Olympic Hockey..Your Picks...
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- Conscious*
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Olympic Hockey..Your Picks...
by Conscious* » Sat Feb 18, 2006 5:46 pm
Now that were through three games of the men's round robin play. Pick your Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalists. Also pick your standout player from this point of the tournament on.
Background on my predictions before the tournament..
Gold: Russia
Silver: Canada
Bronze: Slovakia
4th: Sweden (Simply because Forsberg and Naslund weren't playing or else they'd be higher)
After three games, and seeing my favorite team Slovakia (due to Gaborik, Hossa, and Svatos being my favorite players) I find these will be the results.
Gold: Russia (High powered skating and scoring, prove to be dominant, lack of goaltending could halter them in big games. Datsyuk, Ovechkin and Kovalchuk however can provide an instant scoring punch if they are on.) I still think Russia must step up two notches however after only scoring 1 goal in a 1-0 shutout of Kazahkstan whos only goal came from a non-NHLer from the Moscow Dynamo.
Silver: Slovakia (The underdog darkhorse team, which I really thought had a shot at medaling before the olympics, now they prove they are contenders for gold with a 5-3 win and GWG by Marian Gaborik. Speed, shooting and the best defensive pair of Chara and Visnovsky late in the game are the strengths, coupled with Peter Budaj as a hot unknown goaltender. Weakness their depth at offense on the 4th line)
Bronze: Canada (The favorites, were never favorites in my opinion, I think they can and very well could be beaten at any time against teams like Finland and Sweden. They must have superior goaltending from Luongo and Brodeur which I haven't seen much of. There scoring however must step up to the plate. Getting shutout by Switzerland when the likes of Heatley, Nash, Gagne and Lecavlier won't get them the gold. They apparently have no weakness except maybe urgency.)
4th: Sweden (Pending a real push from Sweden, which is very posssible with the games greatest player back, Sweden finds themselves lacking in experience in goaltending and depth on offense. What Sweden does bring is a lot of heart, and talented scoring with Forsberg, Alfredsson and Zetterberg. I think this team would've been helped and upgraded to Gold or Silver had they come in ith a healthy Forsberg and a Naslund playing. A Forsberg, Naslund and Alfredsson line would've been virtually unstoppable, and dethroned Gaborik, Demitra and Hossa as the top line so far in the games.
Rest of the pack:
Finland: Although they are 3-0 they need to beat the tough teams still to come and step up in the Quarters and Semis. They have a great team, but lack a little bit in every area compared to teams like Russia and Slovakia. Koivu and Selanne have stepped up now they must continue this against the real teams and Niitymakii will have to play sharp to keep teams like Canada and the Czechs from scoring. They will be very tight in comparison with Sweden, and could provide an upset in knocking a good team out, but don't provide the punch to push into the Gold medal game.
Switzerland: Although they shut out Canada, i find it was simply more of a fluke on offense, and just outstanding goaltending that won them the game. If they continue to win and take a medal which i find very little chance of, it would be a 1980 esque performance and Gerber would be glorified.
Czech Republic: They are 1-2 and have brokendown seemingly but still have extremely fast Defensemen like Zidlicky and a scoring punch of Jagr. They have a shot at medaling, but other teams are proving themselevs right now, and the Czechs are now behind. They must win virtually the rest of the their games to medal. Jagr, proved himself being a weak player when he gets hit and cuts his head open after getting hit by a Tuomo Ruutu. He was not a factor in the game.
My Standout Players:
Russia- Kovalchuk, he will turn on and start scoring with his great hands and propel the team to Gold.
Slovakia: Gaborik, speed is an asset in the olympics and the games fastest player provides one of the best snap shots in the game. His speed coupled with linemates Hossa's strength and quickness is deadly.
Canada: Nash, the NHLers leading goal scorer a year ago, he provides a great shot and the instinct of a great goaltender. In the Quarters and Smis, look for Nash to turn it up.
Background on my predictions before the tournament..
Gold: Russia
Silver: Canada
Bronze: Slovakia
4th: Sweden (Simply because Forsberg and Naslund weren't playing or else they'd be higher)
After three games, and seeing my favorite team Slovakia (due to Gaborik, Hossa, and Svatos being my favorite players) I find these will be the results.
