J
Jalili
Guest
drummond said:Most teams and Russians in particular have impressive TOP6
"Bottom 6" is the place where Canada must make the difference to win this tournament and naturally outstanding goaltending as always in short events like Olympics.
It's really hard to tell where Canada stands. Obviously, on paper their forward lines and defensive pairings aren't going to be contested by anyone.
A few countries have them beat in net though. Finland, the States, Sweden, maybe Russia could all have a big advantage there, and the thought of us trailing 2-1 and being shut down by one of their goalies is a scary thought.
Adapting to a different playing style is important too, but I think Hockey Canada will be proactive in adjusting the roster to playing on international ice (ie: good skaters will be at a premium).
Chemistry will probably end up being the most important factor in a short tourny like this though. A lot of star studded teams have fallen short because they've had too many guys who need the puck, or ball, depending on the sport, to be effective.