World Cup: Opinions on USA Hockey

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

In Defense of USA Hockey :

After reading the comments from all the “experts†on HF, I felt the need to make 10 points...

• The idea of increasing the Grit level is not without merit. The WC is on small ice. After taking a step back in 2014, I could see USA Hockey believing, on a skill level, they were incapable of beating Canada in a Best Of 3 and hoping grit/tenacity would be an alternative path to victory. After all, if they had sent all skill and were swept by Canada, everyone would be blasting them for not thinking outside the box and making changes.

• A good deal of blame has to be placed at the feet of the players. Management took 3 Top 10 scorers who did NOTHING!!!

MaxP was 26th in scoring (last year) and was beyond horrible. Failing to blame the players is a copout and disingenuous.

• A large chunk of the 2016 team played in Soshi and they did just fine. Now it’s management’s fault for taking them again?

• Anyone who believes the loss of the U23 players made a huge difference is naive. While...

- Gaudreau would have been a terrific addition (he is great!),
- Eichel has been far from great and been moved to the bottom of the U23 team. If you believe he would have made a difference, you are wrong.
- As for Matthews, he would NEVER have been chosen having never played in the NHL - after all, Ovechkin did not play for the Russians in 2004 (he had never played in the NHL) and Matthews is no O.V.

Again, it smells like an excuse because the U.S., like most teams, would not have taken anyone other than Eichel and Gaudreau.

• Prior to this tournament, most posters thought Defense was the U.S. team’s strong suit. They lose and everyone dumps on them.

• What is with all the Quick hate? He has 2(?) Stanley Cup rings and many thought he was the U.S.’s best player in Sochi. If they had played someone else and lost, everyone would be saying, “Why didn’t we play Quick?†Again, disingenuous and hypocritical.

• Kessel’s loss is not as great as many now claim. Remember, like Kane, Kessel is not a “Carry The Team†kind of guy. He is simply not capable. Like Kane, he is great when others do the heavy lifting. The U.S. did not need another player who is incapable of something more.

Also, he was injured. In Sochi, the U.S. was blessed with the healthiest team by far. This time, not so much but still far healthier than Canada. Everyone has injuries, boys. Teams just deal with it.

• Parise, Kesler, Suter and Pavelski are now older and slowing by the day. After 2007, the U.S. had 7 bad drafts in a row. To believe the 2015 and 2016 drafts can fix all that is silly.

• U.S. fans tend to overrate their players. The thread, Could USA be the favorite heading into PyeongChang 2018?, speaks volumes. Perhaps the players are simply not as good as you hope/think. I know no one wants to face that possibility.

• Believe it or not, like it or not, Brian Burke and Dean Lombardi have forgotten more about hockey than most of you will ever know. Remember, EVERYONE is a genius in hindsight. If you think you can do better, please apply for the soon to be vacant jobs at USA Hockey and let us know when you start.

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[hitmen19]

In Defense of USA Hockey :

After reading the comments from all the “experts†on HF, I felt the need to make 10 points...

• The idea of increasing the Grit level is not without merit. The WC is on small ice. After taking a step back in 2014, I could see USA Hockey believing, on a skill level, they were incapable of beating Canada in a Best Of 3 and hoping grit/tenacity would be an alternative path to victory. After all, if they had sent all skill and were swept by Canada, everyone would be blasting them for not thinking outside the box and making changes.

• A good deal of blame has to be placed at the feet of the players. Management took 3 Top 10 scorers who did NOTHING! MaxP was 26th in scoring (last year) and was beyond horrible. Failing to blame the players is a copout and disingenuous.

• A large chunk of the 2016 team played in Soshi and they did just fine. Now it’s management’s fault for taking them again?

• Anyone who believes the loss of the U23 players made a huge difference is naive. While Gaudreau would have been a terrific addition (he is great!), Eichel has been far from great and been moved to the bottom of the U23 team. If you believe he would have made a difference, you are wrong. As for Matthews, he would NEVER have been chosen having never played in the NHL - after all, Ovechkin did not play for the Russians in 2004 and Matthews is no O.V. Again, it smells like an excuse because the U.S., like most teams, would not have taken kids this young.

• Prior to this tournament, most posters thought Defense was the U.S. team’s strong suit. They lose and everyone dumps on them.

• What is with all the Quick hate? He has 2(?) Stanley Cup rings and many thought he was the U.S.’s best player in Sochi. If they had played someone else and lost, everyone would be saying, “Why didn’t we play Quick?†Again, disingenuous and hypocritical.

• Kessel’s loss is not as great as many now claim. Remember, like Kane, Kessel is not a “Carry The Team†kind of guy. He is simply not capable. Like Kane, he is great when others do the heavy lifting. The U.S. did not need another player who is incapable of something more.

Also, he was injured. In Sochi, the U.S. was blessed with the healthiest team by far. This time, not so much but still far healthier than Canada. Everyone has injuries, boys. Teams just deal with it.

• Parise, Kesler, Suter and Pavelski are now older and slowing by the day. After 2007, the U.S. had 7 bad drafts in a row. To believe the 2015 and 2016 drafts can fix all that is silly.

• U.S. fans tend to overrate their players. The thread, Could USA be the favorite heading into PyeongChang 2018?, speaks volumes. Perhaps the players are simply not as good as you hope/think. I know no one wants to face that possibility.

• Believe it or not, like it or not, Brian Burke and Dean Lombardi have forgotten more about hockey than most of you will ever know. Remember, EVERYONE is a genius in hindsight. If you think you can do better, please apply for the soon to be vacant jobs at USA Hockey and let us know when you start.

The problem with making a team with just all grit is assuming the nhlers on say Canada have no grit themselves. Everyone on team Canada has played through the Grit of NHL playoffs, and won't be intimidated or out Grited as you say, whatsoever. They will have just as much grit but with all the skill level to boot

Who doesn't think they can do better then the team that was iced?

 

[KPower]

Hindsight? Pretty sure the USA management was ridiculed right from the announcement of that crap team.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Who doesn't think they can do better then the team that was iced?

I have not posted in a LONG time but I needed to start this thread because I was tired of all the excuses. I stand by what I wrote.

 

[A1LeafNation]

USA hockey has no defence..

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Hindsight? Pretty sure the USA management was ridiculed right from the announcement of that crap team.

I saw a LOT of hockey experts who thought the U.S. team would be in the final against Canada so...

Go to PuckDaddy or ESPN.

When the U.S. beat Canada in the first exhibition games, a lot of posters were sure on board.

 

[satbank]

Hindsight? Pretty sure the USA management was ridiculed right from the announcement of that crap team.

Yep anyone with moderate knowledge of hockey saw this team was a train wreck the moment it was built.

 

[KPower]

I saw a LOT of hockey experts who thought the U.S. team would be in the final against Canada so...

Go to PuckDaddy or ESPN.

Espn

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Espn

They are getting paid well for their opinion. Are you?

 

[A1LeafNation]

Proving that anyone on hfboards can put together a better hockey team. If I'm an owner and employed theses guys... I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of them.

 

[LeafsNation149]

Kessel carried USA on his back in Sochi. Yes he is absolutely a game changer

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Kessel carried USA on his back in Sochi. Yes he is absolutely a game changer

Until the games mattered and then he disappears.

 

[BLNY]

I think a big part of the problem was behind the bench. Sullivan is a good coach, but in no way should Torch be given the reigns. He just doesn't know how to adapt in-game. He has one strategy and that's it.

For guys like Backes, two years (between Sochi and now) is a long two years. Old, slow, and not very creative.

Fingers can be pointed at a lot of players. Bottom line is they were unable to find any chemistry when it counted. When faced with it, Torch wasn't able to find combinations that did work.

 

[Avelanche]

Well next time they should start by selecting the most talented Americans and use the hockey cliches to round out the roster. Like in 2010, than we can compare results.

 

[LeafsNation149]

Until the games mattered and then he disappears.

You mean like the games in the 2016 playoffs where he was arguably their best player?

 

[KPower]

It's easy to pick the best players and let the chips fall where they may.

Burke and company thought they were smarter than everybody else and tried to build a team to beat Canada and they failed miserably and should never run USA hockey again.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

You mean like the games in the 2016 playoffs where he was arguably their best player?

Again, he excels, like Kane, when he does NOT have to carry a team.

 

[gorangers0525]

LOL at USA's defense being good, the need for more grit instead of skill, kane not being able to lead a team and Quick being an upper tier goalie becase his team was good.

 

[LeafsNation149]

Again, he excels, like Kane, when he does NOT have to carry a team.

Then how can you say he disappears when games matter? You honestly make zero sense

 

[Bixby Snyder]

In Defense of USA Hockey :

After reading the comments from all the “experts†on HF, I felt the need to make 10 points...