Gold: Russia (High powered skating and scoring, prove to be dominant, lack of goaltending could halter them in big games. Datsyuk, Ovechkin and Kovalchuk however can provide an instant scoring punch if they are on.) I still think Russia must step up two notches however after only scoring 1 goal in a 1-0 shutout of Kazahkstan whos only goal came from a non-NHLer from the Moscow Dynamo.
Silver: Slovakia (The underdog darkhorse team, which I really thought had a shot at medaling before the olympics, now they prove they are contenders for gold with a 5-3 win and GWG by Marian Gaborik. Speed, shooting and the best defensive pair of Chara and Visnovsky late in the game are the strengths, coupled with Peter Budaj as a hot unknown goaltender. Weakness their depth at offense on the 4th line)
Bronze: Canada (The favorites, were never favorites in my opinion, I think they can and very well could be beaten at any time against teams like Finland and Sweden. They must have superior goaltending from Luongo and Brodeur which I haven't seen much of. There scoring however must step up to the plate. Getting shutout by Switzerland when the likes of Heatley, Nash, Gagne and Lecavlier won't get them the gold. They apparently have no weakness except maybe urgency.)
4th: Sweden (Pending a real push from Sweden, which is very posssible with the games greatest player back, Sweden finds themselves lacking in experience in goaltending and depth on offense. What Sweden does bring is a lot of heart, and talented scoring with Forsberg, Alfredsson and Zetterberg. I think this team would've been helped and upgraded to Gold or Silver had they come in ith a healthy Forsberg and a Naslund playing. A Forsberg, Naslund and Alfredsson line would've been virtually unstoppable, and dethroned Gaborik, Demitra and Hossa as the top line so far in the games.
Rest of the pack:
Finland: Although they are 3-0 they need to beat the tough teams still to come and step up in the Quarters and Semis. They have a great team, but lack a little bit in every area compared to teams like Russia and Slovakia. Koivu and Selanne have stepped up now they must continue this against the real teams and Niitymakii will have to play sharp to keep teams like Canada and the Czechs from scoring. They will be very tight in comparison with Sweden, and could provide an upset in knocking a good team out, but don't provide the punch to push into the Gold medal game.
Switzerland: Although they shut out Canada, i find it was simply more of a fluke on offense, and just outstanding goaltending that won them the game. If they continue to win and take a medal which i find very little chance of, it would be a 1980 esque performance and Gerber would be glorified.
Czech Republic: They are 1-2 and have brokendown seemingly but still have extremely fast Defensemen like Zidlicky and a scoring punch of Jagr. They have a shot at medaling, but other teams are proving themselevs right now, and the Czechs are now behind. They must win virtually the rest of the their games to medal. Jagr, proved himself being a weak player when he gets hit and cuts his head open after getting hit by a Tuomo Ruutu. He was not a factor in the game.
My Standout Players:
Russia- Kovalchuk, he will turn on and start scoring with his great hands and propel the team to Gold.
Slovakia: Gaborik, speed is an asset in the olympics and the games fastest player provides one of the best snap shots in the game. His speed coupled with linemates Hossa's strength and quickness is deadly.
Canada: Nash, the NHLers leading goal scorer a year ago, he provides a great shot and the instinct of a great goaltender. In the Quarters and Smis, look for Nash to turn it up.
Re: Olympic Hockey..Your Picks...
by Al_Gore » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:48 pm
Originally posted by Conscious*
My Standout Players:
Russia- Kovalchuk, he will turn on and start scoring with his great hands and propel the team to Gold.
Canada: Nash, the NHLers leading goal scorer a year ago, he provides a great shot and the instinct of a great goaltender. In the Quarters and Smis, look for Nash to turn it up. [/B]
Russia - Ovechkin
Canada: Nash definately didn't turn it up
Re: Re: Olympic Hockey..Your Picks...
by ANTONIUS » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:43 pm
Originally posted by Al_Gore
Russia - Ovechkin
Canada: Nash definately didn't turn it up
sbornaya is hot this year:violin:
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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