GDT: Feb. 20 • Women's Gold Medal Game • Canada vs. United States • Pt IV

[Alwalys]

lol the puck was completely covered and she slashed the tender in the pads/hand? Canada deserved to win and they did, all is well in the hockey world

no person who has watched hockey can honestly call that a slash. there wasn't even a slashing motion. it was a very, very deliberate push/poke at the puck, which is the very least EVERY player in front of the goalie in that situation MUST do or they are not playing serious hockey.

 

[Shrimper]

she didn't do the same thing. she played the puck and appeared to be very careful to only play the puck. that makes the ref's call a phantom, and phantoms are never, ever justified.

Clearly, the referee felt different and regardless of the call America lost that due to collapsing in the third late on. Neither goal came on a PP so you cannot blame the referees for that.

 

[stampedingviking]

Sorry that it cheapens the win for you, but I know you saw it as clearly as everyone else in the world did. You saw the US dominating Canada in the zone. You weren't surprised Canada took a penalty there.

And then you saw the ref make a completely ridiculous, completely phantom even-up call.

I know it sucks to admit that that is what turned the game in your favor, but that doesn't mean it didn't.

People try to say the US choked in the 3rd, but no. Canada just came on strong and, like nearly every hockey game ever between two teams fairly close in talent, Canada got the better of the play being down 2 goals. The fact is, the US had broken that momentum in OT and was dominating when the awful call was made that turned the game for the last time.

How stupid do you have to be as a hockey player when you've already been warned to then commit the same infringement? It's a really boneheaded play when the game is as close as it's been all the way through and your team is on a pp.

Stupid, just stupid.

 

[Canuck21t]

I don't know why so many people are saying the U.S. men should beat Canada. I have zero confidence in any meaningful game against Canada no matter how much better the American team looks. It's obvious God does not want the U.S. beating Canada in hockey.

I think most people would agree that the U.S. has caught up to Canada to the point that it's basically a toss up every time the teams meet now. But no matter how many times we flip the coin, it keeps landing on the Canadian side.

I love your post and I do feel sorry for you Americans right now, but there's a good chance God will change its mind tomorrow if you've been good.

 

[SenzZen]

That will be a penalty all day of every day in women's hockey.

And I'd probably be less critical of it in every game that didn't determine the gold medal winner. In OT.

 

[BLONG7]

Both teams can hold their heads high after that game...

 

[Megahab]

So, you've won the last 2 Olympics... the last 3 out of 4... But no, the turnover is huge every 4 years for Canadian hockey and they're magically the underdog this time around with a roster that features... Toews, Crosby, Doughty, Weber, Carter, Duchene, Vlasic, Keith, etc. etc

I'm not saying Canada are the underdogs, but it is possible, especially in the Olympics, for a reigning champion to be an underdog, just because there is a whole four years between tournaments and so much can change. And what if an underdog goes on a cinderella run and wins the Gold (or any championship) one year. Would they automatically be favourites the next time?

Also, Canada hasn't won the last 2 Olympic Golds or 3 of the last 4...they won in 2002 and 2010, 2 of the last 3.

 

[BMOK33]

Refs determined the outcome on my book. The Canada goalie was better than the US. The way it goes.

Vetter's biggest mistake was not covering up the puck that resulted in the tying goal, I also felt she was slow getting across on the game winner as Poulin more or less made a mistake on that shot as she actually put it more into the middle of the net and probably wanted it more on the near side, I'm not 100 percent Poulin was not trying to fool her by going back against the grain but it appeared she semi flugged it to me

 

[SenzZen]

of course it was a phantom. you know as well as the rest of the world does, that's simply not a slash. warnings don't justify phantoms. period.



You may be in denial, but you know as well as the rest of the world that that player made that play there because the US was dominating them in the zone. That was a desperation play to break up a dominating cycle, and it gets called ALL the time in leagues where hitting is actually legal. In a league where it's not legal, that's a 100% no-brainer call. The US forced that player into making that desperation hit with their dominating zone play. That is exactly the reason to call that penalty there.

Why is that?

 

[MNState0fHockey]

Perhaps it was coaching but Kevin Dineen is a pretty horrendous coach I think the veteran presence on Canada may have been the difference maker.

All I know is some of the decisions Stone made were absolutely baffling. Putting Knight in for big faceoffs late or Kessel on the ice for 4x4 and 3x3 hockey should have been no brainers. Again, credit Canada because your team played so well defensively. Was very impressed.

 

[RECCE]

 

[Alwalys]

Clearly, the referee felt different and regardless of the call America lost that due to collapsing in the third late on. Neither goal came on a PP so you cannot blame the referees for that.

goalie was pulled so it's not a PP in name only. regardless, the "collapsing in the third" is not a real point, because only very mismatched games end up with the team that is 2 goals up continuing to carry play. literally almost every competitive game in that situation sees the team that is losing carry play. that is just how hockey works.

so to guard against that situation, the team has to look to amass a cushion earlier in the game, which is what they did. so they got to go to OT.

they came out and outplayed canada badly in OT, and drew a penalty. 4 on 3 pps are extremely dangerous and when a team is rolling are very likely to end the game. the phantom call very likely changed the outcome of the game.

them's the facts whether you like it or not.

 

[Confucius]

Congratulations Ladies, 20 straight Olympic game victories. Four straight Gold medals, Canadian girls rock.

 

[Bures Elbow]

HAHAHAH

That should their new logo!!!!!

 

[Lady Scarlet]

If you've been warned about doing something and that doing the same thing again will result in a penalty, then it isn't a phantom call. It was justified.

EXACTLY this ^^^^. How is a player so blatantly stupid as to give the referee the opportunity to make good and follow through on the warning given earlier??

