Are You Super Excited about Winter Olympics?

[Trenton]

Wow, your device is l33t. "SAMSUNG-SGH-I337"

Ye I know I'm bes

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[Itoopeo]

But why taptalk?

There is a free app called spacetime community app in android store.

[XghostzX]

Anybody know Jason Brown? He's the US Men's Skater, good family friends with us. Lives about 15 minutes from us.

[Zojak]

Anybody know Jason Brown? He's the US Men's Skater, good family friends with us. Lives about 15 minutes from us.

I watched him skate this morning!! He was pretty good!

[Trenton]

But why taptalk?

There is a free app called spacetime community app in android store.

Bcus its all round better considering the ease of it, plus my iPad "links" with my phone's version.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[Gragorak]

Please. Russia has no defense and with the offense Canada has they won't be able to play against them.
Canada also has better goaltending if you ask me, Price has led his team all year and without him they would be at the bottom of the standing.

USA also has good goaltending but I don't like their choice in defense and forwards.

Sweeden imo only have a good goalie and a couple good forwards.

So my pick is Canada vs Russia in the finals and Canada will win in a high scoring game.

You don't take the rink size into account. None of team Canada players have ever played in KHL rink, and gamestyle there is completely different than in small NHL rink, and slightly different than in normal international venues. Great players like Suter and Weber will struggle there. Players that you might have never even heard of will humiliate them.

And look at Sweden's roster: Sedin, another Sedin, Erikson, OEL, King Henrik, karlson, backström, Zetterberg. Will be a huge miracle if Canada could beat them. Only weakness Sweden has is coach; Pär Mårts doesn't understand anything about tactics.

But I agree with you that Canada would beat Russia. Russians have bad offence (sure, they have nice top six but look at their bottom six. And they don't have any good two way forwards), really bad defense. But they have really good goaltending, Varlamov - Bobrovski is IMO the second best goalie pair in the tournament, Only Finland's Rask - Lehtonen is better. But I guess Russia won't make it to the finals.

But anyways, will be interesting to see how Canada will do. They might make it to the finals, or they might be 8th again.

You put Teows and Crosby together = OP

Put Toews and Crosby in two different lines = even more OP.

Anybody know Jason Brown? He's the US Men's Skater, good family friends with us. Lives about 15 minutes from us.

You mean Dustin Brown? But that's really cool, he's one of my favorite players.
Edit: Wait, you meant this guy? Aww, there goes all the awesomeness. :/

Edit: Doesn anyone here have NHL 14 for PS3? I'd love to play some international matches with Finland, but I hate playing normal versus games with randoms.

[Cheenivie]

Last years lockout a lot of players went to Russia to play.
Also if you think the rink size will affect them you're wrong because on these types of rinks you need speed and Canada definitely has it with players like Crosby, St-Louis, Toews, Sharp and many more.
Team Canada's forwards are just as fast as Russia's offence and much faster then their defence(Russia's defence is probably as bad as Norway's).

And Sweden? First one of the Sedin brothers isn't going due to injury and the other brother sucks w/o (just check how he's done this year without him) and they have no defence, their best defence-men is Karlson and he can only play offence, he's one of the worse defensive defence-men in the tournament.
I agree they have a good goalie but Price is having a much better year and the Canadians have a better goaltending then any other team if you ask me, Price is a runner-up for the Vezina trophy, Luongo led Canada to the gold medal in the last olympics and Mike Smith has had 3great years.
Varlamov and Bobrovski are often inconsistent so we will see how that plays out.

Also I'd be very surprised if they finished 7th* again because they have a much better team.

Also we never know but Russia can always finish 6th again. Just like Sweden can finish 5th again.

[Gragorak]

Last years lockout a lot of players went to Russia to play.
Also if you think the rink size will affect them you're wrong because on these types of rinks you need speed and Canada definitely has it with players like Crosby, St-Louis, Toews, Sharp and many more.
Team Canada's forwards are just as fast as Russia's offence and much faster then their defence(Russia's defence is probably as bad as Norway's).

And Sweden? First one of the Sedin brothers isn't going due to injury and the other brother sucks w/o (just check how he's done this year without him) and they have no defence, their best defence-men is Karlson and he can only play offence, he's one of the worse defensive defence-men in the tournament.

Yes, skating and speed are the most important skills in large rink, but the playstyle is also completely different. Experience really matters, it's not only about speed. Just look at how Canada has done in latest world championships. When did they get medal last time? Yep, 2007.

But well, didn't know that Henrik couldn't play. That's really huge disadvantage for Sweden and gives Canada and USA better chance to win. Now I'm getting even more upset for the fact that Bergenheim, M. Koivu, S. Koivu and Filppula won't play for Finland... With those guys we would have had good chance to get to finals. Damn.

