Who will win gold?

[Brainiac]

Hmm idk.

Considering big ice experience should help out the Russians.. I'd say

Crosby < Malkin
Stamkos < Ovechkin
Toews < Datsyuk
Tavares > Radulov
Perry < Kovalchuk
Getzlaf > Semin

is how I would stack up those groups, idk though, maybe I'm way off.

Totally agree with the bolded part, I have to give you that!

Joking aside, I'd say OK for Ovechkin>Stamkos, especially as Stamkos won't be 100% and Ovi will be pumped. Had Kovalchuk still been in the NHL, I would have been OK with a slight edge to him as well. Now it's a wash, IMO, especially as Perry is having a great year.

The rest is just Canadian player > Russian player.

 

[crunchyblack*]

How is it that Canadian fans think that Canada could top Russia's top 2 lines?

Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Semin
Kovalchuk-Malkin-Radulov

And that is without Tarasenko.

So of course Russia's forwards are better. As for the rest it would go like this:

Kulemin-Anisimov-Tarasenko; A great two way line able to compete and score on anyone

Kokarev-Tereshenko-Popov; Not expected to score but should be great on defence, that is exactly why they were picked.

Tikhonov could also fit well into the aforementioned line.

That's right Nichushkin hasn't even been mentioned yet, so don't let anyone say that Russia has no depth or bad defensive capabilities.

At least 1 guy in Russia's top 6 will back check lol.

 

[jgoud*]

How is it that Canadian fans think that Canada could top Russia's top 2 lines?

Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Semin
Kovalchuk-Malkin-Radulov

And that is without Tarasenko.

So of course Russia's forwards are better. As for the rest it would go like this:

Kulemin-Anisimov-Tarasenko; A great two way line able to compete and score on anyone

Kokarev-Tereshenko-Popov; Not expected to score but should be great on defence, that is exactly why they were picked.

Tikhonov could also fit well into the aforementioned line.

That's right Nichushkin hasn't even been mentioned yet, so don't let anyone say that Russia has no depth or bad defensive capabilities.

Kunitz - Crosby - Stamkos
Tavares - Toews - Sharp

Our top line is better by a mile, and so are our third and 4th lines. Your second line is better offensively but will be a liability on defense. Canada's forwards are better than Russia's by quite a bit, and especially if you're looking at a 200 foot game.

 

[crunchyblack*]

Kunitz - Crosby - Stamkos
Tavares - Toews - Sharp

Our top line is better by a mile, and so are our third and 4th lines. Your second line is better offensively but will be a liability on defense. Canada's forwards are better than Russia's by quite a bit, and especially if you're looking at a 200 foot game.

Their first line is a defensive liability too... Datsyuk is the only one with any notion of defense. Since its being brought up that Canada is at a disadvantage on the big ice, then its only fair to mention that the Russian first line is all career NHLers, so that defensive upside they had because of Datsyuk is almost nullified*.

*Considering you buy into the big ice saying a big role in this tourney...I don't.

 

[Chieftans22*]

How is it that Canadian fans think that Canada could top Russia's top 2 lines?

Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Semin
Kovalchuk-Malkin-Radulov

And that is without Tarasenko.

So of course Russia's forwards are better. As for the rest it would go like this:

Kulemin-Anisimov-Tarasenko; A great two way line able to compete and score on anyone

Kokarev-Tereshenko-Popov; Not expected to score but should be great on defence, that is exactly why they were picked.

Tikhonov could also fit well into the aforementioned line.

That's right Nichushkin hasn't even been mentioned yet, so don't let anyone say that Russia has no depth or bad defensive capabilities.

I'm a USA fan but Crosby, Stamkos, Tavares, Toews, Getzlaf, #6 definitely matches your top 6. Your bottom 6 would be competitive in the NHL, however it's not the same at the Olympic level, especially not against an opponent like Canada.

 

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Would you take Russia's amazing forwards and their defense or Canada's amazing forwards and our defense?

While I might even give the edge to the Russian forwards by a little, I would not trade the next seven defensemen that didn't make Team Canada (Seabrook, Boyle, etc.) for the current Russian top seven.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Their first line is a defensive liability too... Datsyuk is the only one with any notion of defense. Since its being brought up that Canada is at a disadvantage on the big ice, then its only fair to mention that the Russian first line is all career NHLers, so that defensive upside they had because of Datsyuk is almost nullified*.