 

[Lebanese Leaf]

Maybe it's because I was raised by parents from Portugal who came to American in the 70's and that is why I enjoy the international competitions especially in soccer, but I get what you're saying about some Americans attitudes towards sports in general. Here it seems like everyone loves the winner and doesn't really care for the loser. I just wanted to point out that not every American is like that. Thank you for expanding on your point and explaining it to me. Congratulations once again and here's to a great game tomorrow

Cheers.

Also, nice to see another soccer fan. I'm actually rooting for you guys (USA) in Brazil this summer. Having an MLS team in Toronto and especially after TFC signed Bradley, I like US soccer more.

 

[BMOK33]

How stupid do you have to be as a hockey player when you've already been warned to then commit the same infringement? It's a really boneheaded play when the game is as close as it's been all the way through and your team is on a pp.

Stupid, just stupid.

Probably in her mind she felt she was simply taking a whack at the puck near the goalie's pad and was not necessarily viewing it as what she had been warned about earlier.

 

[Alwalys]

EXACTLY this ^^^^. How is a player so blatantly stupid as to give the referee the opportunity to make good and follow through on the warning given earlier??

she didn't give the ref the opportunity, the ref called a phantom on a normal hockey play. i wouldn't even call that a particularly good hockey play, it was clearly a less-than-hard attempt on the puck because of the ref's warning. This is like being warned not to snow shower a goalie, then going hard to the paint without throwing any snow, and getting called for snowing the goalie.

you HAVE to make that play or you're screwing up. that's just normal hockey that got called as a penalty because the ref wanted to change what was happening in the game.

that's garbage from the ref, 100%, no ifs, ands or buts.

 

[Evil Doctor]

Due to the arguments over the non-call of the penalty shot I would like to weigh in with my opinion. Looking at the replays of the Haley breakaway this is what I've noticed. Knight catches up to Haley faster than she expected so she tried to go around to give her a better angle and one that would possibly not be called a penalty. Her right skate clips Haley's skate as she is doing this and she lunges forward. Neither glove hand comes off of her stick but there clearly is a tugging motion on the back of Haley's jersey causing her right leg to lunge far more forward than a normal stride to retain balance. The only thing that I can think of is the butt-end of Knights stick got caught in the bottom corner of Haley's jersey as she was falling down, causing the tug and subsequent loss of balance by Haley. It's quite possible had that not happened, Haley would have kept her balance from the skate clip and gone in all alone.

That was how I saw it. I'm certain Knight was trying to gain position on Wickenheiser. I also think it was the butt-end of the stick that seems to pull on the jersey but I don't think it had much impact because Hayley was already unbalanced and falling.

As for it being a cross-check, Knight had her stick up with both hands on it in an attempt to gain more speed and when her skates clipped and she started to fall her hands moved forward in a cross-checking motion. From behind it no doubt looked like a cross-check even though the stick never connected in that manner...

 

[Shrimper]

goalie was pulled so it's not a PP in name only. regardless, the "collapsing in the third" is not a real point, because only very mismatched games end up with the team that is 2 goals up continuing to carry play. literally almost every competitive game in that situation sees the team that is losing carry play. that is just how hockey works.

so to guard against that situation, the team has to look to amass a cushion earlier in the game, which is what they did. so they got to go to OT.

they came out and outplayed canada badly in OT, and drew a penalty. 4 on 3 pps are extremely dangerous and when a team is rolling are very likely to end the game. the phantom call very likely changed the outcome of the game.

them's the facts whether you like it or not.

USA lost because they couldn't finish of Canada and see them off late on. Canada got a lucky goal and then the momentum was with them all the way - and luck what with the post thing.

The goalie was only pulled for the second goal and it doesn't matter if they had an extra skater - it isn't a PP that came about from a referee decision.

They didn't outplay Canada in the OT period badly in my opinion. Apart from a brief spell about a minute in where Zapdos had to be alert they didn't trouble much. Neither did Canada.

 

[stampedingviking]

And I'd probably be less critical of it in every game that didn't determine the gold medal winner. In OT.

Why does it matter when during the game the penalty is committed? A penalty is a penalty.

Oh, I know, the NA mentality that just about anything should be let go in OT/playoffs.

 

[ottawa]

Both teams can hold their heads high after that game...

Especially the Canadians, they literally snatched that Gold medal away. Definitely the greatest game in Canadian women's hockey. Let's hope the men can prove to the world tomorrow that hockey lives in the great white north

 

[CornKicker]

the US fans would have no problem saying they deserved to win if that referee interferred goal would have went into the empty net. that play was more atrocious then anything that happened in OT x2.

 

[ottawa]

she didn't give the ref the opportunity, the ref called a phantom on a normal hockey play. i wouldn't even call that a particularly good hockey play, it was clearly a less-than-hard attempt on the puck because of the ref's warning. This is like being warned not to snow shower a goalie, then going hard to the paint without throwing any snow, and getting called for snowing the goalie.

you HAVE to make that play or you're screwing up. that's just normal hockey that got called as a penalty because the ref wanted to change what was happening in the game.

that's garbage from the ref, 100%, no ifs, ands or buts.

She gave the ref the opportunity, no questions asked.

 

[Alwalys]

They didn't outplay Canada in the OT period badly in my opinion.

Well, your opinion is wrong. They significantly outplayed canada and drew the penalty because of it. They did not outplay canada after the makeup call, but before that the US was dominating the zone.

She gave the ref the opportunity, no questions asked.

No. The ref always has the opportunity to call a phantom because it's a phantom. It doesn't exist. What the player did is irrelevant. The ref chose to make the phantom call to deliberately deny the US a chance on the PP (note, i'm not saying she did this to benefit Canada).