WJC Group B: Dec 31 GDT - Czech Republic vs. Canada (2-5)

[CharlieGirl]

Nice game boys!! Off to the semis!

 

[littleD]

I think Meech was Canada's best player today. Chipped in offensively and had some strong defensive plays.

I'll also agree with the commentators about Fleury. He hasn't looked very comfortable in this tournament so far.

 

[chicpea*]

Pierre McGuire = No professionalism whatsoever.

Indeed, McGuire is better suited to monster truck or wrestling commentary. He makes me turn the sound off! I don;t know who TSN thinks their audience is...Mcguire has no class at all compared to say...Harry NEale and Bob Cole.

 

[littleD]

Indeed, McGuire is better suited to monster truck or wrestling commentary. He makes me turn the sound off! I don;t know who TSN thinks their audience is...Mcguire has no class at all compared to say...Harry NEale and Bob Cole.

Oh jeez. Don't get people started on Cole and Neale. Let's try and stay on topic. I know I haven't helped in that department, but...

Well, that's all I'm going to say.

 

[Slats432]

Indeed, McGuire is better suited to monster truck or wrestling commentary. He makes me turn the sound off! I don;t know who TSN thinks their audience is...Mcguire has no class at all compared to say...Harry NEale and Bob Cole.

Yeah...if you want Team Canada referred to as the Maple Leafs. "And the Maple Leafs enter the zone....Carter SCOOOOORES."

Anyways...good game by the boys....onward and upward.

 

[ZombieMatt]

I can agree with that.....doesn't mean he has any commentary skills.

Anyway, Canada wins 5-2 (should have been 5-3).

I disagree. It should have been 8-3. Three WIDE open net misses is unacceptable for any team, whether its a gold medal challenging team or Ukraine.

Its too bad there is no video replay, because the Czech's shouldn't have been robbed of that goal.

I don't think that Mcguire is nearly as bad as some complaints. He knows a lot about the game, and is very knowledgeable about all the prospets, regardless of where they come from. I'm glad that he's making a point that the officiating here is suspect. He is willing to identity the dives the Czechs were taking instead of trying to pawn it off as suspect play like others might. I don't know, I really just don't think he does a bad job, sorry.

All in all, a bad game for Canada, who I thought was the vastly superior team, but did not register as much as it should have on the score board. That's just my personal thoughts....I do hope the Czech's get into the next round however, because I don't think they played their best game either.

 

[David]

Anyways...good game by the boys....onward and upward.

Sorry but I would have to disagree with you here.

Canada played a good game up to about the beginning of third period.
Although it may not be a cause for alarm but I think that Canada needs to settle down and not put the cart before the horse with this forth win because we really haven't won anything yet.

Small area of concern is that it was pretty apparent that Canada lost some composure once the Czech's applied the pressure and Canada was doing a lot of running around toward the end of the 3rd when Fleury started looking a bit shaky and especially after that goal that didn't count, a lot of team Canada players were looking flustered and perhaps even a little panicky.

People were worried about this exact sort of thing when so many 18 year olds were picked for the team and I think that we saw flashes of this showing through today. Something to think about a bit before the next game.

As for Fleury, he's not near the level he was last year at this tournament and he needs to find himself before the next game as Pierre mentioned because no one has to remind anyone that now we're playing for keeps from this point on.

Having said that, Marc-Andre, there's no other goalie that I would like to have than you at this tournament. Go get 'em!

 

[Phanuthier*]

Pierre McGuire = No professionalism whatsoever.

... but still probably the best commentator out there ...

 

[The Rage]

How many times can the guy make fun of a different country/continent's hockey culture?

I DON'T CARE that there are ads all over the ice and he seems to think it is goofy.

I DON'T CARE that there are usually ads all over the league players and he seems to think it is goofy.

I DON'T CARE that there are usually ads all over the refs and he seems to think it is goofy.

I DON'T CARE that the english ad for a check cashing company at center ice says "PAY FAIR" and not as some might assume "PLAY FAIR"

From what you said, seems he's crtiticising out of control marketing more than another country's hockey culture. And why shouldn't he criticise marketing? Ads are everywhere these days; I can't even take a leak without an ad in my face (in an insitute of higher learning no less). This is way off topic, but anyone who crtiticises ads or rampant marketing gets props from me

 

[jcpenny]

The big canadian fowards are too much to handle for all the team in the tournament. Plus we have the best defense of all teams. If Canada continues to play their game nobody will be able to give them a challenge for the gold, not even th U.S..

 

[Jacob]

I'll also agree with the commentators about Fleury. He hasn't looked very comfortable in this tournament so far.

Not only that, but he's getting worse, and not better. There's no reason for him to be beating himself up over practice goals. He was just trying to do way too much tonight.

 

[NWT Habs Fan]

Well, Canada played a solid 40 minutes and then seemed to really sit back in this game. It will be good to have the extra day of rest for the boys as they await the winner of Slovakia-Czech. There will be lots of national pride on the line for that game!! Halak will have his hands full in net against a Czech team that still hasn't maxed out in its potential.

Happy New Year folks!!

 

[billabong55]

I'd say the first two periods Canada played really well. I think in the third they sat back a little bit, and had the ref counted to Czeck's third goal, the game could have gotten interesting.

