ESPN: NHL Olympics Decision costs Team USA shot at gold

[Snippit]

The NHL's Olympics decision costs Team USA shot at gold

I won't go so far as to say that the NHL and the IOC conspired to keep players out of the 2018 Games to save Canada the embarrassment of getting dominated by the United States of America. But I won't outright dismiss the theory.

I think the author might be on to something here. The Canadians had to have known their streak was coming to an end, so they orchestrated this to save face. After all, the American roster on paper (boasting of a Lemieux-level talent with intangibles) was so clearly superior to Canada's that domination was a foregone conclusion. It's so obvious and so many people don't bother to see it.

Open your eyes, people!

Click to read more...

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I guess ESPN thought they were being taken too seriously as of late and wanted to correct that

 

[LeafsNation75]

Who knows how the Americans would have done if the NHL players were allowed to play. However I still think Canada would have been the favorites going in because they won the Gold in 2010 and 2014. Plus in the end the NHL decision cost all countries involved a shot at Gold and not just the United States.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Right, because no one anywhere wanted to see McDavid and Crosby on the same team.

 

[Bjorn Le]

Did Wyshynski become a horrible writer or did ESPN put him up to this nonsense? The ridiculousness of saying in one paragraph that it's an inevitability the Americans win a gold medal, than in the next making fun of the US roster at Pyeongchang but saying they could still win because it's a short tournament.

 

[JackSlater]

Canada was scared of USA and cancelled the Olympic hockey tournament. Sad!

 

[newfy]

I'm not even going to click the article. But I will say I dont think Canada is too scared of anyone in hockey, when was their last mens team loss?

Hell, Sweden is a scarier team than the States are with their defense

 

[LeafsNation75]

I'm not even going to click the article. But I will say I dont think Canada is too scared of anyone in hockey, when was their last mens team loss?

Hell, Sweden is a scarier team than the States are with their defense

Their last loss at the Olympics was to the United States in the Round Robin in 2010.

 

[snipes]

Canada would have steamrolled the Yanks when it counted most.

ESPN is pathetic.

 

[Flyers1928]

HAHHAHAHAH...hilarious

 

[El Travo]

Pathetic. These writers and those in agreement are straight up pathetic.

 

[ek93]

Now I know why ESPN doesn't even bother to try to talk hockey most of the time...

 

[Knave]

Well I have a new phrase to add to my list of least favorite phrases: "But I won't outright dismiss the theory".

Sounds like an antivaxer.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Burke would take guys like Dubinsky and over Matthews and Eichel.

 

[belair]

 

[CuriousGeorge]

The NHL's Olympics decision costs Team USA shot at gold

I won't go so far as to say that the NHL and the IOC conspired to keep players out of the 2018 Games to save Canada the embarrassment of getting dominated by the United States of America. But I won't outright dismiss the theory.

I think the author might be on to something here. The Canadians had to have known their streak was coming to an end, so they orchestrated this to save face. After all, the American roster on paper (boasting of a Lemieux-level talent with intangibles) was so clearly superior to Canada's that domination was a foregone conclusion. It's so obvious and so many people don't bother to see it.

Open your eyes, people!

ESPN is in the same boat as Eklund.

 

[Korpse]

Did Wyshynski become a horrible writer or did ESPN put him up to this nonsense? The ridiculousness of saying in one paragraph that it's an inevitability the Americans win a gold medal, than in the next making fun of the US roster at Pyeongchang but saying they could still win because it's a short tournament.

Wyshynski has always been a terrible writer and his hockey knowledge has always been even worse.

 

[StreetHawk]

A shot is anything above 0% right? So, technically not wrong.

But, still have to get through Canada, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Czechs, and slovaks.

 

[StreetHawk]

A shot is anything above 0% right? So, technically not wrong.

But, still have to get through Canada, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Czechs, and slovaks.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Canada would have steamrolled the Yanks when it counted most.

ESPN is pathetic.

without a doubt. I love Matthews, but Canada's 4th line would be about as strong as USA's first line. The gap in defense is also massive

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

If there's one thing the NHL wants to conspire against, it's success and exposure for American hockey.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Those pesky Americans who were suppose to win the 2014 Olympics and World Cup but still lost in the Olympics and couldn’t win a single game in the World Cup. They were a sure thing.

 

[Mickey Marner]

I regret giving that page hit.

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

Canada was scared of USA and cancelled the Olympic hockey tournament. Sad!

Lmao

Forreal though is this writer f***in serious? Canada would have crushed the Americans, and I say this as somebody born and raised in the states.

 

[Habsrule]

Crosby, McDavid, Bergeron, Stamkos, Tavares, Benn, Giroux, Seguin, Getzlaf, MacKinnon, Scheifele, Marchand, Monahan, Toews

Burns, Subban, Weber, Keith, Doughty, Pietrangelo, Ekblad

Price, Holtby, Fleury


In five minutes I just came up with my own projected roster. I know that the States have improved over the last four years but this team would still be very tough to beat. Being Canadian I am biased but I would still have this roster as the favourite for gold.