Men's Olympic hockey
- Thread starter Redleaf
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Redleaf
Active member
Derk said:Got the result we were looking for (a win), but definitely not by the margin we were looking for. Canada 2nd in the pool.
Looking forward to tomorrow's game and a better result.
The mantra in Salt Lake City and Vancouver was to just get better every game. I'm sure they'd be happy with that in Sochi as well.
bustaheims
Active member
Nik the Trik said:
That's how I look at it, too. Crosby is a guy who tends to have the puck on his stick when he's in the offensive zone. The guys people are suggesting to lineup with him are also guys who tend to have to puck on their sticks in the offensive zone. In a short tournament, it can be difficult for those types of players to adapt to playing more of a finishing role than a creating role. It's a different mindset. The idea of having a couple guys on Crosby's line that are used to playing that kind of role is a sound one, even if the players who are there might be questionable choices. The unfortunate thing is that the better options for that role have NHL line mates on the roster, so, Team Canada is leaning on familiarity to help them rather than hoping guys mesh well in a short time period. I would kind of like to see what someone like Benn could do on Crosby's wing, though.
Kin
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bustaheims said:
See, that to me is the questionable decision. I'd much rather see something like Kunitz-Crosby-Perry or Tavares-Crosby-Perry or some sort of attempt to put together a really dominant first line than I would trying to figure out which of the guys who were candidates for the 13th forward job should be playing with Crosby.
GhostofPotvin29
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bustaheims said:
Is that based off any evidence or just what you believe?
Redleaf
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Potvin29 said:
I can see the chemistry argument as well for such a short tournament. I mean, you could certainly tell Kessel and van Reimsdyk knew where each other were out there today and could see the chemistry between them.
Crosby and Kunitz didn't really click today, but then again every line on Canada was having a difficult time making clean passes. The Norwegians played a good game and kept Canada's chances pretty low.
GhostofPotvin29
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RedLeaf said:
I think the argument he's tough to play with is silly and especially if it is based off last Olympics. He still had 7 points in 7 games, and in any event it's too small a sample size to really say. Even if he was "off" that Olympics, they still won the Gold - I see that as a good argument to bring the best players possible. If they can still win gold with Crosby supposedly off his game, why change that up this time? Canada is deep enough they don't need to bring Kunitz, and to be honest he looked a step behind in that game. I'll reserve judgment since it is one game, but I already thought he was below the rest of the team coming in.
Playing in the NHL against uneven competition is one thing, but this tournament is as good as it gets. I'm not sure that Kunitz is up to that (but hey I'd love to be wrong).
bustaheims
Active member
Potvin29 said:
There's always an adjustment period when you're changing from a role you've basically played for your entire life to one that you're less familiar with. Even if that adjustment period is only a couple games, that's probably more than you can risk in a 10 day tournament. While I don't think Kunitz or Carter are necessarily the best choices, I totally understand the thinking there - and, this is where losing Stamkos really hurts the team the most. He's a guy who is used to playing with another guy who has the puck a lot, as St Louis often carries the play himself. Having Stamkos on Crosby's wing would have meant having the best finisher in the world playing with the best playmaker in the world, and, that could have been magical.
GhostofPotvin29
New member
bustaheims said:
But isn't almost every player on the team adjusting to a new role? Isn't that inherently what this tournament is about? Kunitz is going to be adjusting to facing consistently tougher competition and adjusting to big ice too. A guy like Giroux on Crosby's wing is so, so, so much better IMO. I mean, Crosby has a 51 goal season, he can feed off another playmaker. These guys are great, great players which means they don't need to be pigeon-holed into one style of play. Crosby played a season where Malkin was his most common linemate and scored at a higher rate than without him.
I still think it's a silly notion, and that Kunitz is going to have to adjust to the Olympics as much as a guy like Giroux would have to adjust to Crosby and that in the end I think it will negate any benefit to bringing him.
Redleaf
Active member
Potvin29 said:
The whole team was "off" today and they still won; albeit to an inferior team. I'll reserve judgement about Kunitz being invited myself until I see that line against some better competition. It may end up being Carter that's the issue with that line for all we know. Man it would have been special to see Stamkos and Crosby together.
Finland should be a better measuring stick for the chemistry of this team. It looks like it may also be the deciding game on which goaltender takes the net the rest of the way.
GhostofPotvin29
New member
RedLeaf said:
Would have been scary, IMO. Would be the best player Crosby's ever played with probably.