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Ice Hockey World Championships

G

goranski

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Tournament starts today in Canada - with the Canadians taking on Slovenia and USA-Lativia.

I hope Sweden takes the gold, their opening pool is pretty easy with Belarus, France and Switzerland as their first opponents.

Unfortunately the NHL playoffs are overshadowing the event and alot of international stars that are involved won't be available, even some who have had their teams already knocked out and eliminated.

Sweden itself is missing over 20 + players because of this.

Anyway anyone going to follow this? - apparently you can watch it live online at this site http://web.wcsn.com/index.jsp


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I think Canada is going to walk away with this. They just have so much depth in terms of talent that despite the absurd numbers of Canadian players(far more than any other nation) still in the Stanley Cup playoffs, they can put a team of this caliber out on the ice.
 
Canada as always is expected to win the gold - however history shows host nations not fairing well in the World Championships...

then again Canada's physical play and the home ice environment will be very tough for any team.

Sweden 6-5 Belarus...definitely not the best start, we've got to put teams like that away. Finland and Switzerland have had solid starts dispatching Germany 5-1 and France 4-1 respectivelly...
 
I think Canada is going to walk away with this. They just have so much depth in terms of talent that despite the absurd numbers of Canadian players(far more than any other nation) still in the Stanley Cup playoffs, they can put a team of this caliber out on the ice. [/b]

Isn't Canada like the AB's in rugby? Always at the top but falling over when it counts...especially at the Winter Olympics?
 
<div class='quotemain'> I think Canada is going to walk away with this. They just have so much depth in terms of talent that despite the absurd numbers of Canadian players(far more than any other nation) still in the Stanley Cup playoffs, they can put a team of this caliber out on the ice. [/b]

Isn't Canada like the AB's in rugby? Always at the top but falling over when it counts...especially at the Winter Olympics?
[/b][/quote]

Pretty much. I think it has more to do with how much Canada, as a nation care about their Hockey. Teams like Russia and Sweden are probably on equal levels in terms of individual talent. I'd even say Russia could field a better team altogether with the likes of Malkin, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk.

Anyway, I reckon Sweden will take this out. They don't have as many players lost to the NHL playoffs as other teams do, their team looks very strong.
 
BTW nobody subscribe to that online service I linked...it sucks.

anyway some thrashings handed out by the big boys - Canada-Latvia and Sweden-France on the highlights I could access, plus Denmark - Italy 6-2 and the latest - Canada beat the USA 5-4 narrowly.
 
Russia might have the best offence but they really lack in grit and and hard work.. there goaltending is weak as well. Sweden there goaltending is in the same cept i think they just got lundqvist so that will without a doubt fix that problem. Canada are gritty and big, they can score look at heatley 10 points already. The us is awful at hockey that is all
 
<div class='quotemain'> I think Canada is going to walk away with this. They just have so much depth in terms of talent that despite the absurd numbers of Canadian players(far more than any other nation) still in the Stanley Cup playoffs, they can put a team of this caliber out on the ice. [/b]

Isn't Canada like the AB's in rugby? Always at the top but falling over when it counts...especially at the Winter Olympics?

[/b][/quote]

Pretty much, Nagano was a huge disappointment as was Torino, but they did when in 2002 which I think was Salt Lake city. But then again, for a few decades the USSR team won gold after gold because the pro players, which was pretty much all of the canadian players weren't allowed to participate.

As for talent, maybe Russia can compete offensively but they don't have a hope in hell doing it defensively or with goal tending.
Offence
My Canada team:
1. Heatly Crosby Iginla
2. Nash Thorton Getzlaf
3. Stall Speeza Kane
4. Morrow Lecavalier St Louis

Russia team:
1. Ovechkin Malkin Kovalev
2. Kovalchuck Datsyuk Afiniganov
3. Frolov Kozlov Radulov
4. Semin Federov Samsonov

Sweeden:
1. Zetterburg Mats Alfredson
2. Sundin twins Huselius
3. Naslund Backstrom Samuellson
4. Holmstrom Nylander Franzen

I had to leave off 10 guys who scored 70 points or more in the NHL this year, then another 9 who scored between 60-69 points. The other teams you start having to scrape for talent on the 4th line players.

Neither Sweeden nor Russia can even remotely compete with the possible Canadian defensive lineups and goaltending is just off the charts for Canada. Brodeur or Luongo or Turco or Price? Who would you take as the Canadian goalie. Or would you prefer Bryzgolav(rus) or Lundquist(swe)?
 