*Considering you buy into the big ice saying a big role in this tourney...I don't.

Doesn't matter if they're career NHLers, they all grew up on the big ice.

 

[TheMachiavelli*]

Kunitz - Crosby - Stamkos
Tavares - Toews - Sharp

Our top line is better by a mile, and so are our third and 4th lines. Your second line is better offensively but will be a liability on defense. Canada's forwards are better than Russia's by quite a bit, and especially if you're looking at a 200 foot game.

Russia's top 6 is much more skilled than Canada's. Kunitz? Yeah he sure is better than Semin...

 

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Doesn't matter if they're career NHLers, they all grew up on the big ice.

What ice isn't big to a nine year old?

The size of the ice is a highly overrated way of determining a prediction.

Hard work beats talent if talent does not work hard. It'll come down to who wants it the most and who is the most talented. Period.

Russia's top 6 is much more skilled than Canada's. Kunitz? Yeah he sure is better than Semin...

You should check out these things they call statistics. They are great for determining who is a better player when opinions get clouded.

 

[Hammer Time]

So Canada needs their best players to win? What about the depth you Canadians are so proud of? Or is NHL a overrated league? Last WCH Canada and USA had 20+ NHL players each. Sweden who won had only 8 players. Be sure Stamkos, Subban ect really wanted to win WCH or else they wouldn't travelled to Europe to play.

Yes, i think WCH is good because it's tell which teams can do good without the best players.

Some people are saying that USA is superior Europeans. Still they haven't won a gold since 2000. Not with their best players or without them. How is USA superior.

American hockey players have a tendency to decline to play in the WC more often than Russians.

2010. WC coincided with Conf Finals. Players from CHI, SJ, PHI, MTL not eligible.

Russian no-shows - Bryzgalov

USA no-shows - Kessel, Stastny, Parise, Kesler, Backes, Miller

2011. WC coincided with Conf Finals. Players from VAN, SJ, BOS, TB not eligible.

Russian no-shows - Semin, Datsyuk

American no-shows - Kessel, P. Kane, Backes, Suter, Miller, Quick

2012. WC coincided with Conf Finals. Players from LA, NJ, PHX, NYR not eligible.

Notable Russian no-shows - Radulov

Notable American no-shows - P. Kane, Kessel, Kesler, Pavelski, Backes, Suter, Miller

2013. WC coincided with 2nd round of NHL playoffs. Players from SJ, LA, CHI, DET, PIT, BOS, OTT, NYR not eligible.

Notable Russian no-shows - Semin

Notable American declines - Kessel, Kesler, Backes, Parise, Suter, Miller

Even with their disadvantages the Americans occasionally put up good results (8-3 win over Russia last WC).

 

[Brainiac]

And please, can we stop with this top 6/bottom 6 nonsense?

All of Canada's lines will have lots of offense whitout sacrificing much in terms of defensive awareness.

Russia can put togheter one line that will match and maybe outplay one of Canada's lines and that's it.

Of course, the games still have to be played and upsets will undoubtly happen... which is why we're looking forward to this tournament!

 

[Canuck21t]

WCH shows clearly that USA isn't that superior than the European teams. You say you haven't your best team there. Well Europeans don't either.

North Americans always are saying we are so much better. We have so many more kids playing and have so many more indoor rinks. We have the most depth. But when you doing bad in a tournament you dismiss it and are saying that you aren't not having your best players.

If USA is that superior in hockey compared to as example Sweden then why they do have only two medals in WCH since 2000. Compare that to Sweden's 9 medals? What do this mean? The superior USA need to have their absolutely best team to be able to compete against the Europeans?

In WCH: since 2000 Sweden, Russia and Czech Republic have more medals than Canada. Canada is tied 4th with Finland. USA is dead last among the big 7. Slovakia have two more medals than USA.

Sweden 9 medals
Russia 7 medals
Czech Rep 7 medals
Canada 6 medals
Finland 6 medals
Slovakia 4 medals
USA 2 medals

Notice also that every big 7 country have won gold since 2000 except USA.

So USA that hasn't won any gold since 2000 is superior than European teams that have won golds multiple times? Sweden have won gold both in Olympics and WCH. Sweden can do well in both tournaments and don't complain when we miss great players. All teams do that.

