sagard

Not me and I won't start. I'm just starting to get worried Canada is going to suffer a similar fate to our guys.

Are any of you getting nervous about Oshie returning to the Sioux next year? Of all the great freshmen in the league he seems like he might be the most ready.

I'm really not buying this. I truly think it's all political. In hockey the US has beaten Canada once in Women's, back in '96 in Men's World Cup and the '04 WJC. Compared to the Russians who have routinely schooled them at the WJC and who owned them for 50 years in the Olympics. No way do they hate the US more than Russia due to hockey playing. Everybody rightly or wrongly hates us for going into Iraq, it's trendy and the Canadians are simply getting in line.

Bickering about the these players is just stupid. Kessel will improve by both shooting more often and also by passing more quickly. To call it selfishness is premature, I'd call it inexperienced at playing against players who can all skate and play at his level. I really think if he can play next year he will have a Parise like tourney and be the best player in the tourney. Oshie was great all tourney. If either he or Kessel could have converted in either the Swiss or Canada games the US would likely be playing for the Gold.

I think you are being too critical or your expectations were too high. Very few 18 year olds are able to dominate this tourney.

I'm willing to cut all the 17/18 year olds competing in this tourney a little slack. Let's see where he is at next year.

Canada is going to work the Russians just like last year. Hopefully.

I don't think blame can be laid at the US defense's feet. The forwards should have been able to score plenty against the Swiss and one extra against Canada and we wouldn't have had to face the Russians on short rest. From the sounds of it I think Kyle didn't help. The US had four capable lines and he really didn't seem to use all the forwards until forced to against the Czechs and Russians. That Swiss game is the one that wrecked the tourney for our guys and I'm bitter.

I can tell the rest of you are not Gophers fans. I'm just used to everyone at neutral sites chearing against my team.

Get past it. The Russians hockey team has been taunting and classless the last two seasons. The Canadian drunks are just expressing what they and the rest of the world feel about us right now. If this group comes back we will get revenge: E. Johnson J. Johnson B. Lee T. Chorney M. Mitera P. Kessel P. Mueller J. Skille B. Ryan N. Grebe J. Frazee I'm VERY disappointed with the US pissing the Swiss game away. The US/Canada rolls would have been reversed had they not blown that game. Canada would have needed the win and may not have gotten it. I hope they can pull it together and beat the Fins. I'd hate to see them get nothing on two North American tourneys in a row.

Don't do it. The Russians players are jerks, not the Canadian players.

The US is now globally hated. It's disappointing but not surprising.

"The Boys of Winter" is a fun read. I just read it this weekend and I couldn't put it down. You are right on about dump and chase tonight. EJs turnover was a killer. Sprung a Malkin led 3 on 2 with a US forward as one of the defenders.

Someone needs to sit Kessel down and force him to watch film of Malkin. No dinking around, get to the top of the circle an snap it off. Totally opens up the dinking around moves for him on later rushes.

The US has to score and score often. If they are going to win it will be a 5-4 contest like last year. I really want to see if the 19,000 drunks flip flop and get behind their older, richer, better looking brother. Or if they swallow the bile and cheer for the Russians.

AA has a high quality audio webcast if you like staying up all night listening to the radio.

Why are our guys getting shelled by the Czechs? This is so disappointing no matter the outcome.

They along with the rest of the world do NOT like us. It is not limited to hockey by any stretch. If we can get past these Czechs we will put the drunks in a box.

Only the sandbaggers were calling the US favorites. There would be no shame in silver this year and beating the Russians would be a lot of fun to watch. If somehow Lee/Kessel/Mueller/Johnson/Johnson all return next year I'll like their chances better. But I really like experienced bluelines.

I'm sure Kyle would too, but Schneider probably needs a rest after the Canada game before hopefully returning for the semis and finals. The US really blew their tourney in that Swiss game. Canada will breeze through the Fins and be more than ready to whip the survivor of the US/Czech/Russian bracket.

I thought it was more a sign that the US was scared and not ready than a cheap shot by the Canadian player. As for the Johnson hit, it was ruthless and cheap. Though I honestly thought he had missed. Hopefully the Canadians will take some runs and get off their game if they play the US again.

They did lose Butler as well from a already shaky defense. That said I just don't think/hope they are that good this year.

The game that hurt was the Swiss game. Had the US finished that game out they would likely have enjoyed the tie-break hammer that Canada used all game. I hope they surprise me, but I don't see them beating the Russians and Canadians consecutively.

Hopefully some more of this will be going on.

I ran into someone online called "godblesszp". It was very hard for me not to ask the obvious question.