Well Well Well...its finally here...The 21st Winter Olympics has finally arrived, and as Kev put it, it is in our Home and Native Land!!! Let me first say congratulations are in order for Alexandre Bilodeau who became not just the first Canadian Gold Medalist at these games for Canada...but Canada's first gold medalist on HOME SOIL!!! 34 years in the making and Canada finally can hear its own national anthem on home soil, was a special night last night and tonight!!!
No offense to the other sports, but the number one team sport in the games is and always will be the Men's Hockey Tournament. This tournament consists of 12 of the top teams who qualified for the tournament. In Group C, you have Belarus, Finland, Germany and Sweden. In Group B, you have Czech Republic, Latvia, Russia, and Slovakia. Rounding out the teams, In Group A, you have Canada, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States. Now, previous from the International Ice Hockey Federation Rules in which International games have taken a twist, this tournament has it as well. The teams will play round robins in the group, and all 12 teams will be seeded 1-12. The top four teams in the tournament will get an automatic bye into the quarternfinals. The remaining eight teams will play a sudden death match to determine the remaining four spots in the tournament. These eight teams are reseeded and play in the top four, with the winners going to the semis (again reseeded). I love this idea of reseeding, I've said all the time that in the NHL they should really re-seed the teams so that eliminate bad match ups. By reseeding, your insuring the top teams won't play against each other in nothing other than the final. Its great for the sport, and its great for the tournament as well.
Now, lets be honest, out of the twelve teams involved in the tournament, there are really only 6 teams that are strong medal contenders. Sweden, Finland, Czech's, Russia, Canada and the United States. The Fins and the Czechs in my opinion are the teams who rank on the bottom of these six teams. They don't have the teams they used to, but then again they could be dark horses like they were in 1998 and in 2006 respectively (Czechs in 1998 Nagano, and Fins in 2006 in Turin). The World is hoping for a Canada Russia final. Canada and Russia have had some battles recently, more recent in the World Juniors and in the World Championships. I think a USA Canada battle would be awesome too, but we can't discount the Swedes...a lot of people are forgetting...this was the team that WON GOLD IN TURIN!!! Here's my Pre-Olympic analysis...of the tournament on the top four teams.
The United States of America
Don't under estimate this USA team. They've got youth, skill and most importantly in a two week tournament, strength in goal. Like Brian Burke and how he builds his team, I'm going to start from the net out. For the first time that I can really remember, the United States has a good crop of goaltenders to chose from in this tournament. The starter has to be Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres. This guy has simply been the best goaltender in the league and should easily be able to win the Venzia trophy for this season's play. The backup's aren't too shabby...Tim Thomas (last year's Vezna trophy winner) and Jonathan Quick, whose lightening fast glove has made him a legit starter in the league. On Defense, they are big strong guys...who don't just knock you down when you get into their zone, but are able to score. Except for Brian Rafalski, all the Defensemen on the team are over 6' tall!!! Finally the forwards...speed, skill and a lot of punch to it. Burke said that he'd build the Toronto Maple Leafs with a top 6 unit of speed and skill, and a bottom 6 unit of forwards who can do the dirty work and won't mind getting themselves dirty in the process. Ultimately, I think that this group of USA players are not as scary as what others are fielding, however...they can surprise people. The Americans have two things motivating them; the first being that 30 years ago in Lake Placid, New York...a group of college kids beat the mighty Soviet Union and the Miracle on Ice happened! The second being, 8 years removed from the Salt Lake City games, now USA can ruin Canada's chances at a gold on home soil! My prediction, USA places 3rd in the tournament. Since we are Toronto Maple Leafs supporters (well I am) the Leafs representing this team include Phil Kessel (F), Ron Wilson (Coach), Brian Burke (General Manager) and Mike Komisarik (he was supposed to play but due to injury will miss the tournament).
