If they win the Gold I’m not going to care about a loss in the round robin.
Otherwise, why even have one at all?
If it means the team has to go through much tougher competition at this point through the elimination games, well that’s the bed that was made.
I agree that the loss is concerning and it’s hard to believe that a team that can lose to Latvia, as well as they played, will take care of business against USA, Sweden etc.
But we’ll see. Let’s see what they are made of.
I'm not seeing it. Look, in the 2010 Olympics we had a close call. Switzerland took us to a shootout in the round robin for some reason. Crosby scored the winner and we won. It was one of those "Okay, a win is a win" type of things but at least we came out with a win. Team Canada in 1976 - probably the best team ever - had a game like this against the USA. We won 4-2. We were up 3-0 in full control and then the US with no star NHL players narrowed it down to 3-2 in the 3rd period and Sittler then popped an empty netter at the end. Closer than it should be, but even so there are times a great team has a closer call than they want but at the end of the day you STILL win it. This team didn't. Canada had a close call in the 2014 Olympics with Latvia but at least still won it, and this was the quarterfinals. It was 2-1 and in that game the ice was tilted to the point where when the Latvians carried the puck past centre ice you took notice, because it rarely happened. That's how dominant that game was. Yet Canada still won - in regulation - and didn't allow a goal the rest of the tournament.
I am not sure this team can overcome this mentally. A team with only two NHL drafted players who you beat 10-0 a year ago comes into your home rink on your home soil and embarrasses you in what is the most shocking loss your country has possibly ever had in a hockey game. This is epic proportions type of historically bad. They lose to Finland, fine. It isn't pretty, but at least its Finland. Latvia? I mean, Latvia?
Personally, I’m chalking this one up to bad management, bad coaching and underestimating your opponent. Much like in 2006 in Torino.
And we all remember how Canada performed after that demoralizing loss to the Swiss in the 2006 Olympics right? They scored three goals in their next three games, with two more shutouts against them. When you lose to a team like Latvia, you just quite often can't come back from it. And I am trying to find a tournament where a gold medal team in any tournament (Worlds, Olympics, WJC) lost to a relegation bound team and then still won the gold. It deflates you. Can you imagine the trolling that is going to happen to them in the New Year's Eve game when the US players mock them for losing to Latvia after the US pounds them - I assume it will be a blowout - 9-0 or something? This is to be laid at the feet of Cameron, he didn't have the players ready. He is a disgrace of a coach and why they picked him just shows you the old boys club is thick.