And by the way, Sweden has some really good defencemen too. Oliver Ekman-Larson is IMO competing for Norris trophy and Kwonwall is still solid defensive D-man, plus they have other decent defencemen too. I don't understand why their coach didn't pick Hedman and/or Brodin, they have been awesome this year.

I agree they have a good goalie but Price is having a much better year and the Canadians have a better goaltending then any other team if you ask me, Price is a runner-up for the Vezina trophy, Luongo led Canada to the gold medal in the last olympics and Mike Smith has had 3great years.

Canada has good goaltening, but not the best. Finland has better and maybe Russia, but that's just a matter of opinion.

Canada:

Price: Good but bit unreliable. Only few games in international rink, none in KHL rink.
Smith: Decent but overrated, Phoenix's great defense makes him look better than what he actually is.
Luongo: Old but reliable.

Finland:

Lehtonen: Possibly the best goaltender in NHL this year. Absolutely the only reason why Stars have any chance to get into play-offs. He's simply awesome.
Rask: Was by far the best player in last year's play-offs. Two goals against in the series against Pittsburgh. Pretty impressive. He has also had pretty good season.
Niemi: Solid 3rd goaltender, was 3rd in last year's Vezina voting.

Finland's goaltending is way better than Canada's.

Also we never know but Russia can always finish 6th again. Just like Sweden can finish 5th again.

Vancouver results are irrelevant now. Sweden won the last Olympics in international ice. Of course they had better team back then, but still.

Edit: By the way, which Canadian players played in the KHL during the lockout? I don't think many.

[Cheenivie]

How is Price not reliable? Ok he had some bad games this year but that's what happens when your team doesn't help you at all, just watch a Montreal Canadiens game and look at the difference in shots, usually 35+ when his team only gets 20-25.
In his last 6games he has 7goals against, 2 shutouts and a 966save%. Finland may have good goaltending but the rest of the team is nothing and the goalies won't be able to face 40+shots a game.

Also, Price no experience in the international level?
Is winning gold at the world juniors not enough?

Maybe Canada hasn't done well in the past international tournaments but compare the team they had then and the one they have now. Also the coaching staff of Team Canada is great, Mike Babcock and Claude Julien are 2 of the best 3 coaches in the league and they have done a lot to prepare the Canadian players.

[Itoopeo]

Im not really in olympics, but when Finland beats Sweden in any sport, i get SUPER excited!

[Gragorak]

How is Price not reliable?

Because he cant handle pressure. Just look at his NHL play-off stats. He has had only one good play-offs.

Ok he had some bad games this year but that's what happens when your team doesn't help you at all, just watch a Montreal Canadiens game and look at the difference in shots, usually 35+ when his team only gets 20-25.

He has bad games more often than other top goalies, especially in play-offs. Not so many bad games this year though.

Also, those statistics are incorrect. Montreal Canadiens' shots per game: 28.4, shots against per game: 30.6

Finland may have good goaltending but the rest of the team is nothing and the goalies won't be able to face 40+shots a game.

Rask got shotout against Sweden in WJC 1/4 finals with 50 saves. Finland had really bad defense that year and Sweden had really good offence, so he definitely has the potential to beat top countries alone. But yeah, without Bergenheim, M. Koivu, S. Koivu and Filppula Finland won't be contender for gold.

Also, Price no experience in the international level?
Is winning gold at the world juniors not enough?

I said nothing about experience in the international level, it's completely irrelevant. I said he doesn't have much experience of the international rink. Price has played 10 games in international rink, whereas European players have played hundreds and hundreds of games there.

Maybe Canada hasn't done well in the past international tournaments but compare the team they had then and the one they have now.

On paper Canada has had the best team every year, but they have always failed miserably. Sure, they have better team now. But guess what? Everybody else has too.

[rinaric15]

Yes, I love watching the Winter Olympics and cheering on local athletes

[Cheenivie]

After watching Canada win in men's hockey I believe I prooved my point.

Congrats to Carey Price for 3shutouts in 5games.

[Zojak]

Ah, I love hockey. I also love the fact that Canada or USA won't win. Will be a huge miracle if Sweden or Russia won't win.

Apology accepted.

[Cheenivie]

Apology accepted.

Never underestimate Canada hockey is our sport

[Zojak]

#WeAreWinter #RedWhiteAndGold!

[Zylx]

Cosing ceremony :'( theyre over already

[Caiahar]

Mario and sonic at the 2013/2014 Winter Olympics!.....
Lol


All for one, and one for all.