GDT: USA-Russia 25.12, 7:30 p.m Local Time

[Slick Nick]

I watched the game today and thought poeple on this thread were way too negative about the Russian team. It was clearly the most skilled team on the ice. IMO the US was lucky to win the game. Especially with the kind of hockey Russia presented in the third period.

Russian forwards created tons of scoring chances, and totally dominated the game after the first period. The US only scored on turnovers and russian errors, barely creating chances. The Ovechkin-Pestunov-Lisin line was all over the ice, spinning around D's. The 3 first lines were incredible, lot's of guys going in front of the net. Malkin is such a great passer, Gersonsky should put Radulov on his line, which seems to have some problems at finishing the plays. Shafigulin was impressive too, and Galimov had some great moments. Overall, I was really impressed with the team's forwards, I don't remember a Russian squad with so much talent/grit/size up front.

The defense was horrible in the first period, but it was acceptable after that. Ezhov made such bad passes, I remember someone pointed out he had struggled the whole year in the RSL, now I understand why. Panin sucked too, Vorobiev was ok. Rylov has a heck of a shot, I like his offensive game. Emelin was mostly invisible except for the nasty crosschek.

I think this team is going to have a great tournament, it's only a matter of chemistry. It's was getting better and better through out the game. Little less errors from the defense, more defensive support from the forwards -- more cohesion/chemistry -- and this team is gonna be flaming hot for the quarters andthe semis.

I'm really optimistic for the rest of the tournament.

 

[littleHossa]

Problem is that if you don't get the 1st round bye, you're probably not going to go to the gold medal game, the schedule is just too hard. Yet another reason to expand the team limit so instead of a first round bye you get a guaranteed-win against the #7-8 playoff seed and everyone a day off.

Anyway.. I found this interesting about Rylov, check his hockeydb profile:

Yakov Rylov Defense
Born Jan 15 1985
Height 5.10 -- Weight 143

He wasn't drafted unfortunally, he's only 5'10 but check his weight! he's paper thin, maybe he didn't crack any lineups against people 70 pounds heavier than him but he has the skills and with time could be a good defenseman.

 

[rt]

those announcers were brutal. aside from the big guns from russia..they avoided naming names, since they clearly couldn't pronounce any. casey borer=casey boy-yay? sheesh.

CHOWDA!!!

Thick Boston accents are hilarious. Chris Bourque's was off the charts too. Hilarious. Those people make me want to pahk m'cah at dabah rather than park my car at the bar.

 

[MOGiLNY]

Well I watched the game today, and can't say I'm too excited.

Horrible play in the defense. Not only did we let the US push us around, but we were also pretty bad with the puck, and there've been more than just a few giveaways in our own zone.

Offensively, I'm not too excited neither. Ofcourse we got 4 goals on Montoya against the defending champions, but the powerplay was atrocious. I don't think we created at least one good offensive chance when we had a one man advantage, in fact I think US was more offensively dangerous on OUR powerplay..

Also seems that there was not a lot of coaching done by Gersonsky.. I think the guys just played shinny hockey over there, and if not for the skill of guys like Ovechkin and Malkin, we woulldn't have scored all those goals.

On the positive side, we played pretty crappy, but still gave US, the defending champs a run for their money, and I definitely think that with some adjustments this team would beat the US if they were to meet in the tournament again.

 

[regdunlap7]

Jim Rich and Andy Brickley. I thought Brickley was astute, although a bit dry. Rich was pretty bad. Sounds kind of like Dan Kelly Jr.

Brickley does about half of the Boston Bruins games on local tv. He's a Boston-area guy so his accent is offputting to some others not from the area. He did have a couple of good years as a player though.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I watched the game today and thought poeple on this thread were way too negative about the Russian team. It was clearly the most skilled team on the ice. IMO the US was lucky to win the game. Especially with the kind of hockey Russia presented in the third period.

Russian forwards created tons of scoring chances, and totally dominated the game after the first period. The US only scored on turnovers and russian errors, barely creating chances. The Ovechkin-Pestunov-Lisin line was all over the ice, spinning around D's. The 3 first lines were incredible, lot's of guys going in front of the net. Malkin is such a great passer, Gersonsky should put Radulov on his line, which seems to have some problems at finishing the plays. Shafigulin was impressive too, and Galimov had some great moments. Overall, I was really impressed with the team's forwards, I don't remember a Russian squad with so much talent/grit/size up front.

