PGT: USA vs Europe - Europe 3 United States 0 F

[torero]

That was a game played according to Kruger's rules.

The other coaches play chess. He plays Go.

His teams will most of the times have less shots than the adversary ... yet most of the shot of the opponent will not be dangerous.

Chess is about making as many checks as possible. (shots on goals)
Go is about occupying the territory actively or passively. (strategic place occupied)

mmm, no....



I don't think Europe is getting as much credit as they deserve. They have a very good mix of players.

I am not forgetting the players. But we have a situation of systematic vs specific. I do believe that the systematic aspect (coach's strategy) played a key role.
In his strategy, his team is out-shot, but in reality give up few real scoring chances .... and on the other side, Kruger's team will have less shots but more scoring chances. Presence on the whole field ... with more checking and pressure on the strategic places.
That is precisely what we had.

I am not criticizing the players, far from that. Players are great. And the first games against the NY young guns will soon be forgotten ... on both sides. People who placed their team valuation on these games will be mislead.

 

[gwh]

Is that a fat joke?

McDonagh has been a liability for the last 2 games. I was thinking half the game that he might get pressboxed for the next one.

 

[Brun0]

Maybe there is a lesson finally to be learned:

Team on paper=/ TEAM with good players, structure

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Brandon Dubinsky and Justin Abdelkader over Phil Kessel and Bobby Ryan

Justin Faulk over anyone not named John Carlsons


Losers are gonna go home medalessn like at Sochi

 

[nhlfan9191]

Brandon Dubinsky and Justin Abdelkader over Phil Kessel and Bobby Ryan

Justin Faulk over anyone not named John Carlsons


Losers are gonna go home medalessn like at Sochi

Poor management will cost this team for a second straight tournament. Of coarse they could still beat us Wednesday and recover but when I heard John Tortorella was the coach and saw the roster choices they were making, I knew they were setting themselves up for disaster. If Columbus played the way the Americans did tonight, the GM would think the coach had lost the room and fire him on the spot. Pathetically emotionless game.

 

[Xokkeu]

Maybe there is a lesson finally to be learned:

Team on paper=/ TEAM with good players, structure

The US team on paper was pretty bad.

 

[llwyd]

The US team on paper was pretty bad.

Well, it's not the best possible US team but by and large those are excellent players who should be capable of much more than yesterday's "effort".

 

[Xokkeu]

Well, it's not the best possible US team but by and large those are excellent players who should be capable of much more than yesterday's "effort".

Yesterday was pretty awful and on paper they should be much better than Team Europe, but the idea that they were somehow cofavorites with Canada, pushed by an NHL marketing friendly media was shown as the fallacy it was.

 

[BBKers]

Regarding the perplexing game lineup for US.
"Buff stood during the anthem so we sat him for the game."
Torts logic...

 

[Xokkeu]

Regarding game lineup for US. Buff stood during the anthem so we sat him for the game. Torts logic...

^ This comment is the best thing to come out of the game.

 

[RC51]

USA hockey players are much better then this. Torts has built " a team to beat Canada" well team USA has to now beat Canada to keep going. If USA loses to team Canada on Wed, I don't blame the players at all, it's Torts that brought a knife to a gun fight. It's ALL ON HIM.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

The problem with team USA is starting Quick over Schneider, sitting Byfuglien over either Johnson. Not carrying Faulk instead of Johnson. The other major issue comes down to the fact that Torts should not be coaching and is the long lost caveman descendant of Mike Keenan.

 

[Joe Zanussi]

My thoughts after sleeping on it for a night:

Oshie and Carlson were our best players.

Its amazing how slow we played.

This is a dangerous moment for Torts. If we look this bad, he could be done at USA Hockey. We develop players, based on speed and skill....then he espouses values based on grinding and wall play. This might be it fir him.

 

[DaveG]

My thoughts after sleeping on it for a night:

Oshie and Carlson were our best players.

Its amazing how slow we played.

This is a dangerous moment for Torts. If we look this bad, he could be done at USA Hockey. We develop players, based on speed and skill....then he espouses values based on grinding and wall play. This might be it fir him.

Only problem is they'll go right back to Bylsma or some ****, and instead of the ****ing useless Jack Johnson we'll end up with the even more ****ing useless Brooks Orpik AGAIN.