Sweden
The Swedes are the defending Olympic Champions. Gone are the days of Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg (wait no that ain't right, he's still there...damn he was even Sweden's flagbearer too!!!) Sweden is a methodical team. Built with strength and skill. But the beauty with the Swedes is, every player on the ice wearing the Blue and Yellow know what their roles are on the team and are OK with it. In 2006, Sir Henrik stole the show in the Olympics...he single handily (literally as that catching glove was something special to see) brought Sweden the gold medal . Sweden will have a potent offense that will be scary. I love how they'll probably have Forsberg centreing the Sedin twins...that will be fun to watch for sure!!! The Sedin's will be familiar with the area, as GM Place/Canada Hockey Place will be the site for all the games being played in the tournament. I'm looking forwarding to seeing Henrik Zetterberg suit up, this guy is a beast and is easily the hardest working player on the ice, even when he wins the Stanley Cup!!! Leafs on the team, Jonas Gustafson who should be able to learn a lot from watching Henrik play, but will also learn a lot from being around great players like Forsberg, Lidstrom, Franzan, Zetterberg, and yes I'll even say it...ALFREDSON...FUCKING KRUSTY THE CLOWN!!!! My prediction for the Swedes...fourth in the tournament.
Russia
This team is full of star power galore. Lots and Lots and Lots of offense. It doesn't hurt having some of the top players in the NHL play for your country. Ovi, Malkin, Kovalchuck...wow...what a line that is right there. Dark horse for those who don't watch hockey enough is Alexander Raddulov. You might be saying, Bobby...who the hell is he and why are you bigging him up? Well, he was with the Nashville Predators, and when the KHL inaugurated, they went in and signed this guy under the Preds noses (which then prompted the NHL, and the IIHF to investigate everything). Long story short...this guy is the start of the KHL in Russia. He's big, fast and loves to score (remind you of a player who wears number 8 in Washington). Raddulov has some of the dirtiest goals in the KHL, and he spins his stick likee he just shot a cannon in war!!! The worry for this Russian squad is a couple of things...after Gonchar and Markov, who do the Russkies have on Defense?Thats really when the Russian's get thin...problem with Markov and Gonchar, both have very flimsy knees and a small injury could really hurt the team in a huge way!!! The second and third reasons go hand and hand...Ego and not enough pucks on the ice. Ego is a great thing in sports, it is what drives our competitive edge. Its what makes us better. Ego is a great tool to motivate when it comes to club sports because in most cases there is only one player who is deemed the star. In National teams, it is a little different. Egos can collide and cause friction between teammates. I don't know if that is what will happen in Vancouver with this team, but what I can say is this...the four forwards I mentioned, love to score and love to be the one to score at all times. There is not enough pucks on the ice to do that for them...and I think if the Russians go down in a game, that's when the friction will start. There are no Leafs on this team...although Kulemin was looked at heavily. Prediction...Russia places 2nd.
Canada
We all knew where we were on that faithful February 24, 2002 when Canada beat the United States in Salt Lake City to win Canada's first Olympic Gold Medal in 50 years in Men's Hockey From the minute Canada got out of medal contention in Turin, Italy all eyes have been on Vancouver's Men's Olympic Hockey. Specifically in our country, where Hockey is Life (again sorry Kev, you just know its true), you knew that it would be a great mission to ensure that Canada not only places well in the tournament but wins a Gold Medal. In a pool done by I think the Toronto Star, it said which would you be more satisfied with, Canada reaching its desired medal total but the Hockey not winning gold, or Hockey wins gold, but Canada doesn't reach the desired medal count. Almost 65% of the voters went for option B than A. That's how much hockey matters in this great country of ours. Canada has a riches of players, and no matter what is done, the players NOT REPRESENTED in the Olympics will always draw into a conversation. When you have players like Jordan Staal, Jeff Carter, Vincent Lecaliver, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Brad Richards, John Tavares, Shane Doan, Ryan Smyth, Dione Phaneuf, Mike Green, Joe Boemester, Robyn Regher, Cam Ward, and the list goes on and on of players not chosen to pla for Canada....it can get quite astounding. Canada could send a Canada B team and I think we'd win GOLD AND SILVER!!! Steve Yzerman in my opinion put together a team of the best players that will work together to acheive one goal. Canadian hockey is never about the name on the back but the logo and name on the front. No Leafs were named on this team, and based on the way the Leafs played in this tournament, I didn't think any were really being considered...WATCH FOR DREW DOUGHTY...THIS KID IS A MAN ON A MISSION!!!! Is there any doubt, what my prediction is...Canada wins Gold!!!
These are the four best teams in the tournament, I think it should be a special one. I hope that its not the last time that NHLers are in the Olympics...send them to Sochi Russia!!!
Here is my final treat...I promise...long blog but well worth it in the end...the Babes of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics...enjoy y'all
Post By Bobby C
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