The defense was horrible in the first period, but it was acceptable after that. Ezhov made such bad passes, I remember someone pointed out he had struggled the whole year in the RSL, now I understand why. Panin sucked too, Vorobiev was ok. Rylov has a heck of a shot, I like his offensive game. Emelin was mostly invisible except for the nasty crosschek.

I think this team is going to have a great tournament, it's only a matter of chemistry. It's was getting better and better through out the game. Little less errors from the defense, more defensive support from the forwards -- more cohesion/chemistry -- and this team is gonna be flaming hot for the quarters andthe semis.

I'm really optimistic for the rest of the tournament.

Typical. Russia dominates with it's skills but the U.S. is lucky because of turnovers or bad bounces. Whatever. I'll give credit to Russia for coming back and not only making a game of it, but really pouring the heat on in the 3rd, but the same should be done to the U.S. The U.S. victory was just as much because of skill and offensive flair as hard work and turnovers, unless you think just anyone could score those kind of goals......

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Brickley does about half of the Boston Bruins games on local tv. He's a Boston-area guy so his accent is offputting to some others not from the area. He did have a couple of good years as a player though.

I didn't mind him at all. He made alot of good points. Great accent!

 

[regdunlap7]

I can't remember if it was on his goal or on another shot, but there was one time when Ovechkin was skating in on the right and the next thing you knew the shot was on net. I mean, I don't even think I saw his stick move for a shot and yet the puck was like a laser. He's gotta damn quick release with a blazing shot. He's gonna score a ton of goals in the NHL (stating the obvious).

 

[nomorekids]

Typical. Russia dominates with it's skills but the U.S. is lucky because of turnovers or bad bounces. Whatever. I'll give credit to Russia for coming back and not only making a game of it, but really pouring the heat on in the 3rd, but the same should be done to the U.S. The U.S. victory was just as much because of skill and offensive flair as hard work and turnovers, unless you think just anyone could score those kind of goals......

agreed. i don't know what game he watched, but until about midway through the third, the russians could barely get a quality shot, while the americans were going end to end over and over again. they can claim that if the russians had played a full game, they would have won...or the americans can claim that had montoya not had the wiggles to start the game, the game would have been over in the second.

 

[MOGiLNY]

US got the win, and they deserved it because they were the better team, I'm not going to argue that.

But nomorekids, can you really tell me with a straight face that Russia played solid hockey in this game?? I believe a couple of the US goals came from either unforced giveaways or were a result of poor play by the defensemen.

I think you also have to realize that in the third period, 95% of the game was played in the American zone.

Again, US deserved the win, but you can't tell me Russia played a flawless game and lost because they just weren't good enough.

 

[VOB]

I'm really optimistic for the rest of the tournament.

And why not? After all, Russia is notorious for its slow starts and tremendous finishes.

 

[nomorekids]

US got the win, and they deserved it because they were the better team, I'm not going to argue that.

But nomorekids, can you really tell me with a straight face that Russia played solid hockey in this game?? I believe a couple of the US goals came from either unforced giveaways or were a result of poor play by the defensemen.

I think you also have to realize that in the third period, 95% of the game was played in the American zone.

Again, US deserved the win, but you can't tell me Russia played a flawless game and lost because they just weren't good enough.

that's not what i said, but this is canada\usa-last year all over again. no one can accept that the americans won..it's "oh, the russians lost!"

do you realize how frustrating that is? this loss wasn't a fluke. the americans earned it, and it would be nice if people could recognize that a skilled team won the game...over another skilled team.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

US got the win, and they deserved it because they were the better team, I'm not going to argue that.

But nomorekids, can you really tell me with a straight face that Russia played solid hockey in this game?? I believe a couple of the US goals came from either unforced giveaways or were a result of poor play by the defensemen.

I think you also have to realize that in the third period, 95% of the game was played in the American zone.

Again, US deserved the win, but you can't tell me Russia played a flawless game and lost because they just weren't good enough.

Can you admit that one of the reasons Russia didn't play solid hockey for much of the game was because of intense U.S. pressure created on the forecheck? As for the 3rd period, it's amazing what a motivating factor being down by a goal in an important game is.

