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World Cup: Lombardi questions Team USA's current leadership group after the Sochi failure

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JayKing

JayKing

Go Habs Go
Dec 30, 2011
15,235
421
Montreal
The braintrust of USA Hockey has analyzed the failure of the 2014 Sochi Olympic team’s failure to medal from every angle. To hear World Cup of Hockey GM Dean Lombardi tell it, one aspect of that failure was a lack of leadership.
“Some of our top players, in that mid-range group in the last Olympics, probably didn’t realize it was their team now,†he said.

In the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Team USA featured veteran names like Jamie Langenbrunner and Chris Drury, who were there as leaders of a young roster of NHL players.

“The training wheels were taken off†for Sochi, said Lombardi. “It was your time. And I don’t think they realized it at that time.â€

So in speaking about Team USA for the World Cup of Hockey next September in Toronto, Lombardi specifically mentioned three players that will have to know it’s their team now: Zach Parise and Ryan Suter of the Minnesota Wild, and Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers.
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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/dean-lombardi-calls-out-team-usa-leadership-192919588.html



Fair criticism or no?
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Their own coach didn't exactly give them a vote of confidence by changing tactics once they played Canada. Other than the bronze medal game the American players didn't seem to have an issue.
 
JackSlater said:
Their own coach didn't exactly give them a vote of confidence by changing tactics once they played Canada. Other than the bronze medal game the American players didn't seem to have an issue.
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Now that Shero is out as GM of Pittsburgh and Lombardi is in US fans don't have to be concerned with a coach being lobbied for. Many hockey fans predicted that Bylsma wouldn't mange the big games, in Sochi, well and they were right.

Unfortunately Burke is still involved but I don't see him being able to boss Lombardi around like BB did with Poile during the 2014 Sochi team selection meetings. Burke campaigning to keep Ryan out was a complete joke.

To answer the OPs question - Yes it was good for Lombardi to make that statement.
 
ecemleafs said:
we lost by a goal in the semifinals. its not like we flamed out.
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The US was dominated by Canada as much as one team can be when losing by a goal. Unlike the 2010 finals, Canada dictated the pace of play the large majority of game in Sochi 2014 semi-finals. Then, as we all know, Team USA was embarrassed by Finland in the bronze medal game. It was a relatively poor performance after the way the team played in Vancouver 2010.

When the same thing happened to Canada in 1998 we re-evaluated our entire hockey program. :laugh: Making Lombardi GM of Team USA makes them a tougher opponent for Canada, IMO.
 
JackSlater said:
Their own coach didn't exactly give them a vote of confidence by changing tactics once they played Canada. Other than the bronze medal game the American players didn't seem to have an issue.
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The bigger mistake IMO was giving the coaching job to Dan Bylsma of all people, and letting David Poile choose the team. If anyone else was at the helm, we'd be talking about USA at the very least having put up a crazy fight.

I don't want to see either of those 2 clowns near USA Hockey ever again.
 
ZoneEntry67 said:
The bigger mistake IMO was giving the coaching job to Dan Bylsma of all people, and letting David Poile choose the team. If anyone else was at the helm, we'd be talking about USA at the very least having put up a crazy fight.

I don't want to see either of those 2 clowns near USA Hockey ever again.
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Poile is competent as a GM at least. Bylsma simply isn't a very good coach. You can't change tactics in a short tournament when your team is playing well and seemingly with confidence. I don't see how the players can be blamed for a leadership issue after losing to Canada by the same margin that they did in 2010, especially when Canada played much better in 2014.
 
JackSlater said:
Poile is competent as a GM at least. Bylsma simply isn't a very good coach. You can't change tactics in a short tournament when your team is playing well and seemingly with confidence. I don't see how the players can be blamed for a leadership issue after losing to Canada by the same margin that they did in 2010, especially when Canada played much better in 2014.
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and now Team USA wants Jack to play on the men's team and not on the kiddie team. Rebuffed by the league.

This is quickly becoming a farce for the ages.
 
JackSlater said:
Their own coach didn't exactly give them a vote of confidence by changing tactics once they played Canada. Other than the bronze medal game the American players didn't seem to have an issue.
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Exactly and we have seen this before when teams seem to lose interest a bit after a very close and emotional game and not being able to compete for Olympic gold.
 
Mr Writer said:
and now Team USA wants Jack to play on the men's team and not on the kiddie team. Rebuffed by the league.

This is quickly becoming a farce for the ages.
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do you have a link for that?

we all know Eichel and McDavid would make their respective national teams , they are that good.
 
Hardyvan123 said:
do you have a link for that?

we all know Eichel and McDavid would make their respective national teams , they are that good.
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McDavid would...he's that good. As far as Jack goes, he hasn't really impressed all that much. There are other U24 players Team USA could use more than Jack. If I were Lombardi I'd be asking for Gaudreau first and leave Jack on the kiddie team.

but who cares, it's just pre-season NHL exhibition anyway.
 
Dolemite said:
I'm still waiting for someone to make a similar statement about the monumental failure of Team USA at last year's World Juniors.
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The Olympic US was much bigger disappointment than the WJC US team. The big difference is kids vs NHL vets that Lombardi is calling out. Teeanage athletes are much more unpredictable.
 
We lost to Canada because Canada was the better team. It is what it is. The bronze medal game was embarrassing but I don't really put much stock in it.

This isn't some horror show like Nagano or Turin.
 
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