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or 0.5 goals per game for you detailed oriented types... |
Any Blues fans here? Why did St. Louis healthy scratch Erik Johnson the other night? Isn't he the future cornerstone of that franchise or has the Blues front office soured on him already?
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Interesting week. I also had the CBC "borrow" one of my bits on HNIC this week. (They apologized for via twitter for not giving credit.) |
What a game. Down 3-0, Miller gets pulled and the Sabres climb back to win 4-3.
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That comeback was like something out of 2005/06 for Buffalo. Thrilling win...now if Stafford could only play like that every game. He has ridiculous power forward potential but just can't bring that effort every night. And Lalime...damn! :D |
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Lalime is showing that he is more than capable of being the No. 2 goalie. Miller was just off tonight (of course, he didn't get a lot of help in front). |
I told you wanted Miller...and no part of Lalime!
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That's awesome! I have now had two friends randomly send me things from Maple Leafs' blog. One was the Heatley thing and I forget the other. Each time I began a response explaining that I "sort of" know the guy because we've been posting on a forum dedicated to a football text sim that I haven't played since 2004... I start the response, but then end it, because there's just no real good way to explain that. |
Watching the Canadian Olympic Team announcement. Just goalies so far, but no shockers as it's Brodeur, Lulongo and MAF.
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D is coming up next and the hosts are already talking about surprises. I suspect Doughty makes it, and he damn well should. That kid is a monster.
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Here comes the 7 D:
- Dan Boyle - Drew Doughty - Duncan Keith - Scott Neidermayer (C) - Chris Pronger (A) - Brent Seabrook - Shea Weber |
You can for sure see the Wings blueprint on that D pairing. Canada is never going to give the puck up.
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Forwards:
1. Patrice Bergeron 2. Sidney Crosby (A) 3. Ryan Getzlaf 4. Dany Heatley 5. Jarome Iginla (A) 6. Patrick Marleau 7. Brendan Morrow 8. Rick Nash 9. Corey Perry 10. Mike Richards 11. Eric Staal 12. Joe Thornton 13. Jonathan Toews |
Awesome, glad to see Perry there. He deserved it.
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US roster announced:
Roster: Backes Brown Callahan Drury Kane Kesler Kessel Langenbrunner Malone Parise Pavelski Ryan Statsny E. Johnson J. Johnson Komisarek Martin Orpik Rafalski Suter Miller Quick Thomas Really hate seeing Drury and Komisarek on the team, but outside of that it's nothing I didn't see coming considering it was a Burke team. If Ryan Miller plays sensational and the scorers score consistently (Kane, Ryan, Parise etc) they can do damage. They will for sure be fun to watch fly around out there though. |
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Nice to see Pittsburgh born Ryan Malone make it, he is having a monster year, earning that big payday Tampa gave him last year. Orpik is quietly having a real solid season. He'll never put up points, but he'll hit and is an excellent skater for a big body. What will most likely be the checking line for the US, of Backes-Kesler-Brown, will be a bitch to play against. |
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I figured Tim Thomas would be the starting goalie and that assumption isn't just based on the fact that I'm a Bruins fan. If anything I thought they might rotate Miller and Thomas but not play Miller over Thomas. Tim has been off and on this year but I thought he'd be the #1 by default because of the Vezina. I thought it would be his job to lose. |
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Given how well Miller's played this year (perhaps the best goalie in the NHL to date), I figured that, assuming he continues to play at or near that level, he'll be the number one without a doubt. |
Miller most Def is the starter.I would be very surprised if it were otherwise.
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for shame no Brian Gionta!
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I'm really trying to figure out why Ryan Whitney, tied for #1 in scoring among American defensmen (IIRC) is not even listed as one of the 6-7 alternates, much less on the team. That makes no sense to me.
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I think D will be the downfall of this team IMHO.
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Just an overall talent issue? Or do you see a specific issue? Generating offense? Playing soundly in their own end? Issues with playing points on the power play? I would say, if you think any of the above except for playing soundly in own end, leaving Whitney off makes even less sense. I wouldn't say he's some defensive dynamo, though, so if that's the issue you see, his addition probably wouldn't be any better than those already on the list. |
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It just seem like there is any elite defnsman on that list. E.Johnson is very young and inexperienced J.Johnson same Komisarek....i don't get this pick at all Martin has only played 9 games this season Orpik..Steady but not spectacular,does he have the speed for this level? Rafalski..Point production is way down this season Suter...I like this guy a lot. I suppose the Johnsons ,Rafalski and Suter will be the top 4...not bad but 2 of the 4 are very young.Whitney definatly should be here instead on Komisarek. Looks like a changing of the old guard team(although i would have included Modano instead of Drury to add a bit of veteran leadership). |
Not even going to pretend I understand this move, sami maybe you can give some insight, but...
Bruins sign Miro Satan |
DOLA
I wonder what impact playing on NHL size ice, as opposed to international, had on the D selection? Orpik is a really good skater for his size, but he's awful with the puck. But on the smaller ice, maybe that was seen as more important. Same reason for having Komisarek. Whitney's skating and puck-moving probably wins out over those guys on the larger ice surface? I do wonder about the point on the PP-- Rafalski and ??? EJ or Suter I guess. I've always seen Rafalski as more of a complimentary (weak side) PP guy, not the QB. He's always had another guy- Lidstrom and Niedermayer-- filling that role on teams he was on. |
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Bruins are desperate for scoring because they've been in the bottom five or six in goals for the entire season. I don't think Satan is the answer but if he provides an offensive spark on the cheap it could be worth it for the Bruins. The way I see it this is a very low risk proposition for Boston...they know they need more offense. Satan could help them a little bit and this move is far more conservative than the Kovalchuk trade many fans in Boston seem to be clamoring for, especially as the season wears on. |
I'm not a fan of the USA blueline either. Suter and the two Johnsons are good but I don't like the rest of the group. Rafalski is ok but old. Orpik and Komisarek are big bruisers that hit everything that moves. That style plays well in the NHL but I doubt it will have much impact on the more European style of an Olympic tournament. Paul Martin? Really? There's no one else? It would be interesting to see the pool of defensemen available to Team USA that were not chosen. I find it hard to believe Martin was one of the better guys available.
