The Official Olympic Hockey Thread

[Kovy27]

The Olympics are ~2 months away, and the rosters are going to start being announced within the next month.

Groupings:

A: Russia, US, Slovakia, Slovenia
B: Finland, Canada, Norway, Austria
C: Czech Rep, Sweden, Switzerland, Latvia

Looking at the projected rosters from various sites...

1. What country is the odds on favorite?
2. What country has a sleeper team?
3. What country is going to overachieve?
4. What country is going to underachieve?
5. Who are the top 4 (Gold - Silver - Bronze - 4th)?
6. That worst team in the Olympics will be?

My guesses:

1. Canada will be the favorite, just because it will be that way until the end of time.
2. Finland. I think their goaltending might be the best in the tournament with Rask, Lehtonen, Niemi, and Rinne (if healthy)
3. Swiss. Maybe they'll pull a huge upset.
4. Russia. Pressure is on boys. Lets see if you can actually handle the heat. They won't.
5. As much as I want to say US to win... Gold: Canada - Silver: US - Bronze: Finland - 4th: Sweden.
6. Slovenia - In a group with Russia, US, and Slovakia. That's going to hurt.

Changed #3. Thanks to MRandall for noticing my flaws.

[MRandall25]

Wouldn't an overachiever be more like a Switzerland or a Norway or a Latvia playing their way into the medal, as opposed to Sweden?

Sweden has the talent. It's going to be very hard for them to "overachieve". If anything, they'll likely underachieve. They *should* be #4 behind US, Canada, and Russia.

[Kovy27]

Well...yes, you'd be right. Way to hate! Haha.

[MRandall25]

I was just confused by your calling Sweden "overachievers" and then naming things that are wrong with them.

Typically, you're looking for good in an overachiever

[mikey287]

Great idea for a thread.

1. Canada - might be weak in net, but they're still clearly the best team out there on paper.
2. Finland - Love the goaltending choices they have. The defense might be a little thin. The Finns are historically weak down the middle too. But they're savvy.
3. Swiss - They play a great team game, they get the defensive side of things very well and they're definitely game. Teams that let them hang around will get burned.
4. Czechs/Slovaks - My advice: re-unite and see if you can field a competitive team at the junior and men's level.
5. Gold: Sweden; Silver: Canada; Bronze: USA; 4th: Russia
6. Austria - The Austrians will probably have a good deal of trouble. Maybe young Lars Volden (NOR) or Luka Gracnar (SLO) can keep their team alive...I can't think of who might be Austria's goalie off the top of my head...they're going to gave to score a ton with the Raffl's, Vanek, Grabner and Pock, and I'm not sure that can happen...

[pcm]

Not at all a nationalist, so I don't really care. But I'm going with

Gold: US
Silver: Russia
Bronze: Canada
4th: Finland

I think Canada gets upset by Russia or US in the semifinals. Russia crumbles in the gold medal game though.

[Idoit40fans]

1. What country is the odds on favorite? Canada
2. What country has a sleeper team? - Ehh...Swiss might steal there way further than expected, they locked down last time around
3. What country is going to overachieve?Ehh...Swiss might steal there way further than expected, they locked down last time around
4. What country is going to underachieve? Russia seems like a lock
5. Who are the top 4 (Gold - Silver - Bronze - 4th)? Canada, US, Sweden,
6. That worst team in the Olympics will be?Its easy to pick Slovenia, Austria, Latvia out of each group. I wouldn't be surprised if none of them won a game.

[Kovy27]

I was just confused by your calling Sweden "overachievers" and then naming things that are wrong with them.

Typically, you're looking for good in an overachiever

I hate the Sedins.

[pcm]

Are you Sedinistic?

[mikey287]

You're a raaaaaging anti-Sedite!

[meow]

Next, you'll be saying they should have their own schools.

[Kovy27]

You're a raaaaaging anti-Sedite!

I openly admit...Yes, I am an anti-Sedinite. LOL

[mikey287]

Let's see some roster predictions, eh boys? I'm guessing most people won't be too, too familiar with the European teams because they're will be domestic players used in some instances, but it's worth a crack anyhow...at least USA/Canada predictions, thoughts, sleepers, etc. Go for it...

