00111000

So the World Cup of Hockey starts August 30th and I’m fucking stoked. My first introduction to watching hockey was during the Olympics when I was a kid and I still love the world tournaments. We got Lots of big names for Canada, USA, Russia, Czechs and Sweden.

Canada arguably has the best goaltending with Brodeur,Belfour and Luongo, solid D and a hell of a lot of guys who can score. USA has a damn good team also but they’ve sucked it pretty hard in recent international games. Who’s going to start in net there? Esche had a good playoff run and DiPietro played damn well in his own right. The talent on Russia/Czech/Slovakia teams is looking sweet also, Russia has a guy from the superleague in net who should be exciting to watch, they also have speedy forwards in Datsyuk,Bure, Samsonov and Kovalchuk. What about Kiprusoff for Finland? He’s coming off a hot finals, will losing work against him? Or will he rebound brilliantly??? You get the picture and I can spout off names forever, so I'll save some for later.

We’ve got tons of hockey fans from all over that post here. Let’s hear who will walk away the champ! Of course I want USA to win, but I’ve gotten used to disappointment.

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- And so he says, 'I don't like the cut of your jib.' And I go I says, IT'S THE ONLY JIB I GOT, BABY! -

Billy Ocean

Dissapointment? USA is the defending World Champ and Silver Medal winner in the most recent Olympics... not to mention our first World Junior Championship in history earlier this year.

The biggest problem USA Hockey faces is an older to middle aged line up. If the event was held more often (I think it's 8 years since the last one) I think we'd see some of the older guys sit this out, but some of them wanted to come back to defend their title and I don't really have a probem with that. They realize this will be their last International Game on a world stage. I'm talking about the Chelios, Leetch, Hull type guys. Our junior program is stacked with the best talent we've ever seen in the USA and we have a a great group that has just started retiring in the past few years... it's the 25-33 age group we will need to see a new star emerge from on team USA. I'd like it to be Drury, he's a natural winner and a great guy to root for.


What do you think of the goalie situation the US faces? I wouldn't mind seeing DiPietro be the man if Esche can't play. I think he is the future of Team USA net-minding.

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"To live outside the law you must be honest." - Bob Dylan

Ace_O_Spades

Defending world champ? are you on glue? canada's won it two straight years

or do you mean defending world cup champ?

eh... doesn't matter, Canada will tool them anyway.

[edit]

I was pleased to see Lecavalier get added when Yzerman dropped out... We got another strong young buck.

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Feh.

Billy Ocean

My bad... World Cup Champs.

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"To live outside the law you must be honest." - Bob Dylan

00111000

I was talking in recent international tourneys, and juniors is a totally differnent game. I would like to see DiPietro play as he is an amazing goalie and could give Richter a run for best American born goalie if he stays healthy during his career. Lecavalier was a good pick also.. but there is something about that guy, I don't know..I just want to hit him with a sack full of doorknobs.

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- And so he says, 'I don't like the cut of your jib.' And I go I says, IT'S THE ONLY JIB I GOT, BABY! -

Ace_O_Spades

its because he's french

i feel that way about most of the french

[edit]

[/sarcasm]

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Feh.

highthief

Well, Canada is going to win, IMO. Not sure of the draw but I can see the Czechs getting to the final also. The US team is too old this time around.

I am concerned with Canada's goaltending - Brodeur is great, but Belfour is past it. If he were playing anywhere but Toronto he would not have gotten the nod. Luongo? Iffy. Brodeur needs to stay healthy.

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Si vis pacem parabellum.

BuDDaH

It sucks they play the World Chapionships when most of the Americans are in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Most of the rest of the world plays with their pros on their national teams who also play in the NHL, but got sent home. They should either hold the games or put a break in the NHL season so USA can get their best guys in..

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I'd hit that so hard whoever could pull me out would become King of England!

highthief

That's no longer the issue it once was. The best players in the world - be they Canadian, American, Russian, Swedish, etc - are all playing in the NHL now. Everyone is equally handicapped, really. Canada has won the last 2 years with their best guys in the Stanley Cup playoffs and unavailable.

silent_jay

I sense someone who doesn't like the Leafs or didn't watch Eddie playing in the playoffs. Luongo is one of the best young goalies to come around in years how can he not deserve a spot? I'm curious to see who you would have liked to see picked to play alongside Brodeur.

