Game Thread: Bronze Medal Game: USA vs. FInland

[pixburgher66]

You're damned if you do damned if you don't

If he begins to tinker with lines and matchups during the Canada game and the US still gets shutout, he is skewered for tinkering with the most dynamic offense in the tournament up to that point. Canada pretty much played the perfect defensive game and the US just got outplayed.

Plain and simple, the US overachieved in Vancouver and maybe underachieved a little here after starting off the tournament so strong - I know pretty much every US fan I've seen on here had this team up on a pedestal this time a week ago, but it's not like they choked or anything - they just got beat by better teams, plain and simple.

The top four teams were so close to each other on the talent scale, IMO. Canada obviously has an advantage on their roster in most ways, with maybe the goal being their "weakest", but not really weak, point. As I've said, today was disheartening, but losing to Canada 1-0 is not the least bit shameful, even though it's being lauded as such. Finland-Sweden-US are so close to each other.

 

[forty_three]

Where would you rank Selanne all-time? I don't know if he cracks the top 10, but he's gotta be top 20...

I was thinking about that early in the game. Not sure where I'd put him, but maybe best ever European import. He does and always has done everything well.

Okay, now this is an embarrassment for USA hockey. Heads will roll.

Not so sure. You can't teach heart. Nobody who works on the development of players should be in danger. The X'es and O's were solid. Bylsma made some questionable choices, and you can argue a few of the wrong players went. But at the end of the day they didn't seem dedicated to winning this one. And if you won't fight to win bronze, you don't deserve any medal.

At least Kessel can enjoy his sister's silver medal....

...too soon?

She is the best hockey player in the family.

I blame Bylsma, Orpik, and Martin

You're looking the wrong way. Callahan and MacDonagh both had a "pinch heard round the world".

Originally Posted by smackdown380 View Post
Quick rips American performance following bronze medal flop | ProHockeyTalk

There’s no reason we show up and not piss a drop-Quick post game

Pretty much sums it up

Had the goal he whiffed on against Russia counted, USA doesn't even have a sniff at a medal. Because if Finland whooped them this bad now, they certainly would have stomped them in the qual round. Russia would have had the Czech / Canada route. Not USA

So in short, shut the fuck up, Quick. You were on borrowed time anyway.


The gold game will be interesting. This was a pretty eye-opening look at the fundamental differences in Euro and North American hockey. Euro teams cycle and look for open space. They cover each other and dump back if they get caught. North American game relies on forcing the play. They attack the puck and sometimes over commit. And against a team that looks to move the puck to a place and not a person... You get burnt. Sometimes only once a game. Sometimes (by my count) 8 or 9.

Although Babcock knows how this works. He should be fine against it. And he sure as hell can motivate his boys.

 

[DragonfromTO]

I was thinking about that early in the game. Not sure where I'd put him, but maybe best ever European import. He does and always has done everything well.



Not so sure. You can't teach heart. Nobody who works on the development of players should be in danger. The X'es and O's were solid. Bylsma made some questionable choices, and you can argue a few of the wrong players went. But at the end of the day they didn't seem dedicated to winning this one. And if you won't fight to win bronze, you don't deserve any medal.



She is the best hockey player in the family.


You're looking the wrong way. Callahan and MacDonagh both had a "pinch heard round the world".



Had the goal he whiffed on against Russia counted, USA doesn't even have a sniff at a medal. Because if Finland whooped them this bad now, they certainly would have stomped them in the qual round. Russia would have had the Czech / Canada route. Not USA

So in short, shut the fuck up, Quick. You were on borrowed time anyway.


The gold game will be interesting. This was a pretty eye-opening look at the fundamental differences in Euro and North American hockey. Euro teams cycle and look for open space. They cover each other and dump back if they get caught. North American game relies on forcing the play. They attack the puck and sometimes over commit. And against a team that looks to move the puck to a place and not a person... You get burnt. Sometimes only once a game. Sometimes (by my count) 8 or 9.

Although Babcock knows how this works. He should be fine against it. And he sure as hell can motivate his boys.

I think I'd still have Lidstrom and Jagr ahead of him. But that's probably it. Hasek too I suppose but I'm assuming goalies are on a different list (hell I barely even consider you guys as the same species )

 

[pixburgher66]

http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/388/IHM400000_83_57_0_USA.pdf

USA stats from the tournament. I'm not sure that includes the Finland game, however to illustrate my point it'll do. A guy who publicly questioned coaching a bit was Parise, and man those stats aren't too great. Logged second most minutes for forwards, had one goal (which I recall being a stinker vs. Czechs), and was disappointingly absent. Stings a bit seeing as he's one of my favorite non-Penguin players. Tons of guys I could pick and note as disappointing of course, but that one stuck out a bit to me. I have your jersey man...DOES THAT MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?! :P

 

[Lemon Harang Pie]

I think I'd still have Lidstrom and Jagr ahead of him. But that's probably it. Hasek too I suppose but I'm assuming goalies are on a different list (hell I barely even consider you guys as the same species )

It's a different generation but Stan Mikita has to be in that conversation too.

