge gap in talent right now between the US/CAN and the rest of the women's hockey field, but I thought the quality of play on the two elite teams is excellent. The only big difference I can see between the top men and women are the velocity of the shots. The women don't appear to have the strength to drive the puck the way the men do, but everything else was top notch IMO.

I'd go one further and say the women seem to pass the puck better than the men. The US-Sweden game was a clinic on how to move the puck. Very impressive. Should be a great gold medal game. I might give a slight edge to the US who seem to be peaking after thier disappointing loss to the Canadians.

 

[Artemis]

From an IIHF, NHL, NHLPA press conference at Sochi, regarding the status of the NHL players participating in the Olympics:

Considering the positive feedback and huge TV audiences for Olympic hockey in North America and Europe, in hockey countries and non-hockey countries around the world, it’s not surprising that there is already interest in the likelihood of NHL players taking part in the 2018 Games in PyeongChang, Korea. That would mark a 20-year anniversary since the first best-on-best Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament at Nagano 1998. But, as most expected, it’s still too early for any definite news.

"The players will have the final say on whether they want to come,” (president of the IIHF Rene) Fasel said. “I have a lot of respect for these players. They don’t get paid. They don’t live in hotels as many think but in the Olympic Village with other athletes. I really appreciate what the players from the NHL and in Europe do for the game of hockey and for their countries.”

As for the women:

"It will never happen,” he said about the risk of women’s hockey losing the Olympic status.

And he has good reasons for that confidence. Sochi 2014 might prove to be the best and most competitive Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament ever since the start in Nagano 1998. The games were more intense, more entertaining to watch, the players more athletic and the number of blow-out scores has clearly gone down.

Fasel compares this progress with men’s Olympic history.

“In the ‘30s Switzerland lost to Canada in two digits in men’s hockey,” Fasel said.
It took 82 years for the Swiss to record a first victory over the Canadians, finally breaking the hoodoo in 2006 with a 2-0 win in Turin. The countries’ first encounter, back in 1924, saw a Canadian amateur club team steamroller Switzerland 33-0. Luckily men’s ice hockey wasn’t eliminated from the Olympics despite the rough start.

http://sochi2014.iihf.com/men/news/press-conference/

 

[qc]

^Good stuff.

I cannot imagine a scenario where Giroux is not playing in the 2018 games, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

 

[PlayMakers]

I realize that there is a huge gap in talent right now between the US/CAN and the rest of the women's hockey field, but I thought the quality of play on the two elite teams is excellent. The only big difference I can see between the top men and women are the velocity of the shots. The women don't appear to have the strength to drive the puck the way the men do, but everything else was top notch IMO.

I think the difference is a lot bigger than that. The women's team had been practicing at Belmont Hill prior to the Olympics and scrimmaging prep schools as a tune up. I don't know how they fared in all their games, but I believe they lost to Dexter. Granted, Dexter is one of the better prep teams in New England, but it's not like any of those guys are going to jump to the pros next season.

 

[BNHL]

I'd go one further and say the women seem to pass the puck better than the men. The US-Sweden game was a clinic on how to move the puck. Very impressive. Should be a great gold medal game. I might give a slight edge to the US who seem to be peaking after thier disappointing loss to the Canadians.

The passing is what stood out for me also,very few passes were not tape to tape.

 

[qc]

Hats off to Norge. Great effort out of them vs. Russia, especially considering that they're without Zucc.

 

[Shaun]

not even hulk haugen could stop the russians

 

[qc]

Looks like Kunitz is returning to Sid's line. Bergy will remain on wing.

 

[member 96824]

^Good stuff.

I cannot imagine a scenario where Giroux is not playing in the 2018 games, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Like Crosby still not wanting him on the roster. Such a shame he's not there this year.

Either way, the players love doing it. There's no way they don't go over in 2018...not with guys like Ovie willing to take their ball and go home over it.

btw...I miss Ilya Kovalchuk playing NHL hockey.

 

[bp13]

I think the difference is a lot bigger than that. The women's team had been practicing at Belmont Hill prior to the Olympics and scrimmaging prep schools as a tune up. I don't know how they fared in all their games, but I believe they lost to Dexter. Granted, Dexter is one of the better prep teams in New England, but it's not like any of those guys are going to jump to the pros next season.

They were about .500 against the Prep school teams.

Not sure what to take away from that personally. I'd like to think a team of nation-wide All-Stars that practices and trains much more rigorously, with older, committed athletes would fare better against younger players on random teams (mind you some of the best HS hockey in the country, if not the best), but how does one accurately explain the difference between men and women? Obviously these results highlight how big it is, but I'm not sure what effect that has on the integrity of the women's game. I don't know. Kind of at a loss as to whether those results matter.

But I will say the lack of competition from other nations is tough.

 

[bp13]

The passing is what stood out for me also,very few passes were not tape to tape.

I'd attempt to explain that in two ways:

1. When you're passing to a moving target moving slower than another would, it's easier to make a quality pass.

2. More importantly, there is way more space on the ice to pass due to the difference in quickness on defense. In the man's game space closes quickly. Players cut off lanes more quickly and defenses step up more quickly. It's a lot harder to complete a pass under those conditions.

This isn't meant to disparage the women's game one bit. I've coached it and I like it. But they don't inherently pass better. It's just a lot easier to make a quality pass.

 

[BNHL]

I'd attempt to explain that in two ways:

1. When you're passing to a moving target moving slower than another would, it's easier to make a quality pass.

2. More importantly, there is way more space on the ice to pass due to the difference in quickness on defense. In the man's game space closes quickly. Players cut off lanes more quickly and defenses step up more quickly. It's a lot harder to complete a pass under those conditions.

This isn't meant to disparage the women's game one bit. I've coached it and I like it. But they don't inherently pass better. It's just a lot easier to make a quality pass.

So the passes are completed at a higher rate.