Sweden have Lidstrom, isn't he possibly the greatest defense man ever? [/b]

He's the best in the business today but unless he's playing 60mins he can't keep up with everyone Canada could potentiall throw at them. And the greatest defencemen of all time goes to the greatest player ever Bobby Orr.
 
<div class='quotemain'> Sweden have Lidstrom, isn't he possibly the greatest defense man ever? [/b]

He's the best in the business today but unless he's playing 60mins he can't keep up with everyone Canada could potentiall throw at them. And the greatest defencemen of all time goes to the greatest player ever Bobby Orr.
[/b][/quote]

Fair enough, and he's like what, 40? Although, what is with old players? You'd think hockey would rip their body apart by the time they're 30. Guy's like Alfredsson, Jagr, Sundin, Lidstrom.... they're all still putting up big numbers.

Yeah, no one lays a finger on the Canadian D. They're all monsters and how awesome is Dion Phaneuf? He smacked the **** out of Bill Geurin, that was wicked. Phaneuf is mad, he'll be dominating the league for a while to come.

Still, I'm gonna stick with Sweden for this one. The Czechs have a good chance you reckon?
 
if Lundqvist really has a significant impact on Sweden's medal chances remains to be seen...

the Czechs were hard done by to lose to the Russians on Sunday 4-5...the better team lost.
 
Sweden lost to Switzerland 4-2 their chances of winning a medal now become a lot more difficult as they will have a lot tougher placement in the next round.

As for who will win .... as of right now I like Canada's chances but am a little worried about the lack of spread out scoring. The Heatley, Nash, and Getzlaf line has offcourse been unstoppable they have just physically dominated every team they have come up against.

Basically who do i think are going to dominate this tournament... Canada looks likely to win but I would say watchout for Switzerland... they upset both the Czechs and Canada at the Olympics in 06 and Swiss hockey has grown a lot stronger in the past few years mostly due to solid goaltending and strong defence. The Russians and Czechs are dangerous as ever..... ghost teams are Finland who don't score a lot but don't let a lot either.... and the USA who have a young but skilled team who gave Canada a good run for their money.

As of right now I am not convinced any team is a class above the rest.

One nation which I have been veyr disappointed with has been Germany. They have more depth then Slovakia, and Switzerland but don't put nearly as much success... one reason for this has been the German's insistance on teaching their players from junior all the way to the pro leagues the torpedo and the trap instead of working on making their skills better.... the same thing was going on in Sweden a few years ago and their juniors were really sucking hard. Skills > Tactics anyday

I am going to try and pick up tickets to see the final in Quebec I am passing through QC on the day so will see what I can do...




<div class='quotemain'>
<div class='quotemain'> I think Canada is going to walk away with this. They just have so much depth in terms of talent that despite the absurd numbers of Canadian players(far more than any other nation) still in the Stanley Cup playoffs, they can put a team of this caliber out on the ice. [/b]

Isn't Canada like the AB's in rugby? Always at the top but falling over when it counts...especially at the Winter Olympics?
[/b][/quote]

Pretty much. I think it has more to do with how much Canada, as a nation care about their Hockey. Teams like Russia and Sweden are probably on equal levels in terms of individual talent. I'd even say Russia could field a better team altogether with the likes of Malkin, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk.

Anyway, I reckon Sweden will take this out. They don't have as many players lost to the NHL playoffs as other teams do, their team looks very strong. [/b][/quote]


Your right when you say this.... the beauty of international hockey today is any of the top 8 or 9 teams in the world can win on any given day. And the teams that aren't in the top 8 or 9 do more often then not provide upsets. We had Belarus finish 4th at the 2002 olympics.... Latvia beat the USA in 2006.... Swiss beat Canada and Czechs in Torino..... lots of really good game Germany, Switzerland, Latvia, Belarus have all run the big guns Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia very cl;ose the past few years and the gap has closed immensely.
 
poor performance and a potentially costly loss by Sweden...totally outworked by the Swiss, I've never seen us lose to them.

despite missing all of their big guns involved in the playoffs, our predominately domestic players should have taken care of Switzerland...could have used some of our Red Wings today though...bring on Lundqvist and Douglas Murray (yes, he's Swedish) at this point!
 
I live in Germany, and in Germany Ice Hockey is a big sport. But right now I have to shame.

Germany - Canada 1:10

What a shame.
 
congratulations to team Russia - 2008 world champions...5-4 winners in overtime against Canada.

although it doesn't matter much I wish the Swedes could have beaten Finland for the bronze.
 

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