Team USA is the team with the most declines at the WHC. Whilst Canada sometime has a good team, the US very rarely do. The US Olympic teams are always superior to their WHC teams by a LARGE margin. Russians on the other hand seldom say no to the national team.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Hmm idk.

Considering big ice experience should help out the Russians.. I'd say

Crosby < Malkin
Stamkos < Ovechkin
Toews < Datsyuk
Tavares > Radulov
Perry < Kovalchuk
Getzlaf > Semin

is how I would stack up those groups, idk though, maybe I'm way off.

I think you are bored and trying to be funny.

 

[Uhmkay]

Here is Russia's Roster...

Sergei Bobrovsky
Semyon Varlamov
Alexander Yeryomenko

Anton Belov
Alexei Emelin
Andrei Markov
Yevgeni Medvedev
Nikita Nikitin
Ilya Nikulin
Fedor Tyutin
Slava Voynov

Artem Anisimov
Pavel Datsyuk
Denis Kokarev
Ilya Kovalchuk
Nikolai Kulemin
Evgeni Malkin
Valeri Nichushkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Andrei Popov
Alexander Radulov
Vladimir Tarasenko
Alexei Tereschenko
Viktor Tikhonov
Alex Semin

The bolded players are players that would have a very good/likely chance of making Team Canada... the rest of the players, not a chance.

End of discussion.

And before you tell me that Semin would have made the team, no he wouldn't have. There were other forwards that are better than he is that were left off the team.... he wouldn't make it either.

 

[Bure]

Here is Russia's Roster...

Sergei Bobrovsky
Semyon Varlamov
Alexander Yeryomenko

Anton Belov
Alexei Emelin
Andrei Markov
Yevgeni Medvedev
Nikita Nikitin
Ilya Nikulin
Fedor Tyutin
Slava Voynov

Artem Anisimov
Pavel Datsyuk
Denis Kokarev
Ilya Kovalchuk
Nikolai Kulemin
Evgeni Malkin
Valeri Nichushkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Andrei Popov
Alexander Radulov
Vladimir Tarasenko
Alexei Tereschenko
Viktor Tikhonov

The bolded players are players that would have a very good/likely chance of making Team Canada... the rest of the players, not a chance.

End of discussion.

According to who? You........lol.

Send me to the gulag for not believing Canadian media hype of their players.

I respect that Canada is a talented team but the way some (not all of you) of you talk about it makes it seem like it's going to be an NHL team playing novice teams.

Fact: Hockey is played outside of Canada. In the past decade even Sweden won the whole thing! Quote my post, but it won't be such a breeze to gold for Canada. US, Sweden, Russia: all very talented teams.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

According to who? You........lol.

Send me to the gulag for not believing Canadian media hype of their players.

I respect that Canada is a talented team but the way some (not all of you) of you talk about it makes it seem like it's going to be an NHL team playing novice teams.

Fact: Hockey is played outside of Canada. In the past decade even Sweden won the whole thing! Quote my post, but it won't be such a breeze to gold for Canada. US, Sweden, Russia: all very talented teams.

You didn't even argue that point though. He is correct. Only the bolded players would make TC.

That doesn't mean TC will be the best team there. Individually speaking, they do have the most talent.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I think you are bored and trying to be funny.

What's so egregious about that? I said on the big ice, notice. NHL I would say Crosby > Malkin and Toews > Datsyuk but the margin isn't big enough to negate the big ice experience to me.

 

[TheMachiavelli*]

How can people even think that Crosby is better than Datsyuk? When you look at the main Russian forwards, such as Kovalchuk, Radulov, Semin, Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk, the only ones who compare from Canada are Crosby, Stamkos and Toews. In fact, the country with the best team going into this tournament is Sweden; and even Bovada predicted that Russia and Sweden have the best chances. People just don't seem to realise that most of Russia's KHL players were picked for defensive purposes, and they should excel at those.

 

[firstemperor]

How can people even think that Crosby is better than Datsyuk? When you look at the main Russian forwards, such as Kovalchuk, Radulov, Semin, Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk, the only ones who compare from Canada are Crosby, Stamkos and Toews. In fact, the country with the best team going into this tournament is Sweden; and even Bovada predicted that Russia and Sweden have the best chances. People just don't seem to realise that most of Russia's KHL players were picked for defensive purposes, and they should excel at those.