 

[MOGiLNY]

that's not what i said, but this is canada\usa-last year all over again. no one can accept that the americans won..it's "oh, the russians lost!"

do you realize how frustrating that is? this loss wasn't a fluke. the americans earned it, and it would be nice if people could recognize that a skilled team won the game...over another skilled team.

in my post, i said it TWICE, that US won the game and deserved to do so, what more do you want?? should I say that this is the greatest team ever assembled?

it's great that you realize that the US won the game, they even got a bad break when Shirikov got that penalty shot which should never have been called, but you have to admit that Russia did not play anywhere near it's potential

 

[nomorekids]

in my post, i said it TWICE, that US won the game and deserved to do so, what more do you want?? should I say that this is the greatest team ever assembled?

it's great that you realize that the US won the game, they even got a bad break when Shirikov got that penalty shot which should never have been called, but you have to admit that Russia did not play anywhere near it's potential

and that's fine..but acknowledge that in the third..neither did the US...and in the first two...neither did Montoya. It's a bit of a wash.

 

[ALF AmericanLionsFan]

Fun game to watch and I'll take this win against the Russians who did not play as good as they can. Obviously first game of tourney for both teams. Glad to see Montoya settle down and have a good second half to the game.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

in my post, i said it TWICE, that US won the game and deserved to do so, what more do you want?? should I say that this is the greatest team ever assembled?

it's great that you realize that the US won the game, they even got a bad break when Shirikov got that penalty shot which should never have been called, but you have to admit that Russia did not play anywhere near it's potential

Actually, I think they did play to their potential, which is a team that has a great offense, servicable goaltender, and a questionable defense. Russia isn't going to shut-out anyone in this tournament, that's for sure. They're going to have to outgun the opposition, and I don't know how sound a philosophy that is.

 

[MOGiLNY]

and that's fine..but acknowledge that in the third..neither did the US...and in the first two...neither did Montoya. It's a bit of a wash.

Well I was going to bring up Khudobin in my original post, but then I realized that Montoya wasn't much better, so they cancel each other out..

 

[MOGiLNY]

Actually, I think they did play to their potential, which is a team that has a great offense, servicable goaltender, and a questionable defense. Russia isn't going to shut-out anyone in this tournament, that's for sure. They're going to have to outgun the opposition, and I don't know how sound a philosophy that is.

You honestly believe that this is as good as this team Russia can play?

 

[SwisshockeyAcademy]

Fun game to watch and I'll take this win against the Russians who did not play as good as they can. Obviously first game of tourney for both teams. Glad to see Montoya settle down and have a good second half to the game.

Agreed fun game to watch. I just finished watching on tape delay. The Russian defense made some unbelievable unforced errors, many of the Russian forwards did not take very good care of the puck in their own zone either- especially Nikulin/Parshin. Some terrific offensive play from both teams however, very tricky. Montoya was excellent after a subpar first half. To sum it up? A turnover fest, some forced some not and some fine entertainment.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

You honestly believe that this is as good as this team Russia can play?

I think Russia will continue to score goals but at the same time have trouble keeping pucks out of their own net. To me that isn't a recipe for gold. Don't get me wrong, the U.S. has the same up-hill climb. Our defense (and goaltending) wasn't at it's best either.

 

[espo*]

To me it looked like both teams have a lot to work on out there........the defense from both teams was pretty bad and they 'll just have to get better to win this thing. Hagemo might want to start playing the body instead of the puck all the time....i'd be nervous as hell giving that guy a regular shift unless he turns his defensive game around....suter is going to be so important to their team this year....they'll have to ride him a lot.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

To me it looked like both teams have a lot to work on out there........the defense from both teams was pretty bad and they 'll just have to get better to win this thing. Hagemo might want to start playing the body instead of the puck all the time....i'd be nervous as hell giving that guy a regular shift unless he turns his defensive game around....suter is going to be so important to their team this year....they'll have to ride him a lot.

I'll agree that the U.S. defense needs to tighten things up, but really, if Montoya was sharper he would have topped two or even three of those goals.

 

[Crossroads*]

Montoya is pulling another MAF.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Montoya is pulling another Fleury.

Not really, since Montoya actually showed up in the 3rd period.