Olympics: Team USA 2022

[JTD]

Been so many offensively challenged and uneventful games in the Olympics and this team is pretty clearly the most entertaining team. They’re gonna make a lot of teams look old and slow. They might not win gold but they’re gonna be fun

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Buzzing around the net.

 

[William H Bonney]

Beniers needs to play smarter. Canada could barely generate anything that period (though to be fair the only 2 chances they had generated hit the posts) and then his dumb pinch not only costs us a goal but it completely changed the tide of the game.

We can't win a damn faceoff, either.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Beniers owes his team a goal. Quinn looks pissed and should be. Canada tilted the ice in the 2nd. US Dmen panicking in there own zone again.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

US might have had a chance against Canada if they had brought in more KHL and SHL players.

 

[William H Bonney]

Huge win. Hung on a bit late with the penalties and Canada throwing it all at them. They're now in control of getting a bye to the QFs, which would be huge.

Mann bounced back really well after that first goal. Strong game.

We suck at faceoffs. Our wingers were especially poor tonight supporting their centers on the draw. Felt like we lost every loose puck on the faceoff. Hopefully an area of focus in practice coming up as this made it difficult to kill those crucial late penalties.

Canada should play some of its younger talents more. Did us a favor throwing out guys like Staal over and over.

Onward!

 

[Rabid Ranger]

The U.S. team is a bit physically over matched which I think impacts things like face offs. They dodged that bullet in this game but it would be nice to clean that up a bit as the tourney goes on. I like the speed and enthusiasm as though.

 

[Zero Pucks Given]

Huge win. Hung on a bit late with the penalties and Canada throwing it all at them. They're now in control of getting a bye to the QFs, which would be huge.

Mann bounced back really well after that first goal. Strong game.

We suck at faceoffs. Our wingers were especially poor tonight supporting their centers on the draw. Felt like we lost every loose puck on the faceoff. Hopefully an area of focus in practice coming up as this made it difficult to kill those crucial late penalties.

Canada should play some of its younger talents more. Did us a favor throwing out guys like Staal over and over.

Onward!

Definitely didn't hurt us either that Canada had a sieve in net

 

[JiggsNY]

Face offs were brutal. I wonder if Commesso gets another look before the knockout stage. Honestly this team and tournament is a little exciting, seems like there’s parity across the board with these teams and we could have as good a chance as anyone. For sure outsized but our speed was a huge factor.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Face offs were brutal. I wonder if Commesso gets another look before the knockout stage. Honestly this team and tournament is a little exciting, seems like there’s parity across the board with these teams and we could have as good a chance as anyone. For sure outsized but our speed was a huge factor.

Finland seems like the clear favorite to me but I think the U.S. can definitely compete for a medal.

 

[William H Bonney]

Definitely didn't hurt us either that Canada had a sieve in net

Sure but Mann gave up the worst goal in the game. Bad goals went both ways. Both goalies made some big saves too.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

They'll win a game, the one against China. That's my expectation. Anything above that is positive surprise.

Thank you for being positive. Any observations of how the US college kids have done so far against the European league players ?

 

[SanDogBrewin]

I think I explained myself well enough: they went with both dubious NCAA strategy AND made odd choices in the "veteran" slots. Therefore zero sense. I chose, however, not to discuss the first part because it's obviously a policy decision, whatever. They decided on the "young and hungry", so be it. The 2nd part, however, seems much more cut and dry. Player A is better than player B and that's all there is to it.

If a guy who succeeded in every major European league like Gunderson falls under the same umbrella of "middling pro player" as someone like Warsofsky who is like 3rd D on a mid-table DEL team, what can I tell you. I guess middling means different things to us.

How's the "middling vet" and "dubious NCAA" strategy looking now ?

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Face offs were brutal. I wonder if Commesso gets another look before the knockout stage. Honestly this team and tournament is a little exciting, seems like there’s parity across the board with these teams and we could have as good a chance as anyone. For sure outsized but our speed was a huge factor.

Beniers and Farrell were somewhat ghosts in this game as Canada ramped up the physicality. Canada
didn't play Pasquale, that game IMO has a different
result.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Plan the parade!

Sucks to have fun huh?

 

[jkrdevil]

Finland seems like the clear favorite to me but I think the U.S. can definitely compete for a medal.

They beat Germany and the path to playing for a medal is fairly clear. They will be the 1 seed and then likely have to play one of Germany, Latvia or Slovakia in quarters. Get through that game and you are into the medal round.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Because there is no reason to believe anyone else selected will be more of a factor.

LoL great take

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Not really sure how that applies to me but ok. This is what I had to say before China game:

So yes, obviously I'm devastated I was right. I'm also devastated that in the first competitive match today 6/10 points were scored by the KHL players with the SHL goalie making 35 saves to get the win in the net. Terrible. Should have sent a full NCAA team to establish that true murican dominance, probably would have been a 5-0 win.

Well, seems to me like Sanderson was the most impressive, dominating player on Team USA to me
last night. Myers and Brisson scored the 2nd and 3rd goals also, so 2 can play your game.

 

[Zero Pucks Given]

Well, seems to me like Sanderson was the most impressive, dominating player on Team USA to me
last night. Myers and Brisson scored the 2nd and 3rd goals also, so 2 can play your game.

Our 2018 plan of leaning on Euro-based players and vets looks sillier with every game and I love it

 

[JiggsNY]

Fantastic

 

[Czechboy]

Our 2018 plan of leaning on Euro-based players and vets looks sillier with every game and I love it

Czech team is old NHLers and vets... I think your Uber fast team would drive us crazy!

 

[William H Bonney]

Fantastic

Ugh

 

[Eye of Ra]

US might have had a chance against Canada if they had brought in more KHL and SHL players.

canada is not a top team in this tournament. finland, russia and czechia is

 

[SanDogBrewin]

canada is not a top team in this tournament. finland, russia and czechia is

K

 

[Eye of Ra]

K

look at the odds.