 

[Uncle Bill]

The notion brian burke and the rest of the USA braintrust chose a team built on "truculence" to beat a Canadian team is absurd. Look at the history of Canadian hockey. Look at the Canadian roster this year. Shrinking violets are not part of hockey Canada.

If the USA wants to play hard nosed hockey against Canada that's what they'll get in return. And then some.

It was a stupid move by burke et al.

 

[Scotty B]

I have no reason to defend Tortorella or pump the tires of the US team but dismissing theAmericans at this point seems premature. Lots of teams have bad losses early in tournaments and come back to win, eg, Canada at the 2010 Olympics.

Apples and oranges...This isn't OG, but a much shorter 3 game round robin..Only 2 of 4 teams, from each group, make it thru to knock out stage. Losing and losing badly to a team you're supposed to beat, when you still have Canada to face, puts Yanks behind 8 ball BIG-TIME. Didn't like the way their D tried to force plays thru the neutral zone that weren't there. Didn't like their team D either.

In theory, it's fine for D to be aggressive. Canada's D is aggressive, and it's highly effective. But ya gotta know when to pinch...and team wise, you gotta have situational awareness. When a Canadian D goes deep inside the zone, one of our forwards slides back to cover the point. And what about that time when Kane went east-west just inside Euro blue, he's getting pressured all the way cross the ice...and nobody backs him up? Yanks wound up with a 2 on 0 against and Quick had NO CHANCE! Hell's bells, Euro's had 6 dangerous odd man rushes, in the first period alone. You allow that verses anyone, even an AHL team, and you're toast!

Yanks snubbed a guy like Kessel ( don't give me this injury thingy, he wasn't picked for initial 16man roster, plus two bits says he coulda delayed treatment on his hand and been rar'in to go )

Yanks picked a Big Bad team predicated on beating Canada, predicated on dominating greasy areas down low and punishing their opponents physically. They start out with fire in their bellies versus their most hated rival, leaving them beaten, battered and bruised, but that was just exhibition. So ...

...we're talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, (that counts), we talking about practice.

Pre-tourney coach is calling guys out. ‘ Say’in show me this, don’t do that’. He even sits out his Biggest Baddest Mo-Fo, cause it’s all about him , right? He’s gotta send a message to his team, by laying down the law and hogging the spotlight

So now, when the for real game starts, team’s in disarray, has lost its' identity and plays like keystone cops.

Man,...how silly is that?

 

[Crotaline]

Perhaps Torts should have rushed the European dressing room and started a scrum. Model grit for his grinders, you know?

 

[Scotty B]

Perhaps Torts should have rushed the European dressing room and started a scrum. Model grit for his grinders, you know?

Ya Torts could prolly best Kreuger, show'em who's boss ...Not mentally, of course

 

[Halfboard]

If Columbus played the way the Americans did tonight, the GM would think the coach had lost the room and fire him on the spot. Pathetically emotionless game.

Unfortunately, that IS how the Jackets usually play. However, our GM is as clueless as the coach, President & owner.

 

[Scotty B]

Originally Posted by nhlfan9191
If Columbus played the way the Americans did tonight, the GM would think the coach had lost the room and fire him on the spot. Pathetically emotionless game.

Kinda seems like Torts has lost the room. He's gone from a big brash ( my way or the highway ) bark.... throw'in guys like Buff & Patches under the bus... to a whipped pup, whining and pleading, we gotta stick together, we can't quit on one another...

 

[MMANumminen]

Is that a fat joke?

Nope, sorry sometimes foreign names are hard to spell

 

[Scotty B]

Nope, sorry sometimes foreign names are hard to spell

And here I was thinking it was a clever quip/ subtle dig on McDon-UGHHH...so much so, I laughed out loud...

Never explain, never apologize...shoulda left well enough alone

 

[Baemon Severson*]

I feel sorry for CBJ fans being stuck with Jarmo and Torts

 

[Sentinel]

Ovechkin
Backstrom
Kuznetsov

Ovechkin is #1. Did you watch the playoffs at all?

 

[Murky]

If the USA wants to play hard nosed hockey against Canada that's what they'll get in return. And then some.

Exactly my thoughts. I wrote earlier along the same lines - you just won't win against Canada by trying to push them around. Not even a skilled Team Canada will bend. They might not come back and dominate physically but they will absolutely not give an inch.