Worse NHL olympics ever?

[Davebo*]

Don't go there, I couldn't care less if it was 3-0 Sweden (ok, I lied, I'd be pissed as hell).

Just the game itself has been very lacklustre.

No, you're incorrect. From my point for view the game was a nail-biter until perhaps 8 minutes into the 2nd period, then Canada total dominated.

Watching your team dominate the supposed second best team in the world never gets old. Sorry if you can't see that. If the play were reversed today it would be the greatest victory in Swedish hockey.

 

[FightingIrish]

You were the best team, and in several periods of each game, you dominated. As one of the best teams in the World should. Just like in all other sports.

But to say it was was so much better than all other teams is kind of strange when one wins several games with one goal. One goal win vs Finland after OT, one goal win vs. Latvia, one goal win vs. USA.

Now, there is no doubt about being the best team, but dominated is pushing it. At least to me, one should win with several goals in most of the games to claim that. But that is my personal opinion.

The other bold part is a reference to the 2006 Olympics and several World Championships.

I have to disagree with you on goals showing dominance in a game. The Canada v USA game was probably the closest a team was to upsetting Canada, they weren't really that close so I think that says a lot, but the score didn't paint a proper picture on how the game was being played by Canada. It just wasn't as close as the score showed, they dictated the pace of the game and control throughout. So I guess we have to agree to disagree on goals=dominance.

I think I speak for a lot of Canadians when I say, nobody cares about World Championships. Can't speak on 2006, since I wasn't on hfboards at that time.

 

[BobDobolina]

Most boring Olympics in hockey ever. I just didn't feel them this year, very indifferent.

 

[Davebo*]

LOL Canadians are the worst winners, much better losers. Team Sweden were too sloppy and maybe shocked by Backstrom story 1 hour before start. But Canada was good today, the better team. Why are you out celebrating? Sore winners! LMAO

Definition of a sore loser.

Went undefeated in he Olympics - must sit on hands in corner. Screw that pal

 

[stavs*]

Or how about instead of thinly veiled sarcasm, your powerhouse of a nation is matched up against more difficult opponents than Norway and Austria in prelims? Such a predictable Olympics that left the best nations with the most rest. USA benefited from it and I am still complaining. The Olympic Hockey system makes it even easier on teams that need no breaks whatsoever.

I wouldn't mind this, but then you'd have a skewed talent pool in the first few groups and almost no talent in another group. It would be unfair to the weaker team that was stuck to play in those groups where as team from the group that lacked any real talent will get a birth to the quarter finals when they probably have no business belonging there.

 

[HABS win CUPS*]

relegation league for olympic hockey?

 

[Le Golie]

Definition of a sore loser.

Went undefeated in he Olympics - must sit on hands in corner. Screw that pal

Maybe if we gave up four goals in the entire tournament we should be humble. But only three. No issue talking about how everyone else is inferior.

 

[SidDidNothingWrong]

I wouldn't mind this, but then you'd have a skewed talent pool in the first few groups and almost no talent in another group. It would be unfair to the weaker team that was stuck to play in those groups where as team from the group that lacked any real talent will get a birth to the quarter finals when they probably have no business belonging there.

Correct, but at least you are putting more talented teams at a disadvantage and less skilled a fighting chance. Teams like Latvia play 2 low seed games, actually gain something from the game, and are not dog **** tired while Canada, the United States and Sweden have to sweat a little bit before the elimination round. If this does nothing else, at least it will make for better games to watch even if Canada or another powerhouse comes out on top.

 

[stavs*]

Correct, but at least you are putting more talented teams at a disadvantage and less skilled a fighting chance. Teams like Latvia play 2 low seed games, actually gain something from the game, and are not dog **** tired while Canada, the United States and Sweden have to sweat a little bit before the elimination round. If this does nothing else, at least it will make for better games to watch even if Canada or another powerhouse comes out on top.

too bad the Olympics weren't a bit longer, so team could have a chance to play against better teams in the Prelim, maybe not all, but at least 2.

