A sincere apology

[TJQ]

They got 'er fair and square.. great goaltending.. hey will just take the long way around and see ya for the gold!!

[Leecher]

...... hey will just take the long way around and see ya for the gold!!

 

That's another way of looking at it TJ GO CANADA GO

[uglyfish]

pronger and niedermayer both should have not been picked for this team. the USA have a very solid team, and the best goalie in the NHL playing for them. and we have the biggest baby in the NHL playing for us. if crosby plays as hard as he cries, they prolly would have had a better chance at winning.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

pronger and niedermayer both should have not been picked for this team. the USA have a very solid team, and the best goalie in the NHL playing for them. and we have the biggest baby in the NHL playing for us. if crosby plays as hard as he cries, they prolly would have had a better chance at winning.

 

i agree with pronger and nieds. they are there on tenure as much as brodeur.

 

i didn't see crosby crying tonight but i did see him score a clutch goal and put in more effort than most of the rest of the non-"crybabies"...

[bigfish1965]

Wow...the second period was very good hockey. Crosby was flying all night..Pronger was just horrendous. And Brodeur... your crown as best goalie anywhere has been passed to Miller. He is the best goalie on earth right now.

Hasek carried the Czechs to the gold once...no reason the think Miller can't do the same.

 

Luongo and Fleury will get the rest of the net time. We will likely see the US again on the 28th.

 

Brodeur has done amazing things for us in the past, but it appears he is just that now..the past.

[uglyfish]

ok, allow me to back track a little... i wasnt referring to crosbys play tonite inparticular... its more of an overall opinion of him based on all the time i have seen him play.

 

i wouldnt classify brodeur as a tenure player like pronger and neidermayer. brodeur is as solid as any goalie in the NHL. he had a bad nite, it happens to everyone.

[Cudz]

Congrats to the USA on their win.

 

Pronger, Getslav, Thornton, Perry = not great picks. We need to learn that the big slow guy is not the way to go in the Olympics.

 

Thornton is a great player, just not in the Olympics.

 

Relace these guys witht he likes of Carter, Stamkos and I will take St.Louis on my team anyday. Brodeur has not impressd me for some time.

 

Miller played great and always does for the sabers as well. Hope we get another chance at the Americans.

[Rich Clemens]

That would be great .... a re-match for the GOLD.

We're all great friends and will keep the precious metals between us.

[Marty]

I love this thread. Hockey is the fourth most popular sport in the US (maybe 5th behind fishing). Hockey is religion up there. Watching my Canadian friends lose their minds is so much fun (reminds me of Leafs fans).

 

Even though TJ has no clue, he may be right. This is only one game. This is going to be a great tournament and it's still wide open.

[bowshep]

l have hated Olympic Hockey ever since they let the pro's play. They have no heart for the game its just about themselves, just listen to them talk. Its all about their ego's and their $$$ time. Olympic hockey should be left to the Juniors and the woman's at least if they lose the game was still played with Heart.

 

Crosby said "the U.S. had some lucky bounces in the beginning" well in hockey you make your luck if that was not the case then South Africa would be playing for the gold.

 

Ken

[solopaddler]

If anyone's surprised they shouldn't be, the U.S. has a very strong team.

 

If our goaltending improves I'm still cautiously optimistic.

[blaque]

Hockey is the fourth most popular sport in the US (maybe 5th behind fishing).

 

Not in my house lol.........you could dump the Buffalo Bills any day of the week from this town and i wouldnt bat an eyelash. Ridding of my hockey team would have me in counseling.

 

As far as Miller.......he is playing like himself in this tournament, he was slipping (a little) with the rest of his NHL team before the Olympic "break". He's risen back to match the play of his USA team in front of him and its really good to see. Thriving on the effort put on in front of him has him back where he belongs. I hope he can bring a gold back to us and motivate his buffalo sabres into better efforts going forward. He shows up EVERY game and i cant say the same for the rest of his sabres. Someone should put the "C" on his chest when he returns and give him the role of whip cracker in the locker room for these sabres. They dont seem to appreciate who they have between the pipes some nights and better learn to put in a consistant effort in front of him. Go sabres........go USA.

 

Like miller said at the end of the game........were gonna see Canada again, and they are going to be mad!! lol Looking forward to another great game for the medal

[Billy Bob]

Apology accepted but it proved not necessary. But read this....http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=40858

[lhousesoccer]

Brodeur single handedly lost the game for Canada, in my opinion. Look at the shots on goal. He played out of character. When was the last time you saw Brodeur, with 3 opponent skaters right in front of him, splay himself out on his belly 15 feet in front of the net to swipe and poke check a puck away?? He doesn't do this in the NHL. Why did he do it last night? He missed the puck, and the US scored into an empty net. Why did he skate out 20 feet and take a baseball swing at a puck in the air, which resulted in a goal 2 seconds later?

 

He played out of character. He played poorly, and he lost the game. He should be benched for the rest of the tournament.

[canadadude]

The great Canadian Pylons were out in full, hats off to team USA a young fast tallented team that skates circles around our old washed up defence. Pronger, Niedamier old has beens that can't keep up with the young quick tallent of the US, thats what happens when you get a ex-hockey player picking your team. Canada is getting exactly what they deserve when they leave there best young tallent watching the games on T.V, there going no where in this tournament. It's just like 4yrs ago brutal.

