Luke, Fitz etc, what do you make of Carter, Doughty etc complaining about the larger rink size over here? Getting excuses in for under performing (Crosby, Kane etc)?
It's a bit of tough adjustment for the players, but Jesus, these guys are the best in the world. I always thought the NHL should adopt the larger rink size.
Oh my god... I'm really upset with this bronze medal game showing. I'm serious when I say this...This is not the USA spirit I expect from my American top level skilled athletes. Pathetic.
Watched the game again this morning, some of the Finnish plays were quality - but perhaps because USA weren't putting 100% into it.
Ovechkin for example had a horrid tournament and complained about it, because he actually had to put in some graft whereas normally when I see him in the NHL he just waits for the puck - I gather on the larger rink it makes teams a lot more tactical and defence minded, whereas Canada/USA like the more physical nature of the game on a smaller rink. Ovechkin though has no excuse, he grew up on the larger rinks!
From what I know, there are plenty of Swedes playing in the NHL. The entire Canadian roster plays in the NHL also. If the Swedes and Canadians can adjust to the larger rink size, why can't the Americans? I'm not having a go at you at all Fitz, but these seem like some very hollow excuses coming out of the American camp.
There are, but the Swedes will all have played the larger rink size at some point. Canada 1-0 up at the second and about to go on a PP
Crosby scored a nice solo goal, all his own hard work. Can't see Sweden getting anything from this anymore
Yeah but until the final they've basically limped over the line. So Canada won 3-0, Sweden never really in it apart from at 0-0 when that puck wouldn't drop in the net. Also it's come out that Nicklas Backstrom was pulled before the game because he failed a drugs test after the semi, for taking Claritin
Loved the winter olympics as per usual. Sochi has been pretty good, aside from the terrible speed skating judges.
GB1 Bobsleigh achieved their goal of top 6. Pretty ****ing stoked for them. From having no funding after Vancouver, John Jackson's ruptured achilles last year it has been a tough run. Only 0.11 seconds from a medal and their highest finish since Nagano I'm pretty proud of team that is led by my old man.
Confirmed http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-olympics/26312069 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...strom-sits-out-gold-medal-game-with-migraine/
Yes, it was a great effort. So close. Obviously you would know far more than me, but I thought that the funds were withdrawn but then re-instated after an appeal, and the funds are being used for some high tech innovation and electronic monitoring systems, etc. I seem to remember something like £3m?
Exactly that. The appeal was led by my Dad and few others but they still continued to work through that. £3m is for the whole team and not just the Olympics, I believe.
Oh, the people complaining about the rink sizes are Canadian and not American? Whoops! I just assumed sour grapes etc. Fair enough, sorry Fitzy!
I think it lends credence to the criticism of the rink size. Still, I don't agree. I think the NHL (the 'N' of which is supposed to be Canada, isn't it?) should be aligned with the world game. That being said, I believe I've heard the NHL won't be consenting to send their pros to the Olympics going forward. I understand there is a sort of Hockey World Cup in the works, and amateur hockey players will go to the Olympics, and that I also wholeheartedly agree with. If it's done like football (just not with the risible FIFA), I can get aboard that.
Ah sorry about the thrashing Fitz! The bronze was all about Teemu Selänne, generally regarded as the greatest hockey player to ever come from Finland. Before his last game he gave a rousing speech to his team mates about siezing the moment. The team who mostly idolise Teemu just had to put it all on the line for this man. It helped too that Rask was in goal as the game was fairly even in shots on goal. For Finland these hockey games are the equivalent of the World Cup or Superbowl or whatever. It is Finlands national sport and the sheer team spirit they can muster to overcome a lack of big names is pretty much unique in hockey. I am sure Finland would have given Canada more of a game than the Swedes yesterday but there you go. The swede goalie could be critisized for the goals he gave. As for 2018 I believe the NHL players will demand to go there like they did here. From interviews and twitter I think they loved to be part of the games and the fears about security etc were totally unfounded. I don't understand the injury excuse either, do precious players not get injured in NHL games? Would there be no injuries during the two weeks they were not in Sochi? Strange argument. I think it probably is time to choose one standard rink size. I don't hear any players complaining about the bigger surface. Btw Teemu the oldest player in the tournament(43yrs) won the overall 'Most Valuable Player' as voted by the worlds hockey media! A fitting end and great tribute.