[Idoit40fans]

Ill do predictions for as many as i can tomorrow.

[MRandall25]

I'll attempt to when I get back to Pittsburgh tomorrow.

[meow]

I'll do an American team first and some others in the next few days. Line combos don't really mean anything at the moment.

Parise - Kesler - Kane
Top line wingers are no brainers. Top line center was surprisingly difficult to nail down.

Ryan - Pavelski - Kessel
This line had better score off the rush because I don't see them having great zone-time numbers.

Brown - Backes - van Riemsdyk
Probably the most physical line at the Olympics.

Pacioretty - Stastny - Callahan
This is sort of a catch all line. Patches deserves to go, but I don't really know where else to put him. Callahan also deserves to be there and is the player best suited for 4th line type duties.

Oshie and Stepan as extras. Want to take Galchenyuk, but just don't see bumping anyone else.


Onto the D:
Suter and McDonagh
These two could play half the game and I would feel totally comfortable with that.

Yandle and Carlson
I guess. Whatever with this pair. Meh-city.

Jones and Shattenkirk
I like both of their games. Shattenkirk will be dangerous on the big ice.

Bogosian and Justin Faulk are my extras. No real reason for either one. If Martin can get healthy in time, plug him into the starting 6 and leave Faulk at home.

In net, this was actually a big tougher than I had originally thought.
Quick
Miller
Bishop
You wanna talk about someone playing their way onto the team - Ben friggin' Bishop. I was torn between him and Schneider, but I gave it to Bishop.

I don't buy into the thought that you need faster players for the big ice. I feel that the more composed and deliberate players do better - the details guys and puck possession guys thrive. The big ice means puck possession is at a premium. It is much more difficult to get the puck back on the big ice, so taking care of it when you have it is a must.

[MRandall25]

I don't really know enough to do lines (because I was going to have an American KKK line of Kessel-Kesler-Kane ), so I'm going to just list players. Operating under the assumption that teams will take 14 skaters, 8 D, and 3 goalies. Players listed in no particular order.

USA

Forwards: Zach Parise, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, Paul Stastny, Bobby Ryan, Joe Pavelski, Dustin Brown, David Backes, T.J. Oshie, JVR, Alex Galchenyuk, Max Pacioretty, Ryan Callahan

Defense: Kevin Shattenkirk, Erik Johnson, Dustin Byfuglien (they took Ryan Whitney last time. Gotta have 1 lame duck), Ryan Suter, Ryan McDonough, Keith Yandle, Paul Martin (if healthy), John Carlson, Jack Johnson (if Paul Martin can't go).

Goalies: Jonathan Quick (if healthy), Ben Bishop, Ryan Miller, Cory Schneider (if Quick can't go).

Canada

Forwards: Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Jonathan Toews, Matt Duchene, Taylor Hall, Eric Staal, Mike Richards, Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Patrice Bergeron, Patrick Sharp, Claude Giroux, Jeff Carter

Defense: Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, PK Subban, Drew Doughty, Dan Boyle, Jay Bouwmeester, Alex Pietrangelo, Travis Hamonic (this may sound odd, but you cannot overlook his shutting down of Crosby/Malkin in the playoffs)

Goalies: Carey Price, Roberto Luongo, Marc-Andre Fleury (yes, sounds like a homer pick, but I don't think Crawford, Holtby, or Smith are good picks this year)

More to come, just want to see the format.

