Olympic ice hockey thread

[Double J]

I've believed that America still reveres 1980 in part because they haven't won the tournament since then. Sort of like how the second-rate Edmonton Mercurys (1952 champs) were lionized until 2002, when they were finally allowed to slip into history.

 

[Double J]

Are we discussing the women's hockey on this thread or the other? Tried to watch some Russia and Japan yesterday but it was so slow that I was bored to tears. The US and Canada are so much faster than everyone else it's ridiculous. That was pretty fun to watch this morning.

That was fun to watch. Team USA was lucky it didn't get blown out.

Didn't you think the officiating was just down-right awful? The whistle had obviously been blown prior to one of Team Canada's third-period goals, TWO too-many-gals on the ice infractions by Canada were missed, they gave the Americans a timeout they weren't entitled to, and failed to call on obvious blow-to-the-head penalty by an American earlier in the game.

One of the United States players was hooked in the waning seconds, but there aren't very many refs anywhere that are going to blow the whistle then.

Hope we don't see this incompetence in the men's tournament.

The final will be fun, because the Americans will be fired up. Today's game was only for bragging rights, and that loss will sting them something fierce. I don't know if I've ever seen two hockey teams who hate each other as much as the Canadian and American women do.

 

[Mark2010]

The US and Canada women are very evenly matched. If they played 10 times, it wouldn't surprise me if each team won five.

I did think the second Canadian goal the whistle had blown before the puck crossed the line. US seemed to have momentum after two periods, but didn't get a shot on goal for the first 16 minutes of the third period.

I do hope we get a rematch in the gold medal game.

 

[Mark2010]

I've believed that America still reveres 1980 in part because they haven't won the tournament since then. Sort of like how the second-rate Edmonton Mercurys (1952 champs) were lionized until 2002, when they were finally allowed to slip into history.

There's some truth to that, although the US made the final in both 2002 and 2010. Canada went, what, 50 years before winning in Salt Lake? The other factor that makes the 1980 team so remarkable is that is was basically a bunch of college players. A few would go to play some in the NHL, but they were young and going against teams that had been together much longer. Even if the US had won the gold in 2002 or 2010 or this year, I doubt it would have had the historical and cultural ramifications of the 1980 team.

I'm not sure which factor has contributed more to the current balance in international hockey for the men: breakup of the Soviet Union or the integration of so many international players in the NHL.

 

[Starman]

Is pulling Tretiak in the conversation for worst in game coaching decision of all time?

It was certainly stupid-- maybe next to Bill Van Breda Koff's benching of Wilt Chamberlain in the final moments of Game 7 of the 1969 NBA finals.

Maybe if the last-second goal given up by Tretiak had put the USSR behind 4-0 instead of tying the game 2-2 I could see it, but at the time (and even now) it reeked of sheer panic.

All it meant was you were now in a 40-minute game. You were supposed to win a regulation game 6-2, you don't think you can win two periods?

 

[Starman]

Is pulling Tretiak in the conversation for worst in game coaching decision of all time?

Heck of a good question and one I'd never thought about in your overall context. Tretiak was considered the greatest goaltender in the world at the time so I'd say Viktor Tikhonov's move is a nominee.

I've never seen/read any criticism of Tikhonov's decision from the players themselves. In the HBO documentary, Tretiak basically said the coach came in the room, told the team Tretiak wasn't playing well and would not play in the second period. Not exactly a scathing critique. Vladimir Myshkin didn't play poorly in the second and Tikhonov stayed with him the rest of the way.

Maybe Tikhonov made a knee-jerk decision in response to Mark Johnson's goal just prior the first-period horn.

The other question I've had since "Miracle" came out: Ruskies didn't pull the goaltender in the final minute. Is it just something that they never thought to do, since they had been so dominant?

Excellent question. The USSR was certainly putting the heat on in the American zone at the end. I can still see Mikhailov busting his butt on the forecheck. Could be wrong but I don't recall either Michaels or Dryden mentioning the possibility on the ABC telecast.

That was apparently a Tikhonov thing. He didn't believe in the strategy of pulling your goalie for an extra man. Probably because his teams never needed to.

In "Miracle," which usually gets good marks for realism overall, seconds after Patrick and Brooks have the incredulous exchange over Tikhonov not pulling the goalie, there's a very brief shot of him yelling "Myshkin!!!" and frantically waving his arms toward the bench.

I don't know if that was an editing glitch or an attempt by the producers to indicate that Tikhonov actually DID want to pull Myshkin but couldn't get him off in the furor of the final minute of the game, I dunno.

Tikhonov has been quoted since the game that yanking Tretiak had been "the biggest mistake of his life" but I don't think he's ever argued that he really wanted to pull Myshkin in the final seconds. I've seen many quotes to the contrary, that he just didn't believe in doing it.

I guess when you're in a situation where you win 90+% of your games you don't devote a lot of time on what to do in the final seconds on the brink of defeat. Heck, going off on a total tangent, without going back to check details or anything, I seem to remember when UCLA lost to N.C. State 80-77 in double OT in the NCAA semifinals in 1974, snapping their streak of seven titles, they more or less fell apart in the final minute of the game (as they had in the earlier loss to Notre Dame).

 

[Mark2010]

Gosh, Austria and Finland are both horrible on defense, at least today. Finland up 5-2(after trailing 2-1) early in the second period.

 

[Mark2010]

Are there any restrictions on hockey coaches? I noticed Ted Nolan is coaching Latvia. I don't know if he's a citizen, has ancestry there or is just a hired gun.

I've seen figure skaters and others with coaches of different nationalities, so I'm guessing there's not. If that's the case I'm a little surprised that some other nations don't try to get NHL coaches. I think Dan Bylsma (USA), Mike Babcock (Canada) and Nolan are the only current NHL coaches who are head coaches. Lindy Rupp and some others are assistants, I think. Can't remember if Ken Hitchcock is there this year or not.

 

[93Devil]

Jesus, my Slovaks suck.

 

[Boom_70]

Wow Stastnie, Oshie , Pacioretty line is dominating.

 

[Huggy]

Solid effort by the Slovenians, losing 5-2 to Russia. Can't say the same about their jerseys, which appeared to have been designed by whoever did the Seahawks'.

 

[JC]

Jesus, my Slovaks suck.

Don't worry Devil, Mark has them medalling.