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Russia 2, Canada 0 FINAL

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Bob McKenzie: A Colossal Failure

Here is what Bob McKenzie had to say about Team Canada:

http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp?id=155836

McKenzie: A Colossal Failure

Bob McKenzie

2/22/2006

What's that Hockey Canada saying? "Relax, it's just a game."

I don't think so.

Not this time. This result is an epic disaster. It is a colossal failure.

Any time a group of athletes like this have a maple leaf on their sweater and they go into an Olympic tournament and get knocked out in the quarter finals, get shut out on three occassions, and had 37 minutes of power plays during which they failed to score in those three shutout losses, that is an epic disaster.

People are going to be pointing fingers left, right and centre. It's the Canadian way and that's fine.

People will say Eric Staal should have been there and Todd Bertuzzi shouldn't have been there.

Or, if Alexander Ovechkin was there for Russia, then maybe Sidney Crosby should have been there for Team Canada.

That's all fair game. It's what we do as Canadians.
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There is only one reason why none of the North American teams will medal...


no Rangers on their rosters. :sarcasm:
 
ferns8916 said:
Here is what Bob McKenzie had to say about Team Canada:

http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp?id=155836



What are your thoughts or feelings about this?
Click to expand...
I think that he forgot to mention that Team Canada was outcoached and worse yet, it lacked leadership. Not one Canadian player during the entire tournament stepped up and carried the play of the team. You look at other teams, they all have a leader or a group of leaders that will do that. Slovaks have Chara and Gaborik-Demitra-Hossa line, Finns have the Koivu line, Russians have Kovalev, Datsyuk, Yashin, Ovechkin, Kaspar to take charge. Canada did not have such a player. Your best players during the QF was Brodeur and Doan.
 
ferns8916 said:
Here is what Bob McKenzie had to say about Team Canada:

http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp?id=155836



What are your thoughts or feelings about this?
Click to expand...
I agree with most but I did think Heatley created some glorious PP chances that the rest of the players could not finish. He had a real look about him in this game but Iginla and Sakic did not have it. Russia played great, performances that you just do not see in the NHL out of Kozlov and Kaspy, dancing buzzsaw like Kharitonov, Malkin the manchild, Ovechkin and Kovalchuk putting our D on their heels. Nabby making big saves. Better team won today.
 
shawn_kemp said:
first time he wrote something objective! :clap:
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I'd say that Mckenzie is probably the most objective and sensible out of all the North American hockey journalists. I'm with him all the way on this one.
 
Transition game was Canada's biggest problem, Niedermeyer was sorely missed. For a country that has produced players like Orr, Potvin, Robinson, Coffey, Borque and Stevens current defense is a sad sack group. Marty Brodeur's greatness made up for a lot of deficencies but at the end it was not enough.
 
I tell you who was missing on Team Canada:

Stephane Julien, Kölner Haie (DEL)
Andy McDonald, Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Patrice Bergeon, Boston Bruins (NHL)

All of them have great playmaking abilites, speed while their control keeps up, play disciplined and smart and none of them has a ego. Thats my take on who should have played.

Who definitely hould not have played is the Tudd Bertussi dude, even the completely clueless german comentator told a 15 minute story about how this monster almost killed a guy with a "crosscheck" (i told you the comentator has no clue). You do not select people for a national squad when their vita isn't appropiate.
 
Best Canadian Defender in the game today. And he's not even on my favorite team so i am not even biased. The guy is an ace, and i would bett the ingridents of my fridge that gretzky never heard his name. :madfire:
 
Force said:
I tell you who was missing on Team Canada:

Stephane Julien, Kölner Haie (DEL)
Andy McDonald, Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Patrice Bergeon, Boston Bruins (NHL)

All of them have great playmaking abilites, speed while their control keeps up, play disciplined and smart and none of them has a ego. Thats my take on who should have played.

Who definitely hould not have played is the Tudd Bertussi dude, even the completely clueless german comentator told a 15 minute story about how this monster almost killed a guy with a "crosscheck" (i told you the comentator has no clue). You do not select people for a national squad when their vita isn't appropiate.
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I've seen every game that Bergeron has played and he's not yet good enough to play on Team Canada, even if you are only suggesting him because he's "well rounded" or "without ego". His skating isn't good enough and despite a nice run lately, he is prone to relatively long stretches of unproductive play.

In 2010 he may be a first line player for Canada, but he wouldn't have made a difference today.

IMO, Team Canada floated through the preliminary round and expected to "turn it on" in the medal round. Unfortunately everyone expected the guy next to him to get things started and it never happened.

There are roster questions with every team, but if the Olympics started over tomorrow, I still wouldn't count them out.
 
I find it unfair for McKenzie to call out Heatley and label him as one of the core 7 scoring forwards who were expected to lead the team. I would argue that Lecavalier and St. Louis, who Quinn built a line around were more a part of the scoring core than Heatley ever was. Quinn even remarked that the forward lines were built upon 2-man units, those being Sakic-Iginla, Lecavalier-St. Louis, Thornton-Nash and Bertuzzi-Richards. To me, that, along with Gagne who obviously had a scoring line spot reserved for him, spells out the scoring core right there. It's clear the team was built on those forwards and the remaining forwards were shuffled in to fill the remaining holes. Doan, Heatley, Draper and Smyth were the extras and since there were no checking or energy lines, they were complementary players. If Heatley were part of the core 7 don't you think he might have played on one of the top lines ala Gagne? Perhaps on the top line with Iginla and Sakic where Draper (of all people) started? Perhaps once Quinn did adjust the line combinations he could have put Heatley, a pure shooter, with a set-up man like Thornton if he were part of the core? Especially after Nash was benched? Wouldn't it make sense since Thornton has had so much success with pure shooters (Murray, Cheechoo) and Heatley such success with a set-up man (Spezza)? The fact of the matter is that Heatley didn't have success in this tournament because he wasn't put in a position where he could be successful. It's obvious the coaching staff didn't feel Heatley was part of the scoring core and that's why he couldn't carry the team. Nash was put in a position to be successful and let the team down. Lecavalier and St. Louis were put in a position to be successful, they let the team down. The same can't be said for Heatley.
 
defense?