Your overrating Radulov and Semin severely here. Also, Tavares belongs up there. I'd take Canada's 4 over Russia's 4 still, personally, but that's just 4 arbitrary forwards. The rest of the roster is more telling but this is a short tourney with one-game eliminations so anything can happen.

 

[hitmen19]

How can people even think that Crosby is better than Datsyuk? When you look at the main Russian forwards, such as Kovalchuk, Radulov, Semin, Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk, the only ones who compare from Canada are Crosby, Stamkos and Toews. In fact, the country with the best team going into this tournament is Sweden; and even Bovada predicted that Russia and Sweden have the best chances. People just don't seem to realise that most of Russia's KHL players were picked for defensive purposes, and they should excel at those.

I seem to recall the same talk in 2010 about the Russian vaunted forwards, what happened?

 

[Fantomas]

Kunitz - Crosby - Stamkos
Tavares - Toews - Sharp

Our top line is better by a mile, and so are our third and 4th lines. Your second line is better offensively but will be a liability on defense. Canada's forwards are better than Russia's by quite a bit, and especially if you're looking at a 200 foot game.

With Kunitz on it? LOL

 

[jgoud*]

Russia's top 6 is much more skilled than Canada's. Kunitz? Yeah he sure is better than Semin...

Post a poll on the poll page and see how people vote, I'm sure they'd pick the top two players in the world right now alongside Kunitz.

According to who? You........lol.

Send me to the gulag for not believing Canadian media hype of their players.

I respect that Canada is a talented team but the way some (not all of you) of you talk about it makes it seem like it's going to be an NHL team playing novice teams.

Fact: Hockey is played outside of Canada. In the past decade even Sweden won the whole thing! Quote my post, but it won't be such a breeze to gold for Canada. US, Sweden, Russia: all very talented teams.

That's a fact, and he's being generous because Markov actually wouldn't have been close to making TC if he was Canadian. And it's the same thing the other way. If Russia could choose Canadian players they would keep those 4 players and their goalies but the rest of the team would be filled with Canadians, even if they couldn't pick the Canadians already chosen to represent TC. Maybe try taking off the homer glasses and looking at the big picture. Add that to the fact that Canada's D is miles better than Russia's should give you an idea of how much better they are in terms of talent and on paper.

 

[Uhmkay]

Post a poll on the poll page and see how people vote, I'm sure they'd pick the top two players in the world right now alongside Kunitz.

That's a fact, and he's being generous because Markov actually wouldn't have been close to making TC if he was Canadian. And it's the same thing the other way. If Russia could choose Canadian players they would keep those 4 players and their goalies but the rest of the team would be filled with Canadians, even if they couldn't pick the Canadians already chosen to represent TC. Maybe try taking off the homer glasses and looking at the big picture. Add that to the fact that Canada's D is miles better than Russia's should give you an idea of how much better they are in terms of talent and on paper.

You are correct, I was being generous. Markov was one that I added after the fact, originally I just had the 4 forwards. I decided to put Markov in because they are 'weaker' on the left side where they have Hamhuis and Vlasic. If he was a right handed shot, no chance Markov makes the team. But you're right, he probably doesn't. I only added him because he might get a sniff.

Other than the 4 forwards that I bolded (Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, Datsyuk, and Malkin), there isn't a single other player on the team I think that would make Team Canada. The Goaltenders you might argue are even, but I'd still take experience of Luongo over either of their two NHL Goalies.

I think by listing the other teams and then showing who would actually make Team Canada goes to show just how strong Team Canada is and there were a few too many people spouting off that Russia was far better with their forwards. I think it's the opposite... and not even close. I would take Canada's top 4 over Russia's top 4, but the rest of the forward group is FAAARRR better than Russias and it's not even close folks.

I think doing the same thing with each nation is a real eye opener. How many Swedish players would make Team Canada? Finnish? Czech? Slovakian? Etc...

 

[xxxx]

Russia's top 6 is much more skilled than Canada's. Kunitz? Yeah he sure is better than Semin...

Kunitz is 2nd in PPG behind only Ovechkin. He's been top15 in scoring all the season, sometimes even top7. Where has been Semin with his much better skills?

 

[Brainiac]

In other news, I just heard that Canada is planning to call Nigel Dawes if one of the current players is injured.

Hey, he was a borderline player in the NHL, but look at his current gig in the KHL. Top 5 in scoring and all! Clearly, he's a great forward, underestimated by the media hype machine and all...

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Yeah, I don't think so.