Team Russia

[columbia]

I think this goes here....


[youtube][/youtube]

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

What a terrible game by the Russians. They're significantly worse than everyone thought going into the tourney.

[tifosi77]

They played exactly as I expected them to play..... and, if they bring back many of the same NHLers to Korea in 2018, it probably how I will expect them to play there, too.

[pcm]

Yeah I mean most people probably consider Russia and Finland as a toss up for the 4th best team. While folks were thinking Russia would step it up in Sochi to earn a medal, turns out they played to their rankings.

[sniper]

I expected a 5th place finish out of them. They managed to be worse than that and look completely awful offensively in the process, which I can't say I did expect. Their compete level was absolutely pathetic and their d-men possess no offensive talent at all. That or their coach told them not to attempt anything. Either way that was pathetic.

[Idoit40fans]

I expected a 5th place finish out of them. They managed to be worse than that and look completely awful offensively in the process, which I can't say I did expect. Their compete level was absolutely pathetic and their d-men possess no offensive talent at all. That or their coach told them not to attempt anything. Either way that was pathetic.

Yeah I look at the 4 teams playing for the medal games and they're the 4 best teams. Russia is right there with the Czechs, Slovaks, Swiss.

[Kovy27]

Bilyaletdinov threw Ovechkin under the bus, suggesting the most famous hockey player in Russia was far more valuable to the Washington Capitals than his national team.

http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_251 ... sia-hockey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tifosi77]

While folks were thinking Russia would step it up in Sochi to earn a medal, turns out they played to their rankings.

If only...... their IIHF ranking pre-Olympics was #3, just a few points behind Finland. And at the end of 2012 they were ranked #1. At its core, Russia has a fantastic international hockey program.

But supplement that core with NHL and KHL players and....... well.......

[pcm]

Yes, and Canada was ranked #5 and the US #6, which goes to show you those rankings are worthless, as they have nothing to do with the teams actually fielded.

[shmenguin]

Those rankings must be based on players who aren't in the NHL.

[shmenguin]

I looked it up...the rankings are based on world championship results and olympic results.

Go take a gander at the world championship wiki pages to see how silly of a metric that is. And by the way, the rankings are about to get turned upside down after Sochi because the only tournament where the grown ups send their best players is happening.

[tifosi77]

Those rankings must be based on players who aren't in the NHL.

Which is exactly my point.

[llipgh2]

As if things couldn't get worse for Ovi...

His dad had heart surgery after an apparent heart attack. Family hid the news from him until after yesterday's game.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hoc ... art-attack

[shmenguin]

Those rankings must be based on players who aren't in the NHL.

Which is exactly my point.

then i don't understand your point unless it's that the russians have the best 2nd class players in the world.

[penny lane]

That's a shame about Ovechkin's Dad. The head coach was wrong... again... in targeting Ovechkin in the post game yesterday. The loss was total team. Alex was the only russian player who talked with reporters after the loss. I respect him for being available.

[tifosi77]

Those rankings must be based on players who aren't in the NHL.

Which is exactly my point.

then i don't understand your point unless it's that the russians have the best 2nd class players in the world.

The point is the NHL players are schmendricks, and can't play together. I would assert that Russia would be more competitive in an Olympic tournament icing the team that eared the IIHF ranking (sans-pros) than they are putting a team together full of players who don't really seem to want to play well for Russia.

[sniper]

That's a shame about Ovechkin's Dad. The head coach was wrong... again... in targeting Ovechkin in the post game yesterday. The loss was total team. Alex was the only russian player who talked with reporters after the loss. I respect him for being available.

Pretty sure Datsyuk did as well. Would expect that to be the case since he was the captain.

[Staggy]

Those rankings must be based on players who aren't in the NHL.

Which is exactly my point.

then i don't understand your point unless it's that the russians have the best 2nd class players in the world.

The point is the NHL players are schmendricks, and can't play together. I would assert that Russia would be more competitive in an Olympic tournament icing the team that eared the IIHF ranking (sans-pros) than they are putting a team together full of players who don't really seem to want to play well for Russia.

If the USA played a Russian team with no NHLers they would have beat them 8-0, assuming they let off in the third period, instead of the 3-2 shootout win they just earned. Russia has about the 4th or 5th best roster, which is where they've finished the last two Olympics. The Russian teams with no NHLers look good because they're playing against other teams with no NHLers and less KHLers.

[Gaucho]

Those rankings must be based on players who aren't in the NHL.

Which is exactly my point.

then i don't understand your point unless it's that the russians have the best 2nd class players in the world.

The point is the NHL players are schmendricks, and can't play together. I would assert that Russia would be more competitive in an Olympic tournament icing the team that eared the IIHF ranking (sans-pros) than they are putting a team together full of players who don't really seem to want to play well for Russia.

If the USA played a Russian team with no NHLers they would have beat them 8-0, assuming they let off in the third period, instead of the 3-2 shootout win they just earned. Russia has about the 4th or 5th best roster, which is where they've finished the last two Olympics. The Russian teams with no NHLers look good because they're playing against other teams with no NHLers and less KHLers.

Nonsense. They'd at least be playing as a team and thus probably fare better than the group they had in Sochi.

[shmenguin]

They'd get killed

[bh]

It would be really interesting to see, but can you imagine the backlash if they did cut out the NHL'ers and the results were worse?! It would be an experiment and I could see it going either way.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

At its core, Russia has a fantastic international hockey program.

But supplement that core with NHL and KHL players and....... well.......

I agree with this. I think Russia has the best skill players in the world (Geno, Ovie, Datsyuk) but their bottom 12 are just so bad.