Oh yeah Canada is taking the Gold, was there any doubt?

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Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Cowman

What??!?!?!??!?!??!?!!?!?!?

Do you watch any hockey??

Luongo is turning into THE best goalie in the NHL, bar none. Have you read any scouting reports, analysis, or whatever this past year?? Luongo just set the record for the most amount of shots against this year.....and managed a, what, .931 save percentage? Considering the quality of florida's defense, you KNOW they were tough shots too, not the pansy dump in shots from the blueline that broduer faces all day..

Almost EVERY year end report this year had Luongo rated as the top goaltender in the NHL...Him and theodore is Canada's future in goal....they should have put theodore on the team instead of belfour.

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You don't like my point of view..but im insane

00111000

Belfour may be old but he is still one of the top goalies in the leauge. His hockey sense, style and ability to read the play is unmatched. He is still an ass though. Luongo should have gotten the Venizia this year, nothing against Marty. He's one of my favorites, but Luongo was dominant in all areas.

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- And so he says, 'I don't like the cut of your jib.' And I go I says, IT'S THE ONLY JIB I GOT, BABY! -

highthief

Probably Theodore. I just think Eddie is past it at his age. He's a very good goalie. I also like Giguere. At the end of the day tho, barring injury, it'll be Brodeur all the way.

Luongo is a good goalie, nothing against him really. He just hasn't done that much yet, which is what I was driving at.

Now, if the Homers have all finished...

Billy Ocean

I agree with your point, however I don't think they're equally handicapped.... I think they're randomly handicapped. Meaning it's random when NHL teams will fall out of contention and their players come home.

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"To live outside the law you must be honest." - Bob Dylan

Billy Ocean

I watched Belfour play in th playoffs, in fact I was at game 7 in Toronto against the Sens... I'd still take Broduer over him in a second. I'd probably take Luongo over him at this point also.

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"To live outside the law you must be honest." - Bob Dylan

Cowman

He hasn't done much yet?

Assuming Brodeur is the standard, let's look at his stats the last 4 years.

**** First of all, keep in mind who brodeur is playing behind. NJ Has been for the past 10 years one of the, if not the, premier defensive teams in the NHL. Their entire system is designed towards limiting scoring opportunites. Thus, the majority of the shots brodeur faces are shots taken from far out, or at difficult angles.

Luongo, on the other hand, is playing on a very young and very inexperienced florida panthers. The shots he faces on average are much more difficult.

Broduer:

00-01 - 1762 Shots Against, .906 SV%
01-02 - 1655 Shots Against, .906 SV%
02-03 - 1706 Shots Against, .914 SV%
03-04 - 1845 Shots Against, .917 SV#

Total Shots Against 4 years: 6968, Total goals against: 623, Save percentage: .911

Luongo:

00-01 - 1333 Shots Against, .920 SV%
01-02 - 1513 Shots Against, .915 SV%
02-03 - 2011 Shots Against, .918 SV%
03-04 - 2475 Shots against, .931 SV%

Total shots faced over 4 years: 7332, Total Goals against: 583. Save percentage: .9204

Ok, so over the past FOUR years, Luongo has faced more shots, has let in less goals, and has a better save percentage then Martin Brodeur. Yes, Martin Brodeur, the same Martin Brodeur then will eventually break Patrick Roy's win mark, and who plays in a very conservative, defensively minded system.

You're telling me he hasn't proved anything yet?

/methinks you're one of those "casual" hockey fans


***** stats courtesy of ESPN.com

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You don't like my point of view..but im insane

00111000

My feeling about the Brodeur and Belfour picks is that they are both big game goalies. Thedore is a damn good goalie in his own right but has yet to step up to that plateau. Don't deny Finland though, Kiprusoff and Toskala are damn good also, I didnt see much of Lehtonen though so I can't say much about him.

