Lou is God
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I was just thinking that earlier, I checked to see who else we could have brought to Italy and his name across my mind as well.Caniacforever said:
What does Laviolette have against Chris Drury?
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Lou is God said:
No shock that this would come from a Devils fan, but Rafalski didn't even look like he should have played period. The 10-12 minutes that he got were 10-12 minutes to many. I would have rather seen Chelios double shift in the third period than see Rafalski touch the ice.
And Gomez and Gionta were force-fed power play time that they wasted. I'll give Gionta credit. He brought a lot to the game even though he wasn't generating offense. And even if he didn't capitalize on the chances he got, he didn't consistently turn the puck over and create scoring chances for the Swedes like Gomez did.
I'm not saying that Laviolette is innocent outside his overuse of Devils forwards. He clearly has a team with significant issues. They have been as good or better than any team they've played yet managed to lose twice and tie once. The talent and effort is there, but there is some question as to how they are being used.
I'm not sure... I question the assertion that the talent is there. This US team just isn't very strong. Generational gap to me with the transition to the new guard. Maybe 2010, but I didn't expect them to do very much in these Olympics.
NYR1724
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I tend to think that Gionta, Gomez and Cole have more skill than Drury but you are right. The clutch factor has to come into play and Drury is one of the guys who turns it up another notch when it becomes important.
Team USA would go very far by shaking up the lines because whatever they got right now isnt working.
What about these combos?
Cole - Gomez - Gionta
Tkachuk - Modano - Drury
Rolston - Conroy - Blake
Guerin - Weight - Parrish
Team USA would go very far by shaking up the lines because whatever they got right now isnt working.
What about these combos?
Cole - Gomez - Gionta
Tkachuk - Modano - Drury
Rolston - Conroy - Blake
Guerin - Weight - Parrish
Drake1588 said:
Totally agree here. Not that they suck, but this is definitely one of the less talented teams that the US has fielded in recent years. It will get better going forward. Plus, when you throw a bunch of players out on the ice who have never played together before, this is what you get. I'm not really that surprised, just glad that they've been competitive.
Also, DP played great today.
Lou is God
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SmokeyClause said:No shock that this would come from a Devils fan, but Rafalski didn't even look like he should have played period. The 10-12 minutes that he got were 10-12 minutes to many. I would have rather seen Chelios double shift in the third period than see Rafalski touch the ice.
And Gomez and Gionta were force-fed power play time that they wasted. I'll give Gionta credit. He brought a lot to the game even though he wasn't generated offense. And even if he didn't capitalize on the chances he got, he didn't consistently turn the puck over and create scoring chances for the Swedes like Gomez did.
I'm not saying that Laviolette is innocent outside his overuse of Devils forwards. He clearly has a team with significant issues. They have been as good or better than any team they've played yet managed to lose twice and tie once. The talent and effort is there, but there is some question as to how they are being used.
Don't give me that crap man.
Gomez played terrible today for Team USA today but for us to succeed in this tournament we are going to need him and our PP has sucked no matter who we put out there and you have any better suggestions on who we could put out there I'm all ears. You need a QB on the PP and we just don't have enough of them, none of our defensemen seem up to the challenge and Weight has been just as useless. Gomez is our best option period and this has nothing to do with being a Devils fan but instead me facing bleak reality.
One thing is obvious is that this team doesn't have that many playmakers to begin with and to suggest that we lessen the play of one of our better ones makes no sense and I fail to see how that would change anything.
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Lou is God
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Hockeyfan02
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old kummelweck
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The problems on the US team go beyond aything Drury could do. I thought the US defense played way too conservative. No one pinching until there was 5 mintues left. Opposing teams are colapsing 3-4 guys back in the defensive zone, getting the puck up the boards to the blue line, and the closest US defender is at center ice read line. It seems like Laviolette doesn't have much faith in their goaltending, or he thinks his defense is too slow.
USA is losing 2-1 games because they aren't playing the right style.
USA is losing 2-1 games because they aren't playing the right style.
old kummelweck
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Actually, it illustrates how the US program picks and works with guys they know and worked with over unknown. All programs are like that, you see it in Canada and Russia as well.Hockeyfan02 said:It's all a conspiracy against the Buffalo players. First Miller, now Drury.
