OT: Canada v. Russia
Save the snarky 'who cares about hockey' commentary. Even if you do not like hockey, this is the game to watch. These teams were arguably the two heaviest favorites for gold going in, but since the US beat Canada, one of them will not be on the podium.
Canada is carrying the weight of the country on their shoulders, and the arena is sure to be absolutely electric. The game features the best players in the world, including Malkin, Crosby, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Semin, Iginla, and the Wings' very own Pavel Datsyuk. Not to mention, Steve Yzerman and Mike Babcock are the figureheads of this Canadian hockey team.
7:30ET. Tune in. If not for the hockey, for the chance to potentially see an entire nation collapse live on TV if Canada loses. They've been waiting a very long time for this.
Let's hear some predictions.
I am going against my gut and will say the Russians pull it out 4-3, with Ovechkin and Datsyuk having excellent games.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:21 PM ^
...for something that's patently untrue.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:04 PM ^
Canada played an excellent game tonight for sure, but don't expect Sweden to let you beat the shit out of them the way the Russians did. Also, I don't know how much you pay attention, but Evgeni Nabakhov imploding in a huge game is NOT AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE.
You won't get that with Lundqvuist, or with Miller. Congrats on the win and all, but don't expect Sweden or the US to lie down and take it. Oh, and Datsyuk looked like the only Russian with any defensive responsibility tonight.
Edit: To reiterate the credit to you guys, and to also say, we still have the Czechs or the Fins, which will take more than an awesome game from Miller.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:11 PM ^
You had me at the all caps in the analysis. That said, expect more of the same against Sweden who won't have much of a choice related to getting beaten up in the forecheck. Their goalie might or might not implode although they will whither against that sort of intensity. Miller had the game of his lifetime in the preliminary round. We'll see if he has that in his next game or even the final. You act like the Americans are automatic to the final; where was that team after two periods today?
As far as Russia, were not the Canadians supposed to fall victim to the awesome power of Ovechkin, the great Datsyuk, Malkin, Kovalchuk etc. Against a motivated Canadian team (who benefited from a practice against Germany) they did absolutely nothing. Last I looked Nabakov is an all star calibre player with the best team in the NHL...his falling apart is about as likely as Miller stopping 45 shots.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:17 PM ^
But Datsyuk was really the only one who played decent defense the entire not. No need to Red Wing jab. And do you honestly think the Swedes will come out and not be ape shit physical with you after the show you put on tonight?
Remember friend, this is the olympics, and you're starting to sound a little like you did just before you matched up against us.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
We have a great team that, playing poorly, still put up 45 shots and outchanced the Americans by more than 3 to 1. I'll take those odds; really, what can Burke or Wilson do to change that? Nothing except hope Miller stands on his head again. Maybe he will, but I doubt it.
As for Datsyuk, his stat line tonight was distinctly not consistent with that of an NHL all star and team leader...no goals, no assists, no points, no shots, plus one...just sayin'
February 24th, 2010 at 10:02 PM ^
Ryan Miller was a very large part of why we beat you, you seem to forget that we scored five goals of our own. Also, your nation's homoerotic hero, Sid the Kid, was an even more solid minus 3 that game.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:04 PM ^
Red Wings of the 90s = Russian identity. Red Wings of the aughts and today = Swedish identity. If Canada whoops up on Sweden then you can call out the Red Wings.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:48 PM ^
SWE (probably) awaits them in the semis. The biggest effect of the USA-CAN result is the outrageous path CAN has to tread just to get to the final. The USA path is exponentially easier. If they do meet again, CAN will have serious momentum on its side, but the level of effort required to take out RUS and SWE may prove decisive.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:06 PM ^
the Russians were schooled. No two ways about it. They left Nabokov in far too long and their best players ranged from average to brutal.
I'm not quite sure what is so "goonish" about Canada, other than Boyle's obvs slewfoot and the fact that they include players who Wings fans don't like. The Canadians showed far more skill tonight than the supposed kings of the skill game. Althought it did not mean a thing, I thought Bryzgalov played very well in relief, its not easy coming off the bench like that.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:12 PM ^
I only say it to trash talk my main man, because guys like Pronger, Getzlaf, Niedermayer, and Perry have done goonish things. We're just all pretty amped up, because USA hockey is something to get excited about, which many of us aren't used to. Certainly the Hockey Capital of the world can relate, eh?
February 24th, 2010 at 10:19 PM ^
was why such great players played so uniformly terrible. Canada forced them to do that. You out hit a team by 16 hits in the first and own the forecheck...and you don't let your goalie handle the puck to his forehand repeatedly (I'm looking at you Marty Brodeur)when the opponent clearly scouted it...you destroy MVP's and humiliate one of the NHL's best goalies.
Feel free to talk the trash but understand that the scariest team remaining in the tournament is from north of the border.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:25 PM ^
Canada looked like the best team in the tournament tonight. If they play that complete a game again, they won't be beat. But don't expect to roar to the gold my man, because you may have the best roster, and the most momentum, but Sweden is pretty good, and if we make it to the finals, it's never smart to bet against confident Americans.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:32 PM ^
I bet against confident Americans in 2002...worked out pretty well. You might recall that team started out 1 - 1 - 1.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:41 PM ^
I've been replying to you in a pretty friendly, neighbor to the south manner. But since you have decided to be so confident, FUCK YO' HOCKEY TEAM. Fuck Canada. Fuck the NBC anouncers who haven't shown a lick of objectivity, Fuck the "Eurotrash" mentality you all have.
