A Question for my countrymen...

  • Work is still on-going to rebuild the site styling and features. Please report any issues you may experience so we can look into it. Click Here for Updates
Status
Not open for further replies.
Dolemite said:
Well if last year's World Juniors are any indication of the talent pool, we won't have to wait long.

Lots of people wouldn't even say that the players were that good. :dunno:

You had an older team that won on a fluke goal, and Canada never gets to play their 19 year olds because they're already in the league.

Thats what I think anyways. :dunno:
 
Mountain Dude said:
Lots of people wouldn't even say that the players were that good. :dunno:

You had an older team that won on a fluke goal, and Canada never gets to play their 19 year olds because they're already in the league.

Thats what I think anyways. :dunno:



This is what I think in response: :razz: We still won!!!
 
No Leopold and Schnieder on defence hurts big time, but why players like Mike York, Eric Cole and Paul Mara were left off this team just makes me shake my head. And the US team is so old - if NHL players are playing in the '06 Olympics, the Americans are going to look really bad. Most of these guys were in their prime in '96 for crying out loud.

Guys like Chelios, Hull and Tkachuk are starting to play and act like bitter old men now. Even competitors like Weight and Gerein look like they don't really want to be there. They could still prove me wrong, but so far the US team has been a big disappointment.
 
Wolfpack said:
No Leopold and Schnieder on defence hurts big time, but why players like Mike York, Eric Cole and Paul Mara were left off this team just makes me shake my head. And the US team is so old - if NHL players are playing in the '06 Olympics, the Americans are going to look really bad. Most of these guys were in their prime in '96 for crying out loud.

Guys like Chelios, Hull and Tkachuk are starting to play and act like bitter old men now. Even competitors like Weight and Gerein look like they don't really want to be there. They could still prove me wrong, but so far the US team has been a big disappointment.

then lets hope for a 5-0 Russian route tomorrow ;) ... what better way to actually get change than to absolutely get hammered by your biggest rival since the 80's
 
Wolfpack said:
No Leopold and Schnieder on defence hurts big time, but why players like Mike York, Eric Cole and Paul Mara were left off this team just makes me shake my head. And the US team is so old - if NHL players are playing in the '06 Olympics, the Americans are going to look really bad. Most of these guys were in their prime in '96 for crying out loud.

Guys like Chelios, Hull and Tkachuk are starting to play and act like bitter old men now. Even competitors like Weight and Gerein look like they don't really want to be there. They could still prove me wrong, but so far the US team has been a big disappointment.


Since when is an average age of 32 old? This is a veteran line-up for a veteran tournament that is likey this group of players last go of it. The next international tournament will feature a much differant squad.
 
Seven_Nation_Army said:
then lets hope for a 5-0 Russian route tomorrow ;) ... what better way to actually get change than to absolutely get hammered by your biggest rival since the 80's

What kind of changes would you have suggested? Anyone you frame it, this is basically the best group of players we could have gotten for this tournament.
 
Marshall said:
Mara was the name that surprised me being left off the team.


He must have declined. There's no other reason he was left off the team, especially since he suited up for the U.S. at the World Championships.
 
The biggest problems for the US are:

#1. A severe lack of top end talented players age 25-31.

#2. Missing defense corps.

#3. The sudden decline of Mike Modano. The US needs him to be a dominant player. In Salt Lake he may have been the best player in the tournament. He had an awful year last year in Dallas, and in that first game against the Canadians he was dreadful (The US started playing better once Modano got hurt).

Modano seemed to be reverting to the player he was before Hitchcock showed up.
 
Rabid Ranger said:
Since when is an average age of 32 old? This is a veteran line-up for a veteran tournament that is likey this group of players last go of it. The next international tournament will feature a much differant squad.

Welcome to HF.
 
Bohologo said:
There is no doubt that the constituency of these boards favours youth, but 32 years is well past prime years for most athletes.

Not true in the case of defensemen for the most part. D-men don't really reach their prime until 30 IMO, and it usually lasts until 33. Forwards usually have a prime that lasts from 28-31 or so, so I don't really think that 32 is such a stretch, especially in such a short tournament where you don't really have to conserve energy.
 
Bohologo said:
There is no doubt that the constituency of these boards favours youth, but 32 years is well past prime years for most athletes.

I'll disagree there.

IMO 25-31 is a hockey player's "prime".
 
Rabid Ranger said:
Leopold, Hatcher, and Schneider would have made a big differance.
Totally agree with this. Especially with Schneider...he played out of his mind last year and I think that could've equated to a solid World Cup. Mike Dunham not being there is a little hard to understand as well, with a decent amount of international experience he prolly could've helped prepare Esche better than the others.

I also would've liked to have seen Mike York, Brian Gionta and Adam Hall get some consideration, for they all could've given this dead group a little youth and zest.

If we lose tonight to the Russians, which I believe will happen, I hope it will serve as a wake up call that these old timers aren't always the answer for the States.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad