Olympics: Predict G / S / B / 4th at the Olympics

[JackSlater]

I don’t disagree that it’s worse on paper, and statistically a team has a better chance with a better roster, but I think all of us are over-discussing this. It’s a short tournament. If the Swedish PP is 50% or the Russian PK is 100%, they probably win. All of the top teams have a chance, and it’s a matter of which country comes together for two weeks and which countries don’t.

Yeah that's all true. The tournament is so short that replacing a great player with a very good player really isn't going to make a big difference for top teams. Even just looking at USA history, when Roenick wasn't available for the 1996 World Cup USA had worse depth than it does now and the team still went out and won the tournament fairly convincingly. Without looking into it I think that the team replaced Roenick, a great player when he was young, with... Smolinski. These things can still work out.

USA is inevitably going to be a talented team with good depth. Losing Eichel makes the team worse but its chances probably only marginally decrease in a one game elimination situation.

 

[heksagon]

90% of the Finland votes are by Finns, lol. Anyone who doesn't vote Canada here is just a homer.

It's true that most Finland votes are by Finns, but I see it also as optimism and hopefulness in addition to homerism.

After all, the poll is not named "Who is most likely to win" (Everyone knows that's Canada). It's a prediction poll, and lots of people like to bet on the underdog. Finland has also been by far the most successful team in the Olympics to NOT win the gold medal, and they have one of their best teams ever. It feels almost due.

 

[dalewood12]

I agree with some of the other posters who said Canada was due for a bad tournament. I just don't see Canada going three in a row in Olympics where NHL players are eligible.

G: USA
S: Russia
B: Canada
4: Finland

 

[Czechboy]

I don’t disagree that it’s worse on paper, and statistically a team has a better chance with a better roster, but I think all of us are over-discussing this. It’s a short tournament. If the Swedish PP is 50% or the Russian PK is 100%, they probably win. All of the top teams have a chance, and it’s a matter of which country comes together for two weeks and which countries don’t.

This is where I'm at.

These tourneys always have someone go supernova for 2 weeks that you might not expect too. Few lucky bounces, a post, a bad call, that puck goes 1mm over the glass and you're on a PK late in the third. The TSN camera gets in the way. When it is this close, a lot of things can go good and bad in 2 weeks.

 

[HockeyWooot]

G: USA
S: Finland
B: Sweden

4th: Canada

 

[llwyd]

It's true that most Finland votes are by Finns, but I see it also as optimism and hopefulness in addition to homerism.

After all, the poll is not named "Who is most likely to win" (Everyone knows that's Canada). It's a prediction poll, and lots of people like to bet on the underdog. Finland has also been by far the most successful team in the Olympics to NOT win the gold medal, and they have one of their best teams ever. It feels almost due.

Absolutely, I totally voted in hope. We are not a top-3 team in material but still there is a reasonable chance of gold, not big but reasonable.

 

[Name Nameless]

1. Canada
2. Finland
3. Sweden
4. USA

 

[Colezuki]

1. Canada
2. Finland
3. Sweden
4. USA

without eichel I can see this being right or Russia instead of the US tbh

 

[Reindl87]

If only the tournament had a proper format. We are waiting for 8 years and then we are getting so little hockey. If they would at least use the format they used in 2006.
10 teams, round robin system would be the ideal world, of course.

 

[Mestaruus]

Finland is icing it's golden generation with the most succesful international head coach of all time of Finland Jukka Jalonen. Finland usually medals in the Olympics almost every time and this time the roster is much stronger than before. So for those reasons I believe that it will be Finland and Canada in the finals. Realistically Canada wins that final but I'm hoping for a miracle on ice. So I'll put Canada #1 there to avoid all of the Canadian posters murdering me. Finland eliminates Russia once again on the playoffs also.

#1 Canada
#2 Finland
#3 Czech
#4 Sweden

 

[Mathieukferland]

Finland is icing it's golden generation with the most succesful international head coach of all time of Finland Jukka Jalonen. Finland usually medals in the Olympics almost every time and this time the roster is much stronger than before. So for those reasons I believe that it will be Finland and Canada in the finals. Realistically Canada wins that final but I'm hoping for a miracle on ice. So I'll put Canada #1 there to avoid all of the Canadian posters murdering me. Finland eliminates Russia once again on the playoffs also.

#1 Canada
#2 Finland
#3 Czech
#4 Sweden

No one will murder you if you didn’t put Canada number one, but I find having Czech on the podium whilst having the USA be eliminated in the quarterfinals or earlier a bit odd

 

[waitin425]

G - Canada
S - Russia
B - Finland
4th - Sweden

 

[Miro4Norris]

If only the tournament had a proper format. We are waiting for 8 years and then we are getting so little hockey. If they would at least use the format they used in 2006.
10 teams, round robin system would be the ideal world, of course.

Yeah it's also kinda stupid that either USA or Canada will automatically be the team which will not win their group but still goes quarter finals as the goal differential decides it and they both will win China by 20 goals. So we already know that it is either Finland or Sweden that will have to play extra round of Big 5 countries and it means that after they win the extra round they will face one of the best teams in quarter finals while playing back to back games. Qualification round is on tuesday and quarter finals on wednesday

 

[Lambo]

Yeah it's also kinda stupid that either USA or Canada will automatically be the team which will not win their group but still goes quarter finals as the goal differential decides it and they both will win China by 20 goals. So we already know that it is either Finland or Sweden that will have to play extra round of Big 5 countries and it means that after they win the extra round they will face one of the best teams in quarter finals while playing back to back games. Qualification round is on tuesday and quarter finals on wednesday

And we already know that Sweden or Finland have a very good chjance to be 5th and will play in extra round vs China. That would be a good training.

 

[Czechboy]

No one will murder you if you didn’t put Canada number one, but I find having Czech on the podium whilst having the USA be eliminated in the quarterfinals or earlier a bit odd

I really appreciated it!

 

[illone84]

I really appreciated it!

would be awesome to see Czechs win gold in China. But please, not against Finland lol

 

[Czechboy]

would be awesome to see Czechs win gold in China. But please, not against Finland lol

Finland could see themself in the Gold medal game. It wouldn't surprise me at all.

Czechs need to get out of a very tough group (because it's very even and all our matches will be hard, not because we have a gold medalist in it). Then we need to win that match before the quarters. Then we need to win that Quarter against, most likely a Big 5.

If we get that far then I can talk about us in a gold medal final.haha

 

[illone84]

Finland could see themself in the Gold medal game. It wouldn't surprise me at all.

Czechs need to get out of a very tough group (because it's very even and all our matches will be hard, not because we have a gold medalist in it). Then we need to win that match before the quarters. Then we need to win that Quarter against, most likely a Big 5.

If we get that far then I can talk about us in a gold medal final.haha

easier said than done but hope dies last!

 

[Reindl87]

Yeah it's also kinda stupid that either USA or Canada will automatically be the team which will not win their group but still goes quarter finals as the goal differential decides it and they both will win China by 20 goals. So we already know that it is either Finland or Sweden that will have to play extra round of Big 5 countries and it means that after they win the extra round they will face one of the best teams in quarter finals while playing back to back games. Qualification round is on tuesday and quarter finals on wednesday

I still have some hope that China will forfeit its spot. The whole Situation ist just messed up and you layed Out another reason why this format is so f***ed Up. What a Shame.

 

[Mestaruus]

No one will murder you if you didn’t put Canada number one, but I find having Czech on the podium whilst having the USA be eliminated in the quarterfinals or earlier a bit odd

Expectations are always high with USA due to their great roster being second best in the World after Canada, but it hasn't resulted in steady perfmances best on best and I don't trust USA getting there in this upcoming tournament either.