• The idea of increasing the Grit level is not without merit. The WC is on small ice. After taking a step back in 2014, I could see USA Hockey believing, on a skill level, they were incapable of beating Canada in a Best Of 3 and hoping grit/tenacity would be an alternative path to victory. After all, if they had sent all skill and were swept by Canada, everyone would be blasting them for not thinking outside the box and making changes.

• A good deal of blame has to be placed at the feet of the players. Management took 3 Top 10 scorers who did NOTHING! MaxP was 26th in scoring (last year) and was beyond horrible. Failing to blame the players is a copout and disingenuous.

• A large chunk of the 2016 team played in Soshi and they did just fine. Now it’s management’s fault for taking them again?

• Anyone who believes the loss of the U23 players made a huge difference is naive. While...

- Gaudreau would have been a terrific addition (he is great!),
- Eichel has been far from great and been moved to the bottom of the U23 team. If you believe he would have made a difference, you are wrong.
- As for Matthews, he would NEVER have been chosen having never played in the NHL - after all, Ovechkin did not play for the Russians in 2004 (he had never played in the NHL) and Matthews is no O.V.

Again, it smells like an excuse because the U.S., like most teams, would not have taken kids this young.

• Prior to this tournament, most posters thought Defense was the U.S. team’s strong suit. They lose and everyone dumps on them.

• What is with all the Quick hate? He has 2(?) Stanley Cup rings and many thought he was the U.S.’s best player in Sochi. If they had played someone else and lost, everyone would be saying, “Why didn’t we play Quick?†Again, disingenuous and hypocritical.

• Kessel’s loss is not as great as many now claim. Remember, like Kane, Kessel is not a “Carry The Team†kind of guy. He is simply not capable. Like Kane, he is great when others do the heavy lifting. The U.S. did not need another player who is incapable of something more.

Also, he was injured. In Sochi, the U.S. was blessed with the healthiest team by far. This time, not so much but still far healthier than Canada. Everyone has injuries, boys. Teams just deal with it.

• Parise, Kesler, Suter and Pavelski are now older and slowing by the day. After 2007, the U.S. had 7 bad drafts in a row. To believe the 2015 and 2016 drafts can fix all that is silly.

• U.S. fans tend to overrate their players. The thread, Could USA be the favorite heading into PyeongChang 2018?, speaks volumes. Perhaps the players are simply not as good as you hope/think. I know no one wants to face that possibility.

• Believe it or not, like it or not, Brian Burke and Dean Lombardi have forgotten more about hockey than most of you will ever know. Remember, EVERYONE is a genius in hindsight. If you think you can do better, please apply for the soon to be vacant jobs at USA Hockey and let us know when you start.

Well, well, look who's back.

There is no defense for the bozos who hired Torts and put this team together. there's at least half a dozen players on this team that had no business being there. Seriously how does Jack Johnson make this team, he's a bad NHL defense man yet somehow he's good enough for team USA?

As far as the "Could USA be the favorite heading into PyeongChang 2018?" thread.
How do you know that was started by a US fan?

As far as the US have 7 bad drafts after Kane that just the same nonsense you continuously repeated many times without offering any proof. Those 'bad drafts' as you put it include players such as Gaudreau, Saad, Galchenyuck, Jones, Gibson Werenski and a bunch of other guys I'm not gonna bother listing.

Your 'defense' of USA hockey is nothing but an attempt at a backhanded insult. we get it you hate USA at least come out and just say it.

 

[snipes]

"Akelminer or whatever" is indefensible. That Yank team was trash.

 

[ThatAvsGamer]

So OP is saying team USA shouldn't have been changed?

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Then how can you say he disappears when games matter?

At the Olympics? He did disappear.

 

[TheNewEra]

They are getting paid well for their opinion. Are you?

ok your thread is one thing but you cant actually be trying to justify ESPN as a legit hockey source...right

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Well, well, look who's back.

There is no defense for the bozos who hired Torts and put this team together. there's at least half a dozen players on this team that had no business being there. Seriously how does Jack Johnson make this team, he's a bad NHL defense man yet somehow he's good enough for team USA?

As far as the "Could USA be the favorite heading into PyeongChang 2018?" thread.
How do you know that was started by a US fan?

As far as the US have 7 bad drafts after Kane that just the same nonsense you continuously repeated many times without offering any proof. Those 'bad drafts' as you put it include players such as Gaudreau, Saad, Galchenyuck, Jones, Gibson Werenski and a bunch of other guys I'm not gonna bother listing.

Your 'defense' of USA hockey is nothing but an attempt at a backhanded insult. we get it you hate USA at least come out and just say it.

Aye, HB...

I sent you a PM to say Hi.