Like USA would get Russia and Sweden, Canada would get Russia and Finland etc.

Maybe it would help teams understand how they stack up against the better competition.

 

[HABS win CUPS*]

maybe it should be CAN vs the world - id still like our chances

 

[SidDidNothingWrong]

maybe it should be CAN vs the world - id still like our chances

Now THAT is the cockiest thing I have ever heard a Canadian say. And to that I say, it wouldn't even be close. I hope you are kidding.

 

[Avro Arrow]

To anyone who had nothing vested in this game, yeah it would have been strictly dullsville. On the other hand, the women's game was an instant classic. It's funny because in 2010, the women's game was the dull shutout and the men's game was the instant classic. It's funny how these things happen eh? LOL

 

[HABS win CUPS*]

Now THAT is the cockiest thing I have ever heard a Canadian say. And to that I say, it wouldn't even be close. I hope you are kidding.

really? people were talking about in a thread in the olympic forums and yea id still like our chances

 

[Corto]

Not taking anything away from Canada, but with Sweden having its top 3 centers out and Finland top 4 centers out (+Rask for elimination game), the uphill climb for the other teams was made basically impossible.

USA had the best chance of beating Canada IMO, but yes, all in all, with so many injuries to tier 1 teams with less depth, stars sort of aligned for Canada, including Switzerland losing to Latvia.

Mike Babcock makes Canada twice as good as they were under any other coach.

 

[Faltorvo]

Now THAT is the cockiest thing I have ever heard a Canadian say. And to that I say, it wouldn't even be close. I hope you are kidding.

The bolded, really?

I'd put money on it.

Like Finland showed all, it's not the names on paper that matter the most, it's the team game one brings.

We did this without Stammer and JT.

Could team world actually put a full team game together? IDK

 

[Ash35]

Canada is like the old school trapping Devils, it's boring for everyone else because Canada is so suffocating defensively but it's great to watch as a Canadian

I don't think you even know what the trap is.

 

[novisor]

Best game was by far the Women's final, that was unreal, or should I say, the third period was.
In the men's game my favourites were:

Russia-Slovenia (5:2) Very entertaining, good to see a little nation put a scare into the big bad Russians in their olympic debut.
Canada-Austria: (6-0) just a fun game, good to see Luongo and Subban play.
Czech Republic - Slovakia5-3) Great rivalry, glad it happened in an elimination game.
Finland-Russia: (3-1) good to see Russia go home early, always a pleasure watching Kovalchuk lose
Canada-USA: (1-0) Do I need say more?

 

[Corto]

But we are just too good.. We just dominated the whole tournament and won another gold. You're saying it like it's a bad thing, do you disagree? I'm not saying it in a condescending way towards the nations we were up against.

And this is the reason why most people can't stand Canadian hockey fans.

On paper? Sure.

You beat Latvia and the US by ONE goal.
You beat a depleted Sweden with top 3 centers out easy in the final, fair enough.
You beat a Finnish side with 4 top centers out in OT.

Be graceful in defeat, be modest in victory.

It doesn't work that way in Canada apparently, which is why you'll see everyone else gloating the next time Canada fails in WJC or Olympics.

Is Canada the best? Sure.
Are they the best team by so much that on any given day they can't lose to 4 or 5 other teams? Hell no.

 

[tindo77]

Are you kidding?

Russia vs. Czechoslovakia?

Both teams playing five man defensive hockey?

Sounds like your memory is fuzzy.

It's ok, happens to the best of us.



Well, that's Tre Kroner's issue then.

Canada was hardly mailing it in.

It's ok, you can see what you want to see.



I agree that the entertainment value wasn't great.

I disagree with your characterization of lack of effort.

International ice is not the offensive juggernaut that people thinks it is, and I am glad that myth has been exposed.

You do realise that 'Czechoslovakia' ceased to exist 21 years ago, right? It split into 2 countries, Czech Republic and Slovakia - who have been fierce hockey rivals for the past 20 years... I mean, seriously, the lack of basic general knowledge of some people is staggering! For your information, other countries that no longer exist are the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and East Germany.

Back to the topic, well done Canada. A boring final but a technically excellent performance from the Canadians. I was hoping the Russians (not Soviets) would deliver on home ice, but they effed up big time . Still, I doubt they could've beaten Canada. We'll never know what full strength Finnish and Swedish teams could've done.

Now we have to wait 4 long years for the next best on best tournament. The NHL and IIHF seriously need to get together to create a proper World Cup that can be played in between Olympics. Would it be so difficult to arrange one for 2016?

 

[Canuck16]

No, the hockey was awesome... (from a Canadian standpoint).


#LegionOfBoom

 

[drewstar]

Not taking anything away from Canada, but with Sweden having its top 3 centers out and Finland top 4 centers out (+Rask for elimination game), the uphill climb for the other teams was made basically impossible.

USA had the best chance of beating Canada IMO, but yes, all in all, with so many injuries to tier 1 teams with less depth, stars sort of aligned for Canada, including Switzerland losing to Latvia.

Mike Babcock makes Canada twice as good as they were under any other coach.

I would gladly re play a match where Sweden gets back H. Sedin/Zetterberg/Backstrom...

but then we'd get back Stamkos/Tavares at the very least. Maybe then those close games against Latvia etc wouldn't be as close.

 

[HABS win CUPS*]

And this is the reason why most people can't stand Canadian hockey fans.

On paper? Sure.

You beat Latvia and the US by ONE goal.
You beat a depleted Sweden with top 3 centers out easy in the final, fair enough.
You beat a Finnish side with 4 top centers out in OT.

Be graceful in defeat, be modest in victory.

It doesn't work that way in Canada apparently, which is why you'll see everyone else gloating the next time Canada fails in WJC or Olympics.

Is Canada the best? Sure.
Are they the best team by so much that on any given day they can't lose to 4 or 5 other teams? Hell no.

we swept woman's and men;s hockey 2 olympics in a row - that wont be happening anytime soon from any other country

 

[polarbearcub]

Not taking anything away from Canada, but with Sweden having its top 3 centers out and Finland top 4 centers out (+Rask for elimination game), the uphill climb for the other teams was made basically impossible.

USA had the best chance of beating Canada IMO, but yes, all in all, with so many injuries to tier 1 teams with less depth, stars sort of aligned for Canada, including Switzerland losing to Latvia.

Mike Babcock makes Canada twice as good as they were under any other coach.

And Canada wasn't missing stamkos and Tavares..... Probably the best pure goal scorer in the game and an elite centre in Tavares.

Canada would still have beat Sweden wiry their healthy lineup .

 

[Corto]

I would gladly re play a match where Sweden gets back H. Sedin/Zetterberg/Backstrom...

but then we'd get back Stamkos/Tavares at the very least. Maybe then those close games against Latvia etc wouldn't be as close.

Swedes and Fins suffered much more than Canada to injuries.

That's the biggest difference between these teams. Depth.

While it's fairly obvious the difference between the best players is minute and the game can go either way any given night, when the Swedes or Fins (or anyone else) loses 3-4 top centers, the quality drops dramatically.

Canada just replaces them with another great, but maybe-not-quite-so-good player.

Anyway, while the forwards were as good as they needed to be, I thought the true strength of the Canadian teams were the defensemen.
Weber and Doughty were just phenomenal, and they barely ever allowed people to get to rebounds.

....

Was the final boring? Yeah, for a neutral fan.
H. Sedin and Backstrom aside, Sweden completely lose their identity the minute Zetterberg was out.
The guy IS the character guy on that team.
Personally, I never felt like Sweden could challenge without him.

 

[oilchamp99]

Canada played the type of hockey coaches/GMs can only dream of. Other teams trapped Canada to try and keep it low scoring and capitalize on any mistakes, they knew this probably would be there only chance of winning. Canada was dominant, you can point to the scores and say why they weren't but if you actually watched the games and understood hockey you would know that was a fact. Best defence ever built!