 

[DragonfromTO]

It's a different generation but Stan Mikita has to be in that conversation too.

Yeah but I assumed that Mikita wasn't included as an "import" given that he grew up and played most (all?) of his hockey in Canada.

 

[Lemon Harang Pie]

Yeah but I assumed that Mikita wasn't included as an "import" given that he grew up and played most (all?) of his hockey in Canada.

I guess that makes sense.

I thought you were talking about just European born players and didn't like Stan's donuts.

 

[quoipourquoi]

Blaming Blysma is the biggest cop out you can make. Yesterday was a disappointing, albeit not horrible, loss...and I'm pretty sure that the team mentally checked out after that. Pat Kane missing twice on penalty shots doesn't help either.

It's part of a coach's job to make sure the team does not mentally check out.

 

[quoipourquoi]

I don't find it embarrassing. You play your heart out trying to get to the gold medal game, you drop a really tough game (against your rival no less) and you have to turn around less than 24 hours later and get up to play a meaningless game? That's awfully tough.

Isn't that a description of what Finland went through...

 

[thedddd]

Isn't that a description of what Finland went through...

Exactly....

As for team USA until the late stupid penalties really was not out of it. It seemed after that third goal they were completely deflated but you could tell the leadership wasn't there at that point.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

It's part of a coach's job to make sure the team does not mentally check out.

And it's the management team's job to make sure the players can all spell INTENSE!!

 

[forty_three]

I think I'd still have Lidstrom and Jagr ahead of him. But that's probably it. Hasek too I suppose but I'm assuming goalies are on a different list (hell I barely even consider you guys as the same species )

Yeah, those are the same two that I'd put up there. I put Teemu ahead of Jagr because everywhere Teemu has gone, he's made that team better. Jagr had some real "play out the string" moments in the early 2000s.

Lidstrom may have been the perfect hockey player.

I won't comments on that gutless pile of _____ Hasek.

It's part of a coach's job to make sure the team does not mentally check out.

So Bylsma is to blame for not padlocking the doors to all the bars in the Olympic Village?

 

[jstewismybastardson]

So Bylsma is to blame for not padlocking the doors to all the bars in the Olympic Village?

Bylsma is also to blame for allowing ryan kesler to download yhe tinder app

 

[forty_three]

Pic tweeted by Jarmo Kekeleinen.

Game meant something to some people.

 

[elocomotive]

Bylsma is also to blame for allowing ryan kesler to download yhe tinder app

LOL!

 

[Destroydacre]

Isn't that a description of what Finland went through...

It is and that's a fact that did not escape me. But in a game that has a winner and a loser, one team had to win and one team had to lose. Finland didn't exactly play inspired in the first period either. If the US scores two quick goals to start the second instead of Finland it just as easily could have been a US blowout victory.

 

[quoipourquoi]

Teemu Selanne: Tournament MVP

Teemu Selanne is the 2014 Winter Olympics MVP | ProHockeyTalk


Leading scorer of the Elimination Round with 3 Goals and an Assist in 3 Games with 2 GWGs. Damn.

 

[mattola]

listening to ESPN radio (Dan Patrick? Im not sure) on our local radio today. They were saying it was such an embarrassed loss to the Fins since the Fins had no NHL calibre players.

I almost spun off the road.

fuck how do these guys get employed, Ive bolded the NHL players I know that are playing or have played in the NHL. let me know if I missed any.

Name Position Team
Kari Lehtonen Goalie Dallas Stars
Antti Niemi Goalie San Jose Sharks
Tuukka Rask Goalie Boston Bruins
Lasse Kukkonen Defenseman Kärpät Oulu
Juuso Hietanen Defenseman Torpedo Nizhni Novgorod
Sami Lepistö Defenseman Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
Olli Määttä Defenseman Pittsburgh Penguins
Sami Salo Defenseman Tampa Bay Lightning
Kimmo Timonen Defenseman Philadelphia Flyers
Ossi Väänänen Defenseman Jokerit Helsinki
Sami Vatanen Defenseman Anaheim Ducks
Juhamatti Aaltonen Forward Kärpät Oulu
Aleksander Barkov Forward Florida Panthers
Valtteri Filppula Forward Tampa Bay Lightning
Mikael Granlund Forward Minnesota Wild
Jussi Jokinen Forward Pittsburgh Penguins
Olli Jokinen Forward Winnipeg Jets
Mikko Koivu Forward Minnesota Wild
Leo Komarov Forward Dynamo Moscow
Petri Kontiola Forward Traktor Chelyabinsk
Lauri Korpikoski Forward Phoenix Coyotes
Jori Lehterä Forward Sibir Novosibirsk
Antti Pihlström Forward Salavat Yulayev Ufa
Tuomo Ruutu Forward Carolina Hurricanes
Teemu Selänne Forward Anaheim Ducks

 

[dash]

Matty, Leo Komarov is a former Maple Leaf who is trying to return to the NHL...

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Lol@ no NHL caliber talent

Just look at their goalies, not to mention Teemu, among others