I am surprised more comments haven't been forthcoming on Canada's defense - or lack there of...

IMO - Blake and Pronger were the major disappointments on defense - I'd argue Pronger was the biggest disappointment. None the less, they both are not getting their fair share of blame in this. They both looked lost, and were outskated the entire tournament. Ironically, it was the play of Doan, Smyth and Draper that caught my eye this tournament - and they received quite a handful of flack for being selected before things got started. Sak-attack played well - but he was the only one on the first line that showed heart and determination. Besides Sakic, only Doan, Smyth, Richards and Draper impressed me - and not for being offensive juggernauts obviously, but for playing with their hearts on their sleeves - that is the Canadian way.
This team didn't have the sense of "team". And don't get me started on Bertuzzi - he should have never been selected to this squad.
I am pretty devestated with the loss - four years is a long time to wait for another shot at Olympic Gold.
What can a fan say...What a disappointment. Very sad.
 
Vaive-Alive said:
I am surprised more comments haven't been forthcoming on Canada's defense - or lack there of...

IMO - Blake and Pronger were the major disappointments on defense - I'd argue Pronger was the biggest disappointment. None the less, they both are not getting their fair share of blame in this. They both looked lost, and were outskated the entire tournament. Ironically, it was the play of Doan, Smyth and Draper that caught my eye this tournament - and they received quite a handful of flack for being selected before things got started. Sak-attack played well - but he was the only one on the first line that showed heart and determination. Besides Sakic, only Doan, Smyth, Richards and Draper impressed me - and not for being offensive juggernauts obviously, but for playing with their hearts on their sleeves - that is the Canadian way.
This team didn't have the sense of "team". And don't get me started on Bertuzzi - he should have never been selected to this squad.
I am pretty devestated with the loss - four years is a long time to wait for another shot at Olympic Gold.
What can a fan say...What a disappointment. Very sad.
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Look at it this way, this spices things up. The next olympics are in Vancouver, and you bet priorities changed a little as of today. All of Canada will want to get things straight in 2010! If Gretzky is smart thre will be a World Cup in 2008 to prepare the squad he has in Mind for 2010, and there is still a upcoming World Championship for Canada to show what they are made of.

I can tell you this loss will make a possible gold in Vancouver twice as great, because it will be much more appreciated. ;)
 
Force said:
I tell you who was missing on Team Canada:

Stephane Julien, Kölner Haie (DEL)
Andy McDonald, Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Patrice Bergeon, Boston Bruins (NHL)

All of them have great playmaking abilites, speed while their control keeps up, play disciplined and smart and none of them has a ego. Thats my take on who should have played.

Who definitely hould not have played is the Tudd Bertussi dude, even the completely clueless german comentator told a 15 minute story about how this monster almost killed a guy with a "crosscheck" (i told you the comentator has no clue). You do not select people for a national squad when their vita isn't appropiate.
Click to expand...

Either NHL scouts are completely clueless or the guy has some loophooles in his game, because there's no way, with stats like these in juniors, that this guys doesn't get drafted...

I'll go for the second option.
 
Den said:
Relax ppl, just admit that the rest of the world is as good and nirvana will desend on you :jump:
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Never! :)

Seriously though, in terms of the sheer number of star players developed by each country, Canada is by far the best. However, if you just take the top 20 players from each country, the elite 7 are all very close. Canada still has a bit more depth on paper, but that is not such a big advantage in a one game elimination tournament.
 
MXD said:
Either NHL scouts are completely clueless or the guy has some loophooles in his game, because there's no way, with stats like these in juniors, that this guys doesn't get drafted...

I'll go for the second option.
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http://www.haimspiel.de/index.php?page=haie_spezial/2005-12-27_julien_eng

"Well, I’ve never been drafted. I was a small defense man. Ten years ago only big size defense men got drafted. I didn’t see the purpose for me to stay in America and try it, if I didn’t have a chance. So I came rightaway to France, and then I tried to go back to America. But a few years later, I thought I should have tried it at home, you know, maybe in the American Hockey League or something. I might have had a very good chance then. But I guess I had more frustration at that time when I was 21. I knew I would never get drafted, and you see some teammates, who are not better than you and get drafted just because they’re bigger. Not even more physical, just bigger. So, there was some frustration and I just decided to leave. If I could go back in time and be 21 again, I would stay in America for three or four years and try my chances to make it into the NHL. But it’s all past now. And me and my family enjoyed all the years we spent in Europe. The only regret is that I didn’t try more to play in the NHL."
 
tray said:
Kicking a guy only garners a misconduct? sweet.
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Actually it was a match penalty. Some people have asked this, but I didn't see a reply so here goes again:

Does this mean that Malkin won't be playing against Finland?
 
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