Now it's all over I'd just like to say what a bunch of godawful garbage it all was and I'm glad normal television schedules will resume. We're a nation without any winter sporting pedigree at all - except bizarrely in the tea tray thingy - so any money spent on it by the BOA is a horrendous waste. £13.5m according to the Telegraph.
I quite enjoyed a lot of events - more than in the Summer games but your probably right most will only take our interest once every 4 years. TBH It seems only the sports where we are already are successful get more funding which makes a mockery of the whole system I reckon. Do rowing/sailing etc need more - then basketball gets theirs totally taken away?
Tell that to the athletes and those that are employed in winter sports. Many of the athletes aren't "professional" this isn't their job unlike those in the Summer games, they'll be heading back to the other jobs in the next few weeks. A mere £13.5m is spent of the whole winter team compared to around £262m for the summer team which draws in a hell of a lot more sponsorship too.
Blame the Gulf Stream for blighty rainy warm England and a low inclination to Winter sports. Compared to the rest of Northern Europe, Britain is positively tropical. No wonder the Vikings visited so often and stayed so long.
He is a pretty poor player in all honesty. Actually I am not surprised by how Russia performed considering there were weaknesses in defence although Nikitin and Voynov need shooting. The lack of cycling the puck and movement of the players on the PP was awful. Why Markov or Malkin was not used to order the PP I will not understand. Bilyatedinov was poor in last year's World Championship and why he chose to break up a line that has worked well in the past Ovechkin centred by Datsyuk and Semin and then place Malkin with Ovechkin who do not get along I have no idea. I feel most sorry for Datsyuk, Popov, Malkin the kids like Nuke and Tarasenko and Radulov as well. It was a great Winter Olympics with superb opening and closing ceremonies. Russia looks after the post 1990 collapse and coaching exodus, despite home advantage getting stronger again (age group results in hockey for instance are improving). It was sad to see some of the older athletes retiring such as Bjorndalen and Bjorgen, Zubkov as well no doubt and several of the skaters. As for funding it is dependent on success and the relative achieivement of Team GB means it should be rewarded as such. I would hope that perhaps in time IHUK can get their act together and get Team GB to an Olympic tournament once again. If Denmark, Hungary and Slovenia can improve in the last decade or so there is no reason why we cannot as well. Best wishes to Maria Kommisarova who has been left paralyzed by the training accident she suffered during practice for the freestyle skiing.
There is zero chance of the owners being able to stop the NHLPA stopping players going no matter what they say. They've tasted the Olympics and they like it and the atmosphere. All major sporting disciplines send their best players to the Olympics. The NHL do not own ice hockey nor should they be allowed to dictate terms. They should look on such events as a chance to grow their market not treat it negatively. They already play a bloated season and cannot allow players to be released for two weeks ? The World Cup would hold no credence here in Europe. And insofar as only amateurs going to the games ? There are plenty of professional leagues within Europe headed by the KHL, Elitserien, SM-Liiga ,National Liga of a very high standard who will send plenty of players anyway as they did at this tournament. It's scandalous anyway how little clubs within these leagues get for the youth they nurture before it gets pilfered by the NHL.
You have to say judging by results over the last ten years that Finland are right up there in the elite and that also applies to age group levels. It is no longer a question anymore are they to be ranked alongside Canada, Russia, Sweden and the USA. Had Rask been in net for the semifinal they might have well made it to the final. They have qualities all sides should emulate in terms of sheer hard work and teamwork with each other. If the Russian Federation have any sense Jukka Jalonen would make an excellent head coach with someone like Bragin alongside him. Regarding Backstrom's removal that was very harsh and there is no doubt it affected Sweden losing their top centre and having to shuffle their lines. I do find it rather peculiar although the NHL may pride itself on having the best officials that North American referees are allowed to officiate matches involving Canada and the USA. South Korea struggling in Division I have already naturalized a couple of Canadians and I think they tried to buy a team in the Mestis to offer their players the chance to practice at a higher level. I hope the next qualifications are on merit and they give up their spot as hosts to someone like Denmark for instance who are far more deserving.
[video=youtube;_Ka5nMNUSGA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ka5nMNUSGA[/video] Inspirational and moving montage.