[MRandall25]

Rsusia

Forwards: Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk, Viktor Tikhonov, Alexander Perezhogin, Vadim Shipachev, Nail Yakupov, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alexander Radulov, Valeri Nichushkin, Vladimir Tarasenko, Artem Anisimov, Alexander Semin (if healthy, out w/ a concussion right now)

Defense: Sergei Gonchar, Andrei Markov, Ilya Nikulin, Evgeny Medvedev, Fedor Tyutin, Slava Voynov, Evgeny Biryukov, Alexei Emelin

Goalies: Sergei Bobrovsky (probably a homer pick, also may not be 100%), Konstantin Barulin, Semyon Varlamov, Vasily Koschechkin (if Bobrovsky is out)

Sweden

Forwards: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Nicklas Backstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Alexander Steen, Gabriel Landeskog, Patric Hornqvist, Johan Franzen, Loui Eriksson (if healthy), Patrik Berglund, Gustav Nyqvist, Jimmie Ericsson, Viktor Arvidsson, Carl Hagelin

Defense: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Kronwall, Victor Hedman, Jonathan Ericsson, Alexander Edler, Jonas Brodin, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Erik Karlsson (I almost looked over him)

Goalies: Henrik Lundqvist, Robin Lehner, Jhonas Enroth.

Going to stop there for today. Will probably do my Finland and Czech Republic rosters tomorrow.

[Kovy27]

USA:

Forwards: Parise - Kesler - Kane ... JVR - Pavelski - Kessel ... D. Brown - Backes - Ryan ... Dubinsky - Stastny - Callahan ... Pominville, Saad, Galchenyuk
Defensemen: Ryan Suter - Jack Johnson ... McDonagh - Yandle ... Shattenkirk - Faulk/Bogosian/Martin/S. Jones
Goalies: Quick - Miller - Bishop/Schneider. I think it will be Schneider, but Bishop has played amazing.

Canada:

Forwards: Kunitz - Crosby - Stamkos (if ready, if not St. Louis) ... Tavares - Toews - St. Louis (Rick Nash) ... Benn - Getzlaf - Perry ... Sharp - Bergeron - Couture ... E. Staal, Nash*, Duchene
Defensemen: Keith - Seabrook ... Bouwmeester - Pietrangelo ... Doughty - Phaneuf (don't be surprised) ... Subban, Vlasic, Letang
Goaltenders: Luongo - Price - Fleury

Finland (Go Fins!):

Forwards: M. Koivu, S. Koivu, Selanne, O. Jokinen, J. Jokinen, Filppula, Barkov, T. Ruutu, Granlund, Hagman, Bergenheim, Korpikoski, Pesonen
Defense: Lydman, Pitkanen, Timonen, O. Maatta, Salo, Vaanenen, Vatanen, Ristolainen
Goalies: Rask, Lehtonen, Rinne/Niemi

[mikey287]

Look at MR, bringing in some domestic players...way to go!

I'm going to take some stabs later tonight probably...

[MRandall25]

I may or may not have looked up camp rosters to help me out.

I also just assumed Stamkos wasn't going to be ready, so I left him off.

[Kovy27]

I may or may not have looked up camp rosters to help me out.

I also just assumed Stamkos wasn't going to be ready, so I left him off.

You know what happens when you assume.

I also looked at the camp rosters.

[mikey287]

Team USA

Parise-Stepan-Kessel (Kessel carries, Parise drives the net, Stepan picks up the shot when Kessel misses wide - lot of speed on the wings, lot of smarts in the middle)
vanRiemsdyk-Pavelski-Kane (playmaking winger, heady centerman, net-front presence)
Ryan-Kesler-Oshie (skill again, responsible center - heavy players here)
Pacioretty-Backes-Brown (grime. oh my God, yes, the grime. Straight filth...establish the cycle, then watch the bodies pile up.)
Galchenyuk
Pominville (I should probably bring an extra center, silly to bring two extra wingers...maybe Stastny)

Suter-Trouba
McDonagh-Martin
Fowler-Carlson
J.Johnson
E.Johnson (that was tough, no Yandle, no Faulk...? That doesn't sound like me...maybe if PM can't go, we go with Faulk there...hell, no Shattenkirk either? I don't know mikey...that doesn't too good...I figure we're gonna cycle a lot, get our filth game going, so we're gonna need guys that can handle that...I think I found guys that can do that...)

Quick (if healthy)
Miller
Schneider

[Idoit40fans]

I love the makeup of those lines. Especially when thise bottom two lines end up playing more than the top lines against the 2nd tier teams.

[meow]

I think we can all agree a Brown-Backes-Whoever line would be no fun to play against.