I'm not sure how you rectify this, though.
old kummelweck
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Continuing on the Buffalo players they could use, team USA could have used Connolly as well. He's hurt of course, and wasn't chosen, but he runs the bflo PP, can play both ends, and can open up ice in the offensive zone with his stick-handling. IMO he's a cross between Modano and Rolston, with less talent. I'm not sure who's place he would have teken though.
eSabre
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Fan-of-#9
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Too much Gomez and Gionta again today IMO. Modano, Drury, Conroy/Weight and Gomez should all be seeing equal icetime down the middle. What's the reasoning for having Gomez as the #1 option on the US team?? Honestly....I don't get it.
Hockeyfan02 said:It's all a conspiracy against the Buffalo players. First Miller, now Drury.
Yep, congrats, you pointed out the fact that I am a Sabres fan.
Now do you actually have a legitimate point?
Sotnos said:He has as much of a point as you do with your constant baseless bashing of players you don't like.
Baseless?
How many goals do Cole, Gionta, Gomez, and Rolston have between them?
How many goals did John Grahame let in against Latvia?
Do you have any actual argument or just personal attacks?
Lou is God said:
I thought they completely underutilized Rafalski too.
As for Drury, only on the second 5-on-3 when they had several consecutive faceoff losses would I have thought he should have been given a chance. Nothing was working with the top two units.
As it was, he and Guerin need to supply more offensive thurst when their out there. Yeah, they're drawing some of the checking assignments, but it isn't like they don't know how to put a puck on net....
Lou is God
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Chainshot said:
To be honest I wouldn't have a problem with giving Drury some more icetime, I just find it comical that posters continue to gripe about Gomez and Gionta getting more icetime as if we have Gretzky and Lemieux sitting on the bench.
Gomez is our best playmaker right now on a team with limited playmakers, taking away icetime from him will not solve our problems. What Laviolette needs to do is shake up our lineup and if that means Drury moving up to the second line that will work for me, but I don't think the answer like some keep suggesting is take away icetime from Gionta and Gomez but instead move Cole up to the first line like some have smartly suggested, I think a Gionta - Gomez - Cole line could be a dynamic one.
Sotnos said:
Still waiting for the answers to my legitimate questions...
your constant baseless bashing of players you don't like
Baseless bashing? I am using facts and history to back up my opinion and you attack me personally without fair and reasonable debate. That's an attack to me. I'm just asking for you to engage in fair and reasonable debate on a factual basis, not impugn me on imaginary personality traits.
Lou is God said:
I like the idea mentioned above where Drury moves to the wing with Modano. His clutch performances in Denver typically involved being the support guy for Sakic/Forsberg, so that wouldn't be all that different. Just an idea. *shrug*
I like Gionta's fearlessness and so far I have fewer issues with Gomez than with the supposed "powerforward" types like Guerin and Tkachuk. Their supposed size/strength advantages just have not materialized in front of the net. Same thing can be said for the Canadians recent performances too I suppose --- seems there is plenty of advantage to facing up the low man and preventing the pass rather than wrestling to move the mountainous lugs.
As it stands, I wish this team would dis-spell my dislike for USA Hockey, but so far they are continuing in the fine tradition of either annoying me or just leaving me pulling for another team (yet again the Finns).
Chainshot said:
The only issue I have with that proposed second line is that Drury's wing play is weak IMO. I would move Modano out to a wing and put Drury in the center, especially for his faceoff skills.
Hockeyfan02
Registered User
sabresrat said:Now do you actually have a legitimate point?
Yes I do. I think it's silly that you think that because Drury didn't get much ice time in the end that Laviolette has something against Drury. Just like how there is a thought that Laviolette/Waddel have a beef with the Sabres which is why they didn't choose Miller. The "clutch" Drury has one assist(funny you ask about the goal totals of others, when the player you mention has put up a goose egg in that category as well) so far in the tournament so it's not like Laviolette is benching a hot offensive player. If Drury wasn't a Sabre, you wouldn't have made a thread or mentioned anything about it.
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