Let's Go Blues

dmiles2186 wrote:That should ice it! USA! USA! USA! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! HOLY JUMPIN'! Any other catchphrases I forgot?

Something about a zamboni?

Guys settle down. Always remember that USA didn't win, but Canada lost. The papers will explain it to you.

SIU LAW wrote:Guys settle down. Always remember that USA didn't win, but Canada lost. The papers will explain it to you.

LOL!
So true. But man did the boys play a great game. I'm pumped! Awesome hockey.

And Eddie Olczyk gave us the immortal phrase, "Tremendously tremendous."

'Twas an awesomely awesome gamely game tonight.

that was tremendously tremendous. USA needs to focus, lots more hockey to be played.

The biggest thing is that they get a bye. Gives the US a chance to rest and possibly take advantage of any first round upsets. That's the only reason this game was "actually" important.

Now they just have to do it again if and when they play Canada again. Eh?

Anyone else get sick and tired of Milbury going on and on and on how great Team Canada is and how the US will be lucky to keep it close?
He was all about the Team Canada love fest the other night too.
Same thing goes for the Home Ice folks on XM.

Yeah, on paper, Canada is the better team...but you know what? Canada had to go to a shootout to beat the Swiss and they just lost to the good 'ol USA.
Something about Team Canada just isn't right. They may be the most talented team in the Olympics (them and Russia)...but Canada can be outworked and out muscled, like they frequently were tonight.
There is a huge difference from being better on paper and actually being better on the ice.

And Team USA looks damn good...better than advertised. Miller is about as solid as they come in net and the skaters work their ass off and fight tooth and nail for every puck. It's like a full team of T.J. Oshies in the hustle dept. They may not be the most talented team on paper, but they are beating everyone...so who cares about paper?

I watched Russia play the Czech Republic earlier today...and man, that was a pretty good game too. Russia looks really friggin' good...and that team is flat out stacked. They looked much better than Canada. And to see Ovechkin lay out Jagr at center ice...wow.

And a sweet goal right after it too!!

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There is a huge difference from being better on paper and actually being better on the ice.

Actually Canada was much better in the ice as well. If we play that way again, we'll get killed. That said, Miller won that game and the next time we take the ice, this young club will be much more confident.

Was it just me, or was David the only forward back-checking at all?

And as a whole I thought our defensemen were terrible (at playing defense). I guess EJ is use to playing on a paring with a useless #4.

Again, a young team, and this win will change everything for them (mentally), but I’m not going to bash anyone who says Canada outplayed us. They did, but all they have to show for it is a big fat ‘L’. I guess they should have ‘outplayed’ up…more.

AMERICA....F*** YEAH!

team USA = playing with the heart of 1980.
team Canada = thinks they deserve the gold medal just for showing up (just like the soviets)

that sums it up.
they are all NHL pros, why would it be an upset if USA had won? is it an upset when the blues beat the caps? sure, but it happens, its not like it is an elite NHL team playing against a group of high school kids.

by the way, love the USA jerseys. a real classic look.

does team usa have a third jersey? just sayn

SHAVE IT OFF PAYNE.

DaDitka wrote:

There is a huge difference from being better on paper and actually being better on the ice.

Actually Canada was much better in the ice as well. If we play that way again, we'll get killed. That said, Miller won that game and the next time we take the ice, this young club will be much more confident.

If we play that way again, we win 5-3 again.

My point was, just because a team is better on paper, it doesn't mean they are going to win the game. Milbury and the XM folks were drooling all over Team Canada and not even giving the US a chance, apparently ignoring Canada's poor performance against the Swiss the game before...and their predictions were way off.

Going into this game, I thought if the US worked their butts off and played physical, they could win this game. If you are a less talented team, you need to step up the work ethic and the physical play to make up the difference...and Team USA did that.

They outworked and outmuscled Canada. That combined with the outstanding play of Miller, was just enough to win the game. The US just wanted it more.

People can say Canada outplayed the US or outchanced the US all day long...it doesn't matter.

Canada may not even medal now...they have to beat Germany to qualify and if they win, they play Russia. Canada could easily lose the game vs. Russia and not medal at all.

cprice12 wrote:Canada may not even medal now...they have to beat Germany to qualify and if they win, they play Russia. Canada could easily lose the game vs. Russia and not medal at all.