As for Fluery, I agree he hasn't looked the same out there. I have been able to see him play a lot over the past 3 years, and it's pretty easy to see when he's on his game. I don't think he is right now though. The two days of rest will be good for him, and I really have no worries about him coming back strong on Saturday, I just hope to see him smiling because that should mean he's back on his game. And about Fluery being mad about letting in goals during practice, he doesn't like letting goals in period. If you are able to watch him live, even in the pregame warms ups, you'll notice that he gets very upset if he lets in any goals. I find that rather amusing.

 

[RaoulDuke]

His diatribes began to smack of xenophobia during the Ukraine game.

How so? I didn't get that impression at all. I wouldn't equate him saying that Ukraine doesn't belong in the tournament (which is true) with xenophobia.

I think McGuire is a good colour guy. He can get really excitable, which is a negative, but at the same time it's nice to listen to someone that is so passionate AND knowledgeable about hockey.

 

[Epsilon]

I think you guys are coming down too hard on Fleury. He's looked perfectly acceptable to me most of the time. Maybe people are expecting too much given his stellar performance from last year? I also don't think the defense has given him a ton of good help beyond the big two.

 

[PEli*]

His diatribes began to smack of xenophobia during the Ukraine game.

Huh?! Care to elaborate?

 

[Jacob]

I think you guys are coming down too hard on Fleury. He's looked perfectly acceptable to me most of the time. Maybe people are expecting too much given his stellar performance from last year? I also don't think the defense has given him a ton of good help beyond the big two.

He's giving up bad rebounds on pretty weak shots and is scrambling in all the wrong situations. He's been out of position a lot, and I have no idea what he was thinking on that no-goal, he had no idea where the puck was.

 

[MSteudle]

wrote by The Rage "From what you said, seems he's crtiticising out of control marketing more than another country's hockey culture. And why shouldn't he criticise marketing? Ads are everywhere these days; I can't even take a leak without an ad in my face (in an insitute of higher learning no less). This is way off topic, but anyone who crtiticises ads or rampant marketing gets props from me"
Not saying your comment is wrong just like to add something what McGuire has to understand is and Maybe he does I'm not sure I think European's sports structure heavily depends on these sponsorships & of course ticket sales help too. (Meaning ads all over the place) to keep these sporting events going... European Soccer does the same thing (Beer ads images on jerseys etc)
MS

 

[Epsilon]

wrote by The Rage "From what you said, seems he's crtiticising out of control marketing more than another country's hockey culture. And why shouldn't he criticise marketing? Ads are everywhere these days; I can't even take a leak without an ad in my face (in an insitute of higher learning no less). This is way off topic, but anyone who crtiticises ads or rampant marketing gets props from me"
Not saying your comment is wrong just like to add something what McGuire has to understand is and Maybe he does I'm not sure I think European's sports structure heavily depends on these sponsorships & of course ticket sales help too. (Meaning ads all over the place) to keep these sporting events going... European Soccer does the same thing (Beer ads images on jerseys etc)
MS

And is it just me, or did I imagine a whole team of players wearing FORD touques during the Heritage Classic?

 

[nazzy]

Woke up for this game, enjoyed watching it. I thought Meech played pretty well, provides some offense from the blueline, got shafted as he should've got two assists. I liked the line of Carter, Burns and Getzlaf. Too bad Getzlaf couldn't bury in those chances.

 

[Epsilon]

Woke up for this game, enjoyed watching it. I thought Meech played pretty well, provides some offense from the blueline, got shafted as he should've got two assists. I liked the line of Carter, Burns and Getzlaf. Too bad Getzlaf couldn't bury in those chances.

Meech definitely had his best game so far, that's for sure.

 

[Crosbyfan]

... but still probably the best commentator out there ...

He has to be one of the best hockey minds to ever do such silly/homer colour commentary.

 

[BCCHL inactive]

I would like to apologize for my earlier comments about Pierre McGuire. Sombody at TSN found a way to let me know of their displeasure with the comments, and after thinking about it, he was right. My comments were out of line, and as moderator of this board, I should have known better than to hit Pierre with a personal slam.

I hope we can all move on, including Pierre and others at TSN who are obviously not to happy with me at the moment.

Sorry guys, I will represent you all better in the future.

Van.

 

[Crosbyfan]

I would like to apologize for my earlier comments about Pierre McGuire. Sombody at TSN found a way to let me know of their displeasure with the comments, and after thinking about it, he was right. My comments were out of line, and as moderator of this board, I should have known better than to hit Pierre with a personal slam.

I hope we can all move on, including Pierre and others at TSN who are obviously not to happy with me at the moment.

Sorry guys, I will represent you all better in the future.

Van.

I hope it's still open season for the rest of us?

 

[BCCHL inactive]

I hope it's still open season for the rest of us?

You can criticize his style all you want. Even that is open season for me. Just don't make it personal.

Saying he is unprofessional is about as personal as you can get. If I were to have simply left my criticism to some of his specific comments, then the TSN representative wouldn't have sent me an email.

The standard I have set for myself is the standard I expect everybody else to follow....and it is HF rules as well. Don't get personal.