Olympic hockey, whas your predictions?
 

On paper:
Russia
Sweden
czech

What will happen:
Russia
Czech
Sweden

USA will win gold. you heard it here first.

(to the tune of "king of wishful thinking")

Although I don't really disagree with you predictions, you can't really count Canada out of that at all. The Nash line can REALLY light shit up.

You do know team usa youngest player is 34 years old and their first pair defensemen is derian Hatcher?

I?m placing them fourth ..

I had a post and analysis, and GFY ate it... :P

Anyway, here's my rankings from bottom to top:

12) Italy
11) Latvia
10) Kazakhstan
9) Switzerland
8) Slovakia
7) Germany
6) USA
5) Russia
4) Finland
3) Sweden
2) Canada
1) Czech Republic

The Czechs will win as Hasek doesn't have to play every game in the round robin as Vokun can pick up some of the goaltending, but in the elimination with one game on the line.. who would you rather have in net. Canada gets the nod in second as they have the only other guy who you'd want in net in an elimination game (Brodeur) but their defense is old... (The USA's defense is even older, and they don't have a proven money goaltender in net...)

you guys are crazy, canada will win the gold...defence is old? since when?
robyn regehr is crazy good, you guys probably just look at his stats...defensively he is unreal...also with the injuries it looks like the amazing rookie dion phaneuf will be added and hes 20!

...amazing rookie ... that would be Ovechkin not Phaneuf...

Canada's Defense, sorted by age:

Robin Regehr - 25
Wade Redden - 28
Ed Jovanovski - 29
Chris Pronger - 31
Scott Niedermeyer - 32
Adam Foote - 34
Rob Blake - 36

Not the oldest defensive group by any means (the USA is much older) but when it gets to be deep in the tourney, will the legs be there to keep up with Sweden and Czech Republic's forwards... I think they can get past the Swedes, but the Czechs have too much up front (and are strong in back, too)

They're both amazing... Phaneuf had the misfortune of being born the same year as Ovechkin and a year ahead of Crosby, otherwise he'd be a shoe-in for the Calder trophy

Canadians hopefully will pull it off

I'm pretty much one sided... but i think canada got a good chance ;)

niedermeyer and pronger will never have tired legs...niedermeyer, at 32, is STILL the best skater in the tourney

pronger ???? maybe 5 years ago...
who you kidding... remember is wide ice. pronger will be USELESS !!!

Niedermeyer is a great skater, but is he the best still? There are a bunch of great skaters in this tourney. The teams that get to the medal games will play 8 games (5 in the round robin, then three in the eliminations). The Men's hockey tourney begins on the 15th of Feb and completes on the 26th, meaning these teams will play 8 games in 12 days... guys like Pronger, Foote and Niedermeyer will have a rough go of it.

And despite that, I think Canada can get to the final game... the USA is in much worse shape with an older defense and no proven money goaltending (Canada's saving grace will be Martin Brodeur...if they make sure that Luongo and Turco get some playing time...) The one thing that the Czechs have that they didn't really have in 2002 was a quality #2 goalie... with Vokun on the roster, Hasek will be able to take a break...

I predict it is boring

Oh, and to show the USA being at a big disadvantage on D:

Leopold - 25
Liles - 25
Rafalski - 32
Hatcher - 33
Miller - 34
Schneider - 36
Chelios - 44 (Really!)

They *should* get to the quarterfinals, but once they get there, there'll be no gas left in the tank...

Oh, and the youngest forward on Team USA is Scott Gomez, who is 25...most of the forwards are over 30. When the quarterfinals come up, it'll be the 6th game the USA players will have played in 8 days...

Ovechkin is going to be 3-rd line forward..
Scary...
1-st line is
Kovalev-Datsuyk- Kovalchuk

Russia all they way.
Take that to the bank baby.

You're placing Canada at 4th? My money is on them taking 1st or 2nd.

SWEDEN - What else?

http://www.kavelbro.skovde.se/hr/svensk%20flagga.gif



Oh, if we dont fuck it up.....:Oh crap


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I think its really hard to say.. especially with the big ice + the new NHL rules.

when was the last time you didnt buck it up?

Canada....!

fuck the analysis....

eveyone was agreeing on the fact that Russia would beat our ass in the Junior hockey tournament a month ago...we still won 5-0....

1)Canada
2)Czech
3)Russia

Well Tommy Salo is no where to be found... the question for the Swedes is whether Lundqvist is ready to handle the pressure. Consideirng he plays for the New York Rangers and there's all sorts of pressure there, he'll probably do very well. I figure the Swedes will get to the semis, lose to Canada or the Czechs and then win the bronze beating the Finns. However, if they match up with Canada or the USA in the semis, they could make it to the gold medal game (the USA and Canada teams are going to be hurting come the medal rounds...)

Another debate issue: Which teams have the best goaltending... my top 5:

1) Czech Republic
2) Canada
3) Switzerland
4) Finland
5) USA

And before wonder about Switzerland, remember, they have 2 NHL starting goaltenders in Aebischer and Gerber, both of whom start for good hockey teams...

I'm gonna have to go with my homies and say CZE!

Anyone pretending that Canada isn't coming home with at least the bronze is just wrong...! Mark my words :Graucho

Canadian domination. Plain and simple.

AHAHAHAHAHA

I'm betting:
Sweden
Canada
Czech Republic
Russia

HAHAHAHHAHAHA thats a good joke. No seriously.

Canada will win. End of story. We're even going to win that handicapped hockey thing on the sleds

Even if half the Canadian team gets Bird Flu they'll still win...LOL

Czech's then Canada, Russia.

Colorado is good a good team? Hmmmm

how many had flu in Nagano?

@CAMOKAT -> same amount as in SLC :).. worked out nice the last time around I'd say...

torino as far as I am concerned is a warm up for 2010.. Canada will bring down the house!

Canada WILL win gold, and finish top 5 in the medal standings...

thank you,

I have a feeling Czech will win it all, I hope russia does though

They're 9 games over .500 and in a playoff spot in the Western Conference. They're good. I didn't say they were great...

Sweden's goaltending is that good? They have some good goalies, but no one proven... I like Lundqvist, but he's never played on a stage like this...

Remember, my posting there was about goaltending. Aebischer and Gerber might steal enough games to get Switzerland to the knockout phase (they need to finish 4th in their group) but they're going home after that...

3 out of four, not that bad.... SWEDEN RULEZ!
:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup

Yeah, SWEDEN RULES !!!

Sweden earned that gold medal big time. They may not have been the best team, but when it mattered, they played the best. I'm glad a few of my guesses came out right (quick exit for USA, Swiss goaltending, Finns Powerplay being awesome...)

Interesting that the all tourney team included a non-medal winner for the first time since I can remember, it being Alex Ovechkin. Yeah, being a hockey fan here in DC isn't always great, but we do have one helluva reason to watch every night...

My money's on Russia.