Men's Bronze Medal Hockey Game

[Boom_70]

Fins beat the Slovs 5-3 . Hell of game. Nice warm-up to tomorrow.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Fins beat the Slovs 5-3 . Hell of game. Nice warm-up to tomorrow.

Hard-fought battle.

Really sets tomorrow up nicely.

 

[Boom_70]

Just re-watched Bronze Medal game. As good as game was there is definite drop off in talent of the Fins and Slavs compared to USA and Canada.

 

[Football_Bat]

So the Finns won the Bert Bell Benefit Hockey Game?

 

[mb]

Just re-watched Bronze Medal game. As good as game was there is definite drop off in talent of the Fins and Slavs compared to USA and Canada.

Canada, yes. But *nobody* in that tournament was close to Canada's talent. They're absolutely even with the U.S., though, IMO.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

No one was close? Not even the US team that whooped their ass a week ago and took the gold medal game to overtime on hostile ice?

 

[mb]

No one was close? Not even the US team that whooped their ass a week ago and took the gold medal game to overtime on hostile ice?

I thought we were just talking about sheer talent. And, sorry, but Canada had boatloads more talent. I'd argue that the U.S. team was better put together, but there's no way you could ever argue that Canada wasn't much more talented. At least IMO.

How many players off the U.S. team would have even MADE Team Canada?

 

[Flying Headbutt]

If you're saying the sum was greater than the parts, I'll buy it. But I think at that high a level, it's not THAT much greater.

 

[mb]

I think that Burke did a masterful job assembling the team. Now, whether that was by design or just because we didn't have enough ultra-talented players, I don't really know.

In looking at the rosters, I think the highest you could go on USA players that would have made Team Canada is 3 (Miller, Kane, Parise). And even that might be high.

 

[JC]

I think that Burke did a masterful job assembling the team. Now, whether that was by design or just because we didn't have enough ultra-talented players, I don't really know.

In looking at the rosters, I think the highest you could go on USA players that would have made Team Canada is 3 (Miller, Kane, Parise). And even that might be high.

I think Kesler and Rafalski may have as well.
The future of American hockey is very bright.

 

[JR]

It's astonishing but SEVEN of the Canadians on this team were on the 2005 WJ team which ran away with the gold in Grand Forks during the lockout.

Their talent level was off the charts.

I think it's safe to say that Canada/US has replaced Canada/Russia as hockey's biggest rivalry.

 

[Sea Bass]

I think that Burke did a masterful job assembling the team. Now, whether that was by design or just because we didn't have enough ultra-talented players, I don't really know.

In looking at the rosters, I think the highest you could go on USA players that would have made Team Canada is 3 (Miller, Kane, Parise). And even that might be high.

I think Kesler and Rafalski may have as well.
The future of American hockey is very bright.

I'd say yes to Kesler, but not Rafalski.

 

[mb]

Individually, Kane, Parise and/or Kesler might have made it. There's no way all three of them would have, though. Because then you'd have to bump three guys off Team Canada.

 

[Sea Bass]

I don't think you'd have any trouble finding room for Kane and Parise. I'd move Bergeron and Morrow for them. While Morrow played very well, I think the 2002 team proved you can win without players of that type.

I'd bump Richards for Kesler.

 

[goalmouth]

You would take Martin St. Louis before Parise.

 

[Double J]

Ryan Miller would have a good chance at making the Canadian team, but, honestly.....only in Canada could your third-string goalie be a guy who led his team to the most recent Stanley Cup and nobody says boo when he doesn't see a minute's worth of Olympic action.

Same thing happened to Ed Belfour in 2002, when he was only a couple of years removed from his Stanley Cup with Dallas. He didn't complain about it and neither did anyone else.

 

[JR]

Saw Ryan Miller being interviewed on Saturday night and I swear to God he looked like a homeless person. Gaunt, bags under his eyes.

I think he's the best goalie in the game right now.

 

[JC]

You would take Martin St. Louis before Parise.

Who would?

 

[The Big Ragu]

Saw Ryan Miller being interviewed on Saturday night and I swear to God he looked like a homeless person. Gaunt, bags under his eyes.

I think he's the best goalie in the game right now.

I saw the interview I think you're talking about. He looked like he took the loss hard. His face was wearing what he was feeling (actually his words were too). Who knows what he was lying there thinking last night, but I get the feeling he is down on himself for his instinctual reaction on the winning goal. He was about to head toward Crosby with the intent to try to cut off an angle or poke check him and he didn't think he was just going to shoot it before skating closer. By the time Miller realized there was a shot coming at him and he tried to react, the puck was through his legs. I am sure he has been beating himself up over it.

 

[JR]

Crosby got rid of that puck so damn quickly that I don't think any goalie would have stopped it.

And tomorrow Buffalo plays in Pittsburgh.

How amazing is that?