NDFlyer
-
Posts
261 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by NDFlyer
-
-
I talked to Bobby Clarke and Dave Brown two days ago.
Clarkie: greatest of all Flyers
Brownie: greatest of all Flyers fighters. Giant of a man.
Couldn't care less about Gretzky.
-
Shep,
Remember the old adage about leading a horse to water...............
-
Americans showed what they can do in the first 1/2 of the game vs russkies. Unfortunately, they've done nothing since.
Unless they realize that at this level of play you need 60 good minutes of hockey it could be a disapointing medal round for them.
Note to Team USA: It is entirely permissible to check the opposing player under the following conditions:
(a) When that player has possession of the puck; and
(b) When that player has possession of the puck in your zone.
Front desk to Ryan Suter: Keep playing like that and you'll have a very forgettable and short pro career.
-
Methinks the Edmonton teams from 1984-87 would flourish in any era. Gretzky had a very solid group to play with, and coaching philosophies were certainly different than they are today, but Gretzky's skills are timeless, IMO.
To me, it is the coaches who are mainly responsible for the type of play in the NHL. They are the ones who instruct their players to play certain roles and in systems which limit their ability to create and be exciting.
-
It is absurd to compare this tournament to the NHL. Every time we watch a tournament such as this or the Olympics we all yap about how great it is...and it is great. However, just think about it for a few moments.
There is substantially more talent in the NHL than in this tournament. Anyone disagree with this? It should be obvious.
Think about how good the NHL would be if you had only 10 teams and played a very short schedule. The NHL is boring because there are too many teams, watered down talent, too long of a schedule and a bad instigator rule.
Trapping? Clutching, grabbing, hooking? This is occurring during these games in GF. Don't kid yourselves.
Some of these games are blowouts. If you had a whole season of these the attendance would significantly drop and you would be complaining about how boring the games are.
So, please, stop comparing this tournament to the NHL. Enjoy it for what it is.
-
Kessel just might be the most skilled youngest player in the tournament. He has shown much more than Brian Lee......although defense is a very difficult position to play when you make the immediate jump from high school to this level.
-
I could not have been more wrong in my thoughts about Team USA. If they continue to skate like they did against the russkies and play with that type of intensity they will contend for the gold. They did exactly what you need to do to go out and win hockey games.
The NHL could be as exciting as this except for a couple of small problems: way too many teams and a much too long schedule. Unfortunately there are guys skating a regular shift these days who, 20 years ago, could not have been a 4th liner for the Richmond Robins. Also, when you pay morons such as Tie Domi and Donald Brashear millions per year you are just wasting money. They might be worth a couple hundred grand, but not nearly what they currently earn.....or in light of the lockout I should say what they once earned.
-
I met some guys up in the Organ Bar who had driven all the way from Calgary and Flin Flon to attend these games. Expect thousands more Canadians if they play for a medal.
-
Forecheck,
You didn't go far enough in describing the Russians. I can think of only one word to describe them: SCARY.
They have it all. It's just attack, attack, attack. No dump ins. Skate, pass and move the puck. Constantly moving and skating and at near the speed of light.
These guys are not boys or teenagers. They are men. There could be a new sheriff on town........and he is wearing a red hat.
That was an impressive exhibition. We'll see what USA Hockey is made of in about 33 hours.
-
Mad Man,
It is possible to be well over the age of 19 and still be under the age of 20.
Do you agree?
-
Forecheck is on the $$$.
I was at that Slovak-Belarus game last night and that 3rd period was a particularly brutal one. There was some hitting going on the entire game and you got the feeling that it might escalate a bit, but no one was prepared for what occurred midway through he third.
Basically, the volcano began spewing smoke and lava when the Slovak team captain was the recipent of a rather malicious crosscheck or buttender right on the nose. Kid spilled about 2 pints of blood and had to be helped off the ice. I haven't heard of his condition, but a concussion is not out of the question. There were scrums all over after this one. Major penalty assessed.
The volcano fully erupted a few moments later when another Belarussian slashed a Slovak. When I say slash I do not mean your routine little hack at the guy going around you with the puck.....I mean a Tiger Woods 4 iron out of 6 inch rough type of slash. Kid coulda split firewood with that slash.
Latislav Scurko (Flyers 2004 draft pick) then proceeded to beat the living crap out of some Belarus dude. Belarussian played the role of human punching bag during this one and for his efforts received a match penalty. I honestly thought both benches were gonna clear. It was that close. Coaches screaming/waving at each other.
If you wanted to teach a clinic on slashing and high sticking all you needed to do was to show a video of the 3rd period. It was AWESOME! After most faceoffs all you could hear was the sound of blade hitting shinpad. Whenever anyone went near the boards they were getting hit......cleanly, all though there were few of these, or you were gonna get it up high. Everyone was finishing their checks.
I suspect that Belarus might be short a few players for the next game or the entire tournament after IIHF officials discuss this one. I don't know if Belarus is gonna win a game but these guys are tough, mean and never quit. Keep your head up when you play these boys.
