The Official Olympic Hockey Thread

[Idoit40fans]

Id take the 2010 canada team every time no question. Best team ever assembled.

[dodint]

Ah, gotcha. Being 34 years apart and the Miracle team being amateurs I figured that was enough separation. For the reasons you stated I'd like to see who they could beat head to head in the regular season, but they wouldn't make the playoffs.

I see this mental exercise used in football a lot. Could the 1970s Steelers beat the 2000 decade Steelers, and stuff like that. My thoughts here are about the same despite the huge differences between the sports. I don't think any team 20 years behind any other team would have a shot at all head to head, and only the top four teams above would even sniff at the Conference Finals in your scenario. It comes down to sports physiology for me, fitness is just too specialized now and these athletes are just too highly tuned. Most of these teams would step out of the time machine and be obliterated.

[toby91_ca]

Really is the Golden Generation for Canada. Especially for Crosby, Weber, Bergeron, Getzlaf and Perry. Together they have won 2 Olympic gold medals and the 2005 World Jrs.

Tough to compete with Scott Neidermayer though:

- 4 Stanley Cups
- 2 Olympic Gold Medals
- 1 World Junior Gold Medal
- 1 World Championship Gold Medal
- 1 World Cup of Hockey Gold Medal

Only thing missing is Memorial Cup, which his team made it to but didn't win (WHL champions though).

[superconan]

Tough to compete with Scott Neidermayer though:

- 4 Stanley Cups
- 2 Olympic Gold Medals
- 1 World Junior Gold Medal
- 1 World Championship Gold Medal
- 1 World Cup of Hockey Gold Medal

Only thing missing is Memorial Cup, which his team made it to but didn't win (WHL champions though).

Not my point. 2005 World Jrs was very special with the NHL lockout, the 2010 Olympics was of course in Canada, then the gold in 2014 in Russia on the big ice completing the back to back. Crosby, Weber, Bergeron, Getzlaf and Perry all played on these teams.

[Dan H]

Ah, gotcha. Being 34 years apart and the Miracle team being amateurs I figured that was enough separation. For the reasons you stated I'd