[JohnF]

Other than goaltending, defence, speed and persistance we were all over them. We outshot them didn't we?

 

Our guys did some things really well but the US did more things well and they were the things that counted. I wasn't disappointed in Pronger because I expected nothing more from him. The only thing I was surprised at was that he didn't finish some of the many cross checks he started and get hisself some pine time and us a few more PK's. Everyone keeps saying the coachs have to find players who can play with Crosby. Seems to me that after listening to that refrain for a few years from more than this team his coachs should be asking Sid when he's gonna figger out how to put his greatness to work as a team player. He's got skill to burn but if he can't make it work with anyone why is he in a team sport? Mebbe he needs to try to adjust his game a little more. And it's not Canada's fault, or Brodeur's, that the US and Europe are producing better goalies right now. Arguably our own Olympic team has the best available at the moment. I doubt anyone thought Mason or Ward were gonna save us. Unfortunately the rest of the world is producing better goalies at the moment.

 

I was pleased to see Doughty elevate his game last night. He kinda sucked before that. In fact our young defence did okay. Bench Pronger.

 

I haven't written our guys off yet. One can only hope Luongo, or even Fleury, can deliver the kind of goaltending we'll need. Perhaps Seabrook can rise to the occasion with some more ice time and let the coachs cut Pronger's ice time. I think Niedermayer is still a player and will bring some game. I'd like to see Crosby try harder to fit in with whomever is assigned to him. If he's as good as we think he should be able to make anyone look good. I hope our blueliners start to get some quick shots away. Last night they fiddled with the puck as if they were waiting for the other guys to fill the lanes, then they'd make slow passes to try to find a hole. It was like they were afraid to shoot. And lastly I'd like to see the Canadian coachs take charge. Babcock has always looked bewildered behind the bench and I thought it was just his normal look. Mebbe the Wings players have been carrying him all this time.

 

Lastly, as always I'm blown away by the pride and the intensity American athletes bring to their international endeavours. They must have a secret formula that they bottle and inject. They aren't always the most likeable but dayum, they sure do come through in the clutch. I've been thinking that our own Olympic team organizers recognized this and have tried to instill some of that pride or whatever it is in our athletes with all the Own The Podium hype, and to a certain extent they've succeeded, but I guess our men's hockey team skipped out of the injection line.

 

There, got that off my chest. I'm looking forward to seeing how well our guys can suck it up now and deliver some of the intensity they showed in the last few minutes of last night's game, except do it for an entire game, and then another entire game, and then another, etc, until they wear the gold.

 

JF

[BillM]

This is what happens when you get a hot goalie..

 

How much of the game was played in the US end? 75% at least? We took it to them pretty good, however the score didn't reflect that. What can ya do. No point in making up excuses...

[Oeey3109]

Anyone that says Crosby is "not a team player" doesn't know much about hockey. He is the sole reason the Pens have been in the past 2 cup finals, and clearly makes other around him much better. He makes the entire team elevate their play, and is a tireless worker, both in games and in practice). He is by no means the reason Canada lost last night. Old defense and poor decision making by Brodeur has a little more to do with it. I'm sure we'll meet again and look forward to another great game for a medal.

[Governator]

We all knew it was going to be a battle of goaltending in this one. Both teams have tons of offensive power, Miller is arguablly the best goalie in the NHL and has been the last couple years. You can ride a great goaltender to gold in any tournament. We're lucky we got 3 past him. USA will be in the finals and hopefuly Canada can meet them there for some revenge, but it's a long road ahead for us.

 

Truth is Luongo should've been chosen as the starting goaltender before it even began imo. He's playing in his home town, he knows the arena, the crowed is behind him more than anyone and he started the tournament off with a shutout. His confidence was high and I think they should've went with him. Not that Brodeur has played badly at all, he made some key saves last night that helped Canada stay in the game.

[DRIFTER_016]

He doesn't do this in the NHL. Why did he do it last night? He missed the puck, and the US scored into an empty net. Why did he skate out 20 feet and take a baseball swing at a puck in the air, which resulted in a goal 2 seconds later?

 

 

He was obviously bribed by the US of A to throw the game!!!!

[blaque]

why do you think broduer had "USA" written on the tape of his stick end?

[bigfish1965]

I think the trouble with finding someone Sydney can play with, is finding people that can keep up with him. He skates and moves like the wind and if there was someone with his speed beside him...

Wish he was on my favourite NHL team!!

[Billy Bob]

why do you think broduer had "USA" written on the tape of his stick end?

 

I believe it was for him to keep track what stick he used in what Olympic game for his collection.

[Billy Bob]

He was obviously bribed by the US of A to throw the game!!!!

 

He's seen what MILLER can do and tried it.

[JohnF]

Anyone that says Crosby is "not a team player" doesn't know much about hockey.

 

Not what I meant at all. Crosby is without question all for his team. What I meant is that saying that he's the best and then expecting the other players to rise to his level is unreasonable. The solution is a compromise between others playing up to their potential and Crosby working with it since he's the anointed leader. It's hard to follow a leader who's so far ahead of the pack he can't be found. I know that's exaggerating things a bit but they really just have to meet somewhere in the middle. He seemed to struggle for a while with that when he came to Pittsburgh too. It takes a whole team to make a team, not just one man.

 

But be that as it may, I still stand by what I said earlier in the tournament - this is going to be a battle of the goalies.

 

JF