USA Olympic Hockey Team Announced
- Thread starter THOMAS_54
- Start date
unifiedtheory
Thank you #54...
A few thoughts from a Canadian.
This team is VERY fast up front. Blake, Drury, Gionta, Gomez, Rolston and Modano can all fly. They should be very quick to loose pucks and great on the counter attack. The big ice won't be an issue because of how quick the forwards can move up and down the ice.
The problem with having so many smaller, fast forwards is when they have to go up against a team like Canada (Blake, Foote, Jovanovski, Phaneuf, Pronger, Redden and Niedermeyer) they'll get worn down.
The size up front could be an issue. Guerin, Knuble and Tkachuk are big forwards but they make up the bulk of the USA's size at forward. That could be a problem considering a team like Canada will have a BIG defense.
The defense has a good mixture of young (Liles, Leopold) and old (Hatcher, Schneider and Chris Chelios playing in his 100th Olympic games).
They should not have an issue with a powerplay Q.B. considering Liles, Rafalski and Schneider all play that spot.
WHAT THE HELL is Keith Tkachuk doing on this team? The guy is horse****! Just thought I'd get that out...LOL.
The golatending is a bit of a headscratcher. Rick DiPietro is a non issue, he's the #1 and deserves the spot. Robert Esche? Where is Ryan Miller? Miller and DiPietro are the future of Team USA in goal. Miller should be there. I agree with John Grahame being there. He's come on the last month or so.
I don't know how this team will do. I'll hold judgement until I've seen Team Canada, Sweden, Finland, Czech and Russia.
This team is VERY fast up front. Blake, Drury, Gionta, Gomez, Rolston and Modano can all fly. They should be very quick to loose pucks and great on the counter attack. The big ice won't be an issue because of how quick the forwards can move up and down the ice.
The problem with having so many smaller, fast forwards is when they have to go up against a team like Canada (Blake, Foote, Jovanovski, Phaneuf, Pronger, Redden and Niedermeyer) they'll get worn down.
The size up front could be an issue. Guerin, Knuble and Tkachuk are big forwards but they make up the bulk of the USA's size at forward. That could be a problem considering a team like Canada will have a BIG defense.
The defense has a good mixture of young (Liles, Leopold) and old (Hatcher, Schneider and Chris Chelios playing in his 100th Olympic games).
They should not have an issue with a powerplay Q.B. considering Liles, Rafalski and Schneider all play that spot.
WHAT THE HELL is Keith Tkachuk doing on this team? The guy is horse****! Just thought I'd get that out...LOL.
The golatending is a bit of a headscratcher. Rick DiPietro is a non issue, he's the #1 and deserves the spot. Robert Esche? Where is Ryan Miller? Miller and DiPietro are the future of Team USA in goal. Miller should be there. I agree with John Grahame being there. He's come on the last month or so.
I don't know how this team will do. I'll hold judgement until I've seen Team Canada, Sweden, Finland, Czech and Russia.
Slappy8800
Breathing is the hardest thing to do.
ugh....i hate the selections....ill be rooting for russia and sweden once we get eliminated
FireWrongstedt
☠️ Banned ☠️
I'm pretty pissed Tkachuk is on the team- and what the hell are we doing bringing back old man Chelios again? The guy's older than dirt.
dominizzo
CAMERON EARTH WAKE
THOMAS_54 said:
yes indeed
dominizzo
CAMERON EARTH WAKE
wooow no JR he will buzzzzzzzz
CanadaPhinsFan
Practice Squad
dominizzo said:
He did. There were stories about it today. He felt he was owed a spot on the roster based on what he had done in the past.
unifiedtheory
Thank you #54...
THOMAS_54 said:
I love Alex...but he has ZERO chance of making Team Canada....none.
The SURE bets to make it at forward are:
Simon Gagne
Dany Heatley
Jerome Iginla
Vincent LeCavalier
Joe Thornton
Brad Richards
Joe Sakic
That is 7 forwards. They will name 13 I think.
Remember, Gretz loves his role players. This team WILL have players that will be there for the purpose of providing energy and killing penalties.
Expect 2-3 players from the following list to make the team for this purpose:
Shayne Doan
Ryan Smyth
Kris Draper
Brendan Morrow
John Madden
If I low ball the number of penalty killer/role players at 2 I have 9 forwards named out of the 13 Canada will take to Turin. Pick four out of the following list:
Todd Bertuzzi
Sidney Crosby
Rick Nash
Paul Kariya
Brendan Shanahan
Jason Spezza
Eric Staal
Martin St. Louis
I'm willing to bet Bertuzzi and Nash make the team for sure. Bertuzzi has been playing lights out for the last few weeks and Nash is back from injury. Nash showed at the World Championships that he can dominate on the big ice surface. He and Joe Thornton were unstoppable. They have the size that Gretz wants at forward. That leaves 2 spots. Crosby and Spezza. If Gretz takes 3 role players then Spezza or Crosby won't make this team.
Like I said, I love Tanguay but he does'nt kill penalties. He needs icetime on a top 2 line to be effective. Tanguay is not a top 6 forward on this team. Hell, I did not even include Marc Savard or Patrick Marleau anywhere on the list because they have no chance.
CanadaPhinsFan
Practice Squad
I think Crosby will be there for sure. He's the future of hockey in Canada and has really played quite well this year. Do you think Heatley's endorsement of Spezza will have any influence on the final roster?
wpgfishfan
Pro Bowler
I hope the young man from Calgary plays on defence.
CanadaPhinsFan
Practice Squad
wpgfishfan said:
Phaneuf? He'll be there for sure. One of those big bruisers at the back end.
This is going to be a really good team. The guys that don't make it could probably go out and have a chance to win a medal :D
unifiedtheory
Thank you #54...
wpgfishfan said:
Dion Phaneuf is there for sure. He'll be the best defenseman in the World in 3 years.
wpgfishfan
Pro Bowler
unifiedtheory said:
I hope you are right but I have a feeling he will only be named to the Taxi squad