You keep those chests held high going into the Semis, so you can be humbled again by a sissy boy team from across the pond. And if you do make it to the finals, and face us, prepare to get shit-housed. Because we aren't your little brothers anymore. We've learned how to play hockey, and we are the scariest team in the tournament, Biatch.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:44 PM ^
Easy there Rick. You stay classy.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:46 PM ^
Eh, Bud?
Guess where Mike Millbury is from......wait for it.......USA. Maybe you should have a clue what you are talking about before you type something.
February 25th, 2010 at 8:13 AM ^
did you ever just sound like an MSU football fan in that rant. It seems like every time you open your mouth you look even less intellegent than the previous time. Maybe you should step away from the keyboard for a while dick55.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:40 PM ^
I remember that. That's when you guys won your ONLY olympic gold medal since 1952. Hell, even the USA has two since then. LOL.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
In the Canada-USA game, Canada was dominant offensively (especially with the forecheck) and very physical. Yet we still didn't play poorly by any means. Canada certainly proved that they are a better team than Russia, but by no means did you force Russia to play as badly as they did.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:32 PM ^
I don't think the Swedes/Slovaks will playas poorly as the Russians did, regardless of what the Canadians do.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:36 PM ^
I read post after post about how the Russians were oh so scary...they didn't choke because they are terrible. Don't engage in the revisionist history Seth...the Canadians took that game from the Russians. The Russians, Ovechkin, Datsyuk etc. didn't suddenly lose their professional pride. The Canadians just imposed their will. Nothing the opponent could do about it.
February 25th, 2010 at 8:19 AM ^
will never be able to understand that clarkie. If you have played hockey before you know that a gameplan like the one the Canadians ran to a tee will quickly take all the wind out of your sails.
The forechecking, speed and skill of the Canadians was evident from the drop of the puck. No Russian player had more than a millisecond to determine what they wanted to do with the puck before getting hit.
This gameplan was not a mistake. Canada knows how toplay and beat the Russians. They do it on a fairly regular basis. The problem is they don't have one for the USA. The Americans play the same game as the Canadians which is why they have had a hard time in the recent past with them.
Back to the Russian game though, Canada made Russia look bad not the other way around.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:46 PM ^
If I sounded like an MSU football fan in my last post, you certainly came across as an elitist douche in yours. "Yeah Clarkie, the people who don't play, they just don't know." What is that?
Maybe the next time you or Clarkie, or any Canuck try to post in a football thread, we should post something like "Well, they're just silly Canadians, what the hell do they know about football? I mean, look at the way they're head is split in two at the mouth."
How would you like that?
February 24th, 2010 at 10:15 PM ^
I agree. Although you can't really goon it up in the Olympics, there's no reason for the garbage Boyle pulled.
Nabokov should have never started though. He is a notoriously bad goalie in "big" games. The Nash and Morrow goal are great examples. He was completely out of position for Nash and had to try to stack the pads. Morrow's goal can't go in if you want to have a chance at the gold. I can't comment on the rest because after it was about 5-1 I really quit watching, just had it on in the background.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:14 PM ^
Even if you do not like hockey, this is the game to watchDisagree.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:27 PM ^
A few things.
1. Fuck Mike Milbury. "Eurotrash"? I half expected Don Cherry to pop out from under the table and reveal Milbury to be his xenophobic puppet.
2. Fuck Dan Boyle. Fucking thug.
3. Fuck Ryan Getzlaf. That guy is such a jackass.
4. Imagine if a Canadian player put a clean hit on a Russian player and then the Russian chases him down, slew foots him and then elbows him in the head. Wouldn't the reaction be a bit different?
Geez, I wanted Canada to win too.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:31 PM ^
Yeah, I missed the whole "eurotrash" thing he said, please explain. I heard him say it on TV but wasn't really paying attention.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:35 PM ^
He basically just called the Russians "Eurotrash".
February 24th, 2010 at 10:37 PM ^
Well he's not the smartest person in the world. Just look at his tenure with the Islanders.
Mike Millbury is an American so by bad mouthing him you aren't really hurting Canada all that much (which by the rest of your post I assume is your point).
February 24th, 2010 at 10:32 PM ^
Canada forced the mistakes, no doubt about it and as far as Nabokov, i've never been sold on him as elite.
As a bit of a hockey goaltending nerd (and beer league "never was" goalie) i can say that alot of modern goalies would have played the Nash goal with a butterfly slide which gives you a bit of a better chance at a shot up high with either hand, but it was brilliant pass of course and not everyone is a butterfly stylist and sometimes you have to make that desperation play. As for the Morrow goal (wraparound type), i would say you square up, put the paddle of your stick down and bear down..really hard to beat down low if you do that.
That all being said, Canada is going to be very tough to beat and the Americans i can imagine do not want a rematch...