2014 U.S. Men's Hockey Thread

[Run the ball]

The craziest part, to me, was that a game on bigger ice led to a more stifling defense than I've seen in just about any NHL game in recent memory.

Ironically, international hockey is usually more defensive than the new NHL.

 

[DMelt36]

Something's gotta change, man. You can't have the same regime in place after the team laid an egg like that.

Canada had its early struggles and Team USA was on fire early. This was the year that the US could've taken the gold away from the rest of the world. Instead, they were completely shut down, offensively, by Canada's defense and then a few missed opportunities from Kane seemed to deflate the entire roster and they'd packed their bags before the bronze medal game had even ended.

New coach; new player selection process; new something. This team should not be absent from the podium.

 

[Diehardfan]

After 1980...actually since the NHL got involved, hockey in the Olympics just doesn't do it for me anymore. There is simply not enough time to put together a team that jells. Sure, you have far better players but most of them have never played together or even practiced much together. That 1980 team was working for months before the tournament started. I watched a couple of the women's games this year and just the way they moved the puck showed they had been practicing as a team for awhile. You can beat the poor teams by just having superior talent but when two evenly matched teams play, you need your team to be on the same page to score well. That US-Canada game wasn't any defensive clinic. It was a fast paced game played on a huge ice surface...there should've been lots of scoring but the passing and overall postioning was horrid. The NHL can back out of this anytime it wants and it wouldn't bother me. Lack of quality practice time, questionable player choices on both US & Can is just showing me that they just can't get it right. Its nothing but a series of damn All-Star games that means something.

Herb Brooks once said he wasn't looking for the best players....he was looking for the right ones. Sound thinking...but only if you're given the time to mold a team.

 

[southern_cross_116]

With regards to after 1980 - I am not sure what you mean by that, as in 1984 they sent college kids again to the Olympics- of course out of that class of players came Pat LaFontaine, Chris Chelios, and Ed Olcyzk just off the top of my head -but those guys only went into the draft that year. I think 1988 was the same story -in fact I think the first Olympics that they were really involved in was Lilljehammer Norway -although then they were only sending IHL guys ( one of which was a goalie that the Hawks had in their system for a long time.). I think that this was probably 1992.

The NHL may have taken an interest in it -but I don't think that is to the same standard as what has happened since the 1990's

That being said - I do agree with the main point of DHF - you just through a bunch of jetlagged (in this case - not so much in SLC or Vancouver) together guys and expect them to perform - you get what we have seen here ... I watched the US-Russia game live here - and saw a lot of crap passing, and guys getting to the blue line ahead of their wingers (or other forwards) - just taking the shot (naturally losing possession at that point) -and back the other way.

I read a funny post on the Trib -about 'Old Time Hockey' -but this wasn't even adult hockey - it was 10 year olds on a frozen parking lot -roving furball hockey. ..

Kane was easily neutralised as any player of his style when he was one of the few guys of his skill set - you just plain don't go one on five and score ... no idea what they thought they were building - the guys assembling the team had blinders on -- not sure if it was East Coast Bias blinders- but it sure was something.

Take chucking Oshie in there about a million times during the shoot out against Russia - it demonstrated no confidence in the other 2 guys that they picked during that game. Dumb ... but I guess my point was it was predictably dumb.

 

[Diehardfan]

With regards to after 1980 - I am not sure what you mean by that, as in 1984 they sent college kids again to the Olympics- of course out of that class of players came Pat LaFontaine, Chris Chelios, and Ed Olcyzk just off the top of my head -but those guys only went into the draft that year. I think 1988 was the same story -in fact I think the first Olympics that they were really involved in was Lilljehammer Norway -although then they were only sending IHL guys ( one of which was a goalie that the Hawks had in their system for a long time.). I think that this was probably 1992.

The NHL may have taken an interest in it -but I don't think that is to the same standard as what has happened since the 1990's

That being said - I do agree with the main point of DHF - you just through a bunch of jetlagged (in this case - not so much in SLC or Vancouver) together guys and expect them to perform - you get what we have seen here ... I watched the US-Russia game live here - and saw a lot of crap passing, and guys getting to the blue line ahead of their wingers (or other forwards) - just taking the shot (naturally losing possession at that point) -and back the other way.

I read a funny post on the Trib -about 'Old Time Hockey' -but this wasn't even adult hockey - it was 10 year olds on a frozen parking lot -roving furball hockey. ..

Kane was easily neutralised as any player of his style when he was one of the few guys of his skill set - you just plain don't go one on five and score ... no idea what they thought they were building - the guys assembling the team had blinders on -- not sure if it was East Coast Bias blinders- but it sure was something.

Take chucking Oshie in there about a million times during the shoot out against Russia - it demonstrated no confidence in the other 2 guys that they picked during that game. Dumb ... but I guess my point was it was predictably dumb.

My initial thoughts were of Lake Placid but there were many teams before and a few after that didn't involve American professionals. I quickly realized it was the NHL involvement that was mucking up the works. At least with the college kids, there was time to mold a cohesive unit....of course, they'd be lacking in talent by comparison but at least they could be considered a "team". I'm not saying it couldn't work, but this rushed middle of the season crap is complete bullshit. You'd think that they'd know that there is a lot more to the game than having the "fastest" skaters or the "hardest" hitters or the best shooters.

 

[southern_cross_116]

I can't disagree with that- as it really showed... and then add to that the larger sized international rinks -which does impact playing styles - you get whatever this was ...

I am looking forward to tonight's gold medal game -don't know if I am going to stay up for it or just record it - probably just record it - I think it is on in an hour.

-Also -I forgot the main US guy from 1988 - that was (iirc) Brian Leetch, maybe Gary Suter was on that team as well. I guess what the Olympics teams' of the 80's proved was that college kids were viable.

That wasn't necessarily the case prior to Lake Placid (1980)... that team really is what got me seriously into hockey -so much that I decided to have a go at skating ... then eventually played some organised hockey. Of course that was a million years ago now.