And this would be the ultimate epic fail, eh?

Brodeur is taking a beating in the papers today for his play last night.
I don't think he was that bad.
Two goals were deflections and one was a goofy goal mouth scramble that squirted free to Drury for a tap in. Can you blame Brodeur for those goals? Eh...I dunno. Seems like people are looking for a scapegoat, and blaming the goalie is always the easy way out.

I think those goofy goals are magnified because Brodeur's counterpart, Miller, was so good.

Does Canada put in Luongo next game?

cprice12 wrote:Brodeur is taking a beating in the papers today for his play last night.
I don't think he was that bad.
Two goals were deflections and one was a goofy goal mouth scramble that squirted free to Drury for a tap in. Can you blame Brodeur for those goals? Eh...I dunno. Seems like people are looking for a scapegoat, and blaming the goalie is always the easy way out.

I think those goofy goals are magnified because Brodeur's counterpart, Miller, was so good.

Does Canada put in Luongo next game?

Brodeur will not be in net against the USA should the two meet again. Guaranteed. Too many NJ/ex-NJ players on the USA team. They know his tendencies and the USA had his number--don't give him time to make a good play with the puck--take away his options--get him out of position and scrambling.

cprice12 wrote:Brodeur is taking a beating in the papers today for his play last night.
I don't think he was that bad.
Two goals were deflections and one was a goofy goal mouth scramble that squirted free to Drury for a tap in. Can you blame Brodeur for those goals? Eh...I dunno. Seems like people are looking for a scapegoat, and blaming the goalie is always the easy way out.

I think those goofy goals are magnified because Brodeur's counterpart, Miller, was so good.

Does Canada put in Luongo next game?

Yeah, you can blame Brodeur.

He went down too early on Rafalski's goal, his stupid poke-check on Bobby Ryan set up the goal mouth scramble on Drury's goal, he was slow getting from post to post on Langenbruner's goal and opened up his 5 hole because of the bad reaction. Now making one of those mistakes would have been acceptable, maybe even 2 of them. But to screw up all 3 of those things was just bad. Then you add in the absolutely awful 2nd goal when it looked like Canada was about to run away with it (just scored and had taken the last 10 shots of the game) and Brodeur deserves to get crushed. Were they easy saves? Nope, but they weren't impossible ones if he just plays better. In all honesty, maybe one of those happens with Miller in net.

It was nowhere near an Olympic effort. The level of play rose a notch; Brodeur's didn't.

As for this "Canada wasn't giving effort" stuff - I just don't see it. They outplayed USA. Their forwards back-checked better, their D-men were going hard into the corners for pucks in their own zone. Canada played an excellent game and played it hard. Crosby floated a bit, but that's because he's Crosby. Otherwise I didn't see any let-downs in effort by that squad.

The difference was goaltending - period. Swap goalies and Canada wins that one in a walk.

Oz-iz-God wrote:of play rose a notch; Brodeur's didn't.

As for this "Canada wasn't giving effort" stuff - I just don't see it. They outplayed USA. Their forwards back-checked better, their D-men were going hard into the corners for pucks in their own zone. Canada played an excellent game and played it hard. Crosby floated a bit, but that's because he's Crosby. Otherwise I didn't see any let-downs in effort by that squad.

The difference was goaltending - period. Swap goalies and Canada wins that one in a walk.

At least I know someone was watching the same game.

There were times when I thought some skewed their views of games because they are Blues fans.....now I realize many just have no idea what they are watching.

Yeah, I really don't see how anyone can think that Canada got outworked. I think they simple got out lucked on that one.

They dominated the play for most of the night, but never got any good bounces. USA got a few and won despite being outplayed.

I'm not even sure that Broduer even had a bad game... hockey is a game of percentages. You make plays and put yourself in the position to have a high percentage of scoring. Team A might have 10 chances that each have a 75% chance of being a goal... and only walk away with one goal, while team B can have 4 chances each with a 25% chance of scoring and walk away with 3 goals.

Sometimes it just bounces that way.

It tends to equalize over the course of a season or 7 game series... but in one game, anything can happen.

USA was lucky to win.

Obviously a lot of people finally got around to reading the aforementioned papers. Winning sucks.