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Outside of only playing like 10 games this year, Martin seemed like an easy pick. He's vastly underrated. He doesn't do anything great, but does everything really well. Off the top of my head, I can't come up with too many US born guys. Whitney was mentioned. Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill (know this from their Pens days). Tyler Myers and Zach Bogosian, but there are already 2 young guys in EJ and JJ. |
DOLA
This is the full version of the Crosby commercial partially shown during the Classic today. Talbot is just amazing. Single Video Player Also, saw this for the first time. As good as Talbot is in those A&L Motors commercials ("superstar treatment!"), this is excellent. Screams of of the Happy Gilmore Subway commercial! (Sorry, I don't know how to embed!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hs8x8amts4 |
I'd take Myers or Bogosian over Komisarek in a heartbeat.
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Hmmmm...not sure now about this. I know Myers was born in Texas, but apparenty he played for Canada in the WJC last year? How the hell does that work? So maybe one less option, but two other names: Keith Ballard and Tim Gleason. But even if you like those guys, D is the weak spot for the US, no question. |
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I'd take Bogosian, too. He's logging major minutes on that Atlanta blueline this season. He's playing in all game situations. He's more mobile than Komisarek, too. Maybe you keep both Orpik and Komisarek even though they're similar players but I don't understand why you keep Bogosian off the roster. |
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Myers has dual citizenship after spending much of his teen years in the Calgary area. He decided to represent Canada because, as he put it, he wouldn't be the player he is now without the training he received there. Therefore, not eligible for the US. |
US D is weak...but they may have the best G in the tourny in Miller.He may cure a lot of ills.
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I stand corrected, Miller's numbers have been fantastic this season. I don't follow Buffalo and had no idea he was playing so well. |
Boogosian has been awful all month. I agree Whitney ought to have made it over Komisarek but yeah Boogosian probably blew his chance this month by playing horrendous.
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For reference:
Currently listed as alternates for the US team D: - Matt Niskanen (Dallas) - Ron Hainsey (Atlanta) - Alex Goligoski (Pittsburgh) - Matt Carle (Philadelphia) - Rob Scuderi (Los Angeles) Not up above or on the team but attended this past summer's camp: Tom Gilbert (Edmonton), Tim Gleason (Carolina), Ryan Whitney (Anaheim) There are guys on the alternate list who weren't at the camp in August (Niskanen, Goligoski, Carle). |
I'm still a little peeved that RJ Umberger didn't get much consideration.
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Matt Carle has been very good for the Flyers this year, right? Any idea why his performance wasn't taken into consideration?
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That alternate list (and the camp invites this summer) tell you all you need to know about how Burke and Wilson feel about Jason Blake and Lee Stempniak.
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He's cooled off a bit since the early part of the season. |
Gologoski is in the same boat as Carle-he started out hot in the first 15-18 games. He had 6 goals and like 15 points at that point, and something like +14.
Since that point, he missed a couple weeks with an injury, and has been replaced by Malkin on the offside point on the PP because much like everyone else in Pittsburgh, he realized it's much cooler to pass the puck around on the PP than actually shoot. |
I agree, some really weird decisions on that blue line for the US. Scuderi or Gleason should have been there over Komisarek who is just going to look like a dinosaur against the best players in the world and I don't how you can justify taking Martin - 2 assists in 9 games this season, even before the injury he looked pretty bad. Goligoski, Whitney or Carle would have been a much better choice for an offensively minded defensemen.
It's a shame, I really like the makeup of the US forwards as they should have 2 decent offensive lines and 2 very good shutdown lines, and they have great goalies. But the defense is just very meh. |
i love all the martin haters. 2 assists in 9 games, dear god, he must be terrible
hes been one of the devils top 2 d-men for what, 3 seasons? and been on a team with a top 5 d for basically his whole career. hes a smooth skater, smart passer, and can play the point on the pp. i dont know what else youd want, really. d isnt all about stats. that said, i think he'll end up missing the games because of his injury. but picking him was an absolute no brainer, and i cant believe how many people here think its outrageous he was selected. |
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I agree. Martin is going to be a top 4 D for the US, with Rafalski and the Johnson's. He has to be there. |
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That league would scream minor league. You'd have to get into bigger markets somehow and find a way to poach a few young stars a la USFL. Otherwise, it'd be boring. Sure, people fondly look back on the Whalers and Brass Bonzana now that they're gone, but short of the initial woo-hoo of their return, few are going to be interested in seeing a bunch of minor leaguers skate in Whalers duds unless the team managed to be the best in the league and had personalities or something. Or were owned by Jon Bon Jovi. Or unless you could convince LeBron to own the Cleveland team and lace up the skates for them. |
Reminder that tomorrow night, the USA and Canada face off for Gold in the WJC. They had a sensational game last week which Canada won, and one can only hope that they can have another great one tomorrow.
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Is it on the NHL Network? If so, do you know what time? |
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Canada's late comeback in that game was the inspiration for our comeback later that same night in a great game of men vs. women Cranium. We just kept saying "we're down 4-2, but we can win this!" and sure enough we made a massively improbable comeback to win. |
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