One of the most intense and exciting periods of hockey I have ever seen.
-
Yeah, that is getting kinda severe. Methinks the ref, if he chooses, c an hand out a match penalty if it is bad enough. I guess I don't expect to see any fighting unless there is a very,very dirty elmination game which results in a blowout.
-
I'll check into that. My gut tells me the rules on fighting are not that severe...but this is just a guess. I recall a huge bench clearer a few years ago in this torunament. Everyone on the ice. It looked like a Flyers-Bruins game from 1974.
-
YaneA is absolutely correct in her post about the attendance figures and lawkota's post puts things into perspective.
I believe this tournament will outdraw all other previous tournaments --which is important. Gotta remember, this is junior hockey, not the Olympics or NHL playoffs. It is being held in a relatively small community which is sometimes the case.
MTI Centre drew 15,000 for an exhibition game in Winnipeg the other night!!! I don't expect a whole lot of people to come from Europe but if the Canadian team makes it the medal round.....watch out. You'll see an endless pilgrimmage of Canadians heading this way.
-
I was at the Czech/Germany game last night. It was a fast paced, chippy game. High sticks and slashes. I thought things might escalate on a couple of occasions but it was not to be. Lots of penalties. Some questionable hits. My kind of game.
Both teams had good speed. Germans scored all three goals on the pp. Yeah, they looked pretty happy after the game. I'm sure they were happy they skated with the Czechs. I sat next to the Czech general manager and he told me that they were sitting 6 of their better players last night. They have to make roster cuts today. I would expect the Czechs to contend for a medal. Most of their players are NHL draftees.
Czech goalie, Marek Scwartz, has mongoose speed with the glove. Fun to watch him. Blues' first ronder this year.
-
I can only comment on a couple of guys: Hensick and Montoya. I've watched Hensick a few times this season and he is very good. Pure gold with the puck. Montoya had a great WJT last year which clearly elevated his draft status. Apparently his numbers are pretty good thus far, although I have a bad feeling that this year's WJT is gonna be a bit different for him.
-
Team USA looked very much like a team which has had only two practices under their belt. In fact, North Dakota outplayed them except for a couple of glaring defensive breakdowns on which USA capitalized.
If USA does not substantially elevate their game they can kiss the medal round goodbye. This game was a snoozefest.
USA was outshot and outworked by a college team which had played its 3rd game in 3 days and was playing a day game after a night game without its best player. This does not bode well for the Americans.
-
Totally agree that they are the favorites. They have every reason to be motivated and would love nothing more than to win it on American ice. They are very well coached. Expect them to be fast, hard hitting and have good special teams.
Still, though, they are gonna have to go out and earn it.
-
Word around the campfire is that this could be the best Canadian junior team---ever. They average 6 feet, 1 inch, 203 lbs. Return at least 11 players from last year's squad. Avg age is well over 19.
-
I would if I didn't spend every penny I have on the Flyers. I'll die broke, but happy.
-
SiouxMeNow,
I went to several NHL games last year from Phoenix to NY to Philly following my beloved Flyers around the country.
Flyers lower bowl tix were $80 face value. Tix at MSG, lower bowl right behind goal judge was something like $123.00. For the Flyers/Yotes game I just walked up to the ticket office and asked for their best seat available....it was first row on the blueline and cost me $200.
My guess is that the average lower bowl NHL ticet is probably $75 or so but who cares, it's only money.
-
Only time will tell but in my opinion Dion Phaneuf will be logging more NHL ice time than Matt Greene within the next couple of years; and it might be a couple of years before there is a season unless the greedhead players come back down to Earth.
I watched Phaneuf in last year's WJT and there is only one word to describe him: STUD.
-
redwing77,
There is only one reason and one reason only you brought up David Hale: he played for the Sioux and you have a blatant bias toward the Sioux. I totally understand what it is to be a homer because I am one of the biggest ones out there myself. However, you must admit that Hale has almost nothing in common with any of the players you mentioned.
Certainly Stevens, Blake, Pronger and, to a certain extent, Hatcher, are all feared hitters in the National League. Borque, while not being a ferocious hitter, is famous for being able to do it at both ends for a very long time. Daneyko has literally zero offensive skills and is famous because he was a horse who could log 28-29 minutes per night and he did it for thousands of years.
Hale has proven only that he can play at the NHL level. Whether or not he ever becomes more than a 4, 5 or 6 dman remains to be seen. The fact that he may or may not be one of your college favorites cannot change this fact.
-
If you honestly believe that David Hale at this point in his career even deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence or paragragh as those other defensemen then hockey knowledge is your weak suit.
Some of you guys need to realize that hockey does NOT begin and end in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
I know Canada is Good - But
in Men's Hockey
Posted
Very poor showing by the American fans. No excuse. Too cheap to cough up a bit of money for the best hockey ever to be played in your back yard.
Inexcusable.