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- And so he says, 'I don't like the cut of your jib.' And I go I says, IT'S THE ONLY JIB I GOT, BABY! -

Cowman

Also re: luongo: His monster performances at the world championships can be added to his resume.

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You don't like my point of view..but im insane

highthief

Yes, he hasn't done much yet. Yes, he has good stats as an individual player. But his name isn't on any trophies and he plays for a team that loses more than it wins, a team that has not yet been through the pressure of a post-season.

It's a fine line, IMO, between picking a guy with a lot of experience but who is over-the-hill (Belfour, Joseph fit the mold) or young with a lot of game but untested (IE Luongo) and who hasn't played for a winner regularly.

Unlike in years past when an automatic pick of Roy, Belfour and Brodeur could be made, our goaltending isn't quite as deep at this stage.

Believe me, Luongo is from my hometown of Montreal - I've probably followed him longer than most people here. In reflection, he is a decent choice for the team. The team in nets is just not as strong as we have been accustomed to seeing in the past.

Cowman

Ermm..the whole "yeah his stats are good but his team loses!!" argument works for almost any athlete in almost any sport, except goaltenders. His job is to *stop the puck*, which he has done better then anybody else in the NHL for the past number of years. If Luongo had the fortune of being on Detroit, or Dallas, or Colorado, or New Jersey, you don't think he'd have picked up a few cups by now?

Also, you want his name on a few trophies? What do you expect him to do, skate out to the other end and score a few goals? About the only award that he can win by being the best that he is, is the Vezina trophy, the Hart trophy, and the Pearson trophy. The vezina and pearson which he was nominated for this year, and he certainly should have won the Vezina by all accounts...

On the internation stage, he went 4-0 last year at the world championships with a 1.98 GAA.

As far as having tested, veteran goaltenders..well, if you want to insist that Luongo doesn't have the experience to play at an international level (even though he has led Canada at the international level several times ), then that's what Brodeur and Belfour are for....

But whatever, this argument is pointless..

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You don't like my point of view..but im insane

Ace_O_Spades

True, but I find it shameful how many good USA players were available, yet chose NOT to go when asked.

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Feh.

Billy Ocean

Which players specifically?

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"To live outside the law you must be honest." - Bob Dylan

Ace_O_Spades

TSN didn't disclose names, they just had an interview with the head coach who "Expressed his displeasure with certain players who were currently free and didn't answer the call"

Sorry for not having a direct source... I'll do a TSN search, but dont hold out hope

BTW, it's not like I'd make this up, I don't need to fabricate stuff in order to prove a point.

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Feh.

00111000

That because they cant trash the hotels anymore!

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- And so he says, 'I don't like the cut of your jib.' And I go I says, IT'S THE ONLY JIB I GOT, BABY! -

00111000

Whoohooo! Next week this whole shabang goes down. There has been a few pre tournement games but none have been on the tube out here. I just read team USA beat team Canada 3-1 tonight. Will Canada come back in full force when the real games go down? At first I thought they were a sure winner but with some big changes over in the lineup over the past month seems to have changed things. Biggest news to me was Eddie B is out and Theodore is in. I still think they have the strongest goaltending in the games, but will the defense hold up? Either way lets go USA!!

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- And so he says, 'I don't like the cut of your jib.' And I go I says, IT'S THE ONLY JIB I GOT, BABY! -

Ace_O_Spades

You never know whats gonna happen

look how shitty canada's round robin was in the Olympics, and they went on to win.

Anything can go down in the medal rounds.

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Feh.

inferno360

I'm just happy we'll see some great hockey before the season (starts or ends?)
Canada indeed has the goaltending on lockdown. I'm also pleased at the Lecavalier pickup, he's got some wheels.

I'm bias but who cares. Go Canada Go.

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If it's stupid but it works, it's not stupid.

Jackebear

I'm with "inferno". I love watching hockey and can't wait to see the tourney. I really hope they keep the season going.

Go Canada Go !!!!

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Life's jounney is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn-out shouting, "Holy sh*t! What a ride!" - unknown