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2016 World Cup thread


JoeLassister

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This tournament is obviously heavily driven by the NHL. I think the gimmicks teams are foolish. If they want to legitimize the tourney there would need to be qualifying rounds for the lower teams with a chance to play in the larger tourney. As cc said. Switzerland and Slovakia ice competitive teams all the time at these events. I would be all for forgoing olymic hockey and supporting world cup if it were structured correctly. I don't care who organizes it. As long as it is done right. Like no gimmicks teams. If the owners have to pay insurance, I suspect Olympic hockey will disappear. 

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42 minutes ago, Commandant said:

I love Olympic hockey, but I can't blame the owners for not wanting to shut down their season for two weeks, plus foot the bill for insurance, with the IIHF and IOC picking up none of the tab, and the IOC and IIHF raking in the money on ticket sales and tv contracts for the event. I rarely, if ever, sympathise with the NHL owners, but they have a damn good argument here.  Doesn't help that the IOC is the only organization on the planet that rivals FIFA in terms of corruption running rampant (and I'm including all organizations, not just sports). 

 

That said, this tournament does not necessarily mean NHL participation in the Olympics is dead either. But yes, you are right in that it is a shot across the bow of the IIHF and IOC.  

 

I can't blindly support boycotting something just cause it is meant to screw with the IOC's stranglehold on things though.  The IOC is not an organization I can get behind. 

 

Oh, I agree - the IOC are utter, loathsome scumbags. But so are the NHL owners and operators. In short, I couldn't care less who wins this dick-swinging competition, the IOC or the NHL, as long as we get NHLers at the Olympics. If the IOC backs down, then hey, great. If he NHL backs down, then that's great too. And going forward I could see myself getting mildly interested in this farce of a tournament as a minor diversion during the four-year wait for the real thing. But right now it's too close to being a zero-sum game - WC OR Olympics - for my liking. And the ludicrous format further compounds the inanity of the whole undertaking. So, no thanks.

 

BC Habnut, a properly-structured World Cup could indeed represent a viable second-best to the Olympics. But since the NHL only cares about money and its 'brand,' we're unlikely ever to see that.

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So the finals will be Canada vs Gimmick Team B, also known as Team Leftovers...I mean Team Europe.  I have a hard time thinking they'll get a game so hopefully this will end on Thursday, meaning Price/Weber would be back with the Habs with plenty of time left in the preseason.

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Haven't watched much of the tournament, but after the way Hull and Chelios were trashing Team Europe, I Iove that they have made the finals. Don't know that I'll watch any of the finals of this gimmick, but I'll be pulling for the team that didn't snub Subban. So probably my last time rooting for Halak over Price, haha.

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7 hours ago, Fanpuck33 said:

Haven't watched much of the tournament, but after the way Hull and Chelios were trashing Team Europe, I Iove that they have made the finals. Don't know that I'll watch any of the finals of this gimmick, but I'll be pulling for the team that didn't snub Subban. So probably my last time rooting for Halak over Price, haha.

If this was a room, in a house I owned, I would tell you to get out... ;) Snub Subban? Nobody cares...:lol:

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23 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

(The response that "it's great hockey" is no response, at least to me. The Olympics are even greater hockey, so our best interest lies in rejecting anything that jeopardizes that. And there's always lots of "great hockey" around that we don't watch, e.g., junior hockey; so the mere claim that such-and-such a thing provides "great hockey" doesn't translate into a knockout argument for the necessity of watching it).

This is something I can't agree with.

 

Many, MANY games at the Olympics are just pure gimmes.  1/4 of the teams don't stand a chance, not for a medal, but for a W period.

 

IMO, this event (World Cup) offered MUCH better hockey than the Olympics in terms of the actual games of hockey played.

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Yeah it's a futile attempt to justify a romanticized script. I enjoy Olympic hockey as much as anyone but it seems pointless to go on a mission not to watch this tournament while it's entirely still possible the players will be at the next winter games anyway. The hockey I did catch during this tournament was entertaining. 

 

I won't be able to catch either of the final two games and I won't cry about it but I would have watched had I not had coaching commitments of my own. Why wouldn't I? Just to prove a point? It seems even more extreme when you consider that it's Canada, and Price and Weber are on the team. Two players we should be very curious about for different reasons. 

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Canada wins 3-1 in what was a bit of a snoozer.  Europe played a lot better than I thought they would.  Ralph Krueger is really putting himself back on the NHL coaching map with this tournament.  (I know he's not looking to get back to the NHL right away as he's gainfully employed with Southampton but he'll probably get some calls as coaches get let go.)

 

From the Montreal perspective, Price was better tonight, a little more sound technically.  Kopitar beat Weber on the rush a few times but other than that, it was a steady, albeit quiet game from Weber.

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21 hours ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

Yeah it's a futile attempt to justify a romanticized script. I enjoy Olympic hockey as much as anyone but it seems pointless to go on a mission not to watch this tournament while it's entirely still possible the players will be at the next winter games anyway. The hockey I did catch during this tournament was entertaining. 

 

I won't be able to catch either of the final two games and I won't cry about it but I would have watched had I not had coaching commitments of my own. Why wouldn't I? Just to prove a point? It seems even more extreme when you consider that it's Canada, and Price and Weber are on the team. Two players we should be very curious about for different reasons. 

 

Nah. The tournament is complete phony-baloney and I couldn't care less if the whole thing keeled over in mid-game. As for the Olympics, we'll see, but I maintain that the more successful this absurdity is, the easier it'll be for the NHL to walk away from the main event. In terms of Price and Weber, I'll pay attention to their doings when actual games that are worth giving a wet fart about start up.

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2 hours ago, dlbalr said:

Canada wins 3-1 in what was a bit of a snoozer.  Europe played a lot better than I thought they would.  Ralph Krueger is really putting himself back on the NHL coaching map with this tournament.  (I know he's not looking to get back to the NHL right away as he's gainfully employed with Southampton but he'll probably get some calls as coaches get let go.)

 

From the Montreal perspective, Price was better tonight, a little more sound technically.  Kopitar beat Weber on the rush a few times but other than that, it was a steady, albeit quiet game from Weber.

I remember after last game you had nice things to say about Weber but throughout the tournament I've personally noticed Doughty and Burns a lot more than Weber. For a defenseman maybe that's a good thing, maybe it's not.

 

I only got to see the first period but today I liked what I saw from Weber. He's quicker on his feet in the defensive zone than I expected and he does have a good outlet pass which was an area I wasn't so sure about with his game because concerns were raised. I feel like Vlasic is one of the weaker D on the team as well and they've still done alright as a pair. 

 

Looking forward to puck drop and seeing him in a Habs jersey. 

 

 

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5 hours ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

I remember after last game you had nice things to say about Weber but throughout the tournament I've personally noticed Doughty and Burns a lot more than Weber. For a defenseman maybe that's a good thing, maybe it's not.

 

I only got to see the first period but today I liked what I saw from Weber. He's quicker on his feet in the defensive zone than I expected and he does have a good outlet pass which was an area I wasn't so sure about with his game because concerns were raised. I feel like Vlasic is one of the weaker D on the team as well and they've still done alright as a pair. 

 

Looking forward to puck drop and seeing him in a Habs jersey. 

 

 

 

It might be because Babcock seems to be using Burns strictly in offensive positions against favourable match ups and on the PP. Doughty seems to be somewhere in the middle and Weber in a more defensive role and on the PK. Doughty and Weber seem to be getting the tougher match ups against the other teams top line.

 

I am really impressed with how well Europe played, they certainly made it close and Price had to be sharp. Kopitar IMO was the best player on the ice last night. Guy is an amazing center 

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On 24/09/2016 at 10:19 AM, dlbalr said:

Not sure why this thing keeps doing this ^

Anyways. The one knock on kopitar is he's insanely streaky. 

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8 hours ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

I remember after last game you had nice things to say about Weber but throughout the tournament I've personally noticed Doughty and Burns a lot more than Weber. For a defenseman maybe that's a good thing, maybe it's not.

 

I've noticed Burns a lot as well but not in a good way.  His defensive efforts have left a lot to be desired and it's telling that when the games have been tight in the third period, he's been mostly on the bench as a result.  He's more than capable in the offensive zone but I have been disappointed by his performance overall.

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33 minutes ago, dlbalr said:

 

I've noticed Burns a lot as well but not in a good way.  His defensive efforts have left a lot to be desired and it's telling that when the games have been tight in the third period, he's been mostly on the bench as a result.  He's more than capable in the offensive zone but I have been disappointed by his performance overall.

Yes, Weber seemed smarter pairing for Kopitar and on the PK and Burns seemed to struggle in own end...also, Doughty would look very good in a Hab jersey.

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6 minutes ago, brobin said:

Good thing Babcock didn't take a defensive liability like PK.  Lol.  Canada has been brutal in this game with turnovers. 

 

I was going to say that this game shows why they didn't take him.  Look at Burns and a couple of others trying to do it themselves from the back end.  This team isn't built that way.  When it comes to the transition game, the job of the D is to get the puck to the forwards, not to lead the rush.  When they try to get too fancy relative to their system, bad things have happened tonight.

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As Brian called it.. Team Leftovers.. is acquitting themselves pretty darned well. I don't really know how I feel about this tournament... its hockey.. we get to see all of our Canadjun boys.. and they're playing Team Improvised...  6 out of 10? 6.3? :huh:

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OK... that was a pretty WOW finish after Team Afterthought played a great game. But what a freekin finish. Price saves us on a PP and then a freekin shorthanded goal! Zowie! 

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That wound up being quite the interesting finish.  Canada won and Price/Weber didn't look like they had any significant injuries.  That's about the best outcome possible.  (Although Weber is a bit nicked up I believe but nothing serious.)

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10 hours ago, brobin said:

Good thing Babcock didn't take a defensive liability like PK.  Lol.  Canada has been brutal in this game with turnovers. 

Turnovers...you talking about turnovers!!! Don't get Commandant started!:(

 

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On ‎9‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 1:40 AM, xXx..CK..xXx said:

I remember after last game you had nice things to say about Weber but throughout the tournament I've personally noticed Doughty and Burns a lot more than Weber. For a defenseman maybe that's a good thing, maybe it's not.

 

 

 

 

 

Have to say that I thought Doughty was pretty terrible last night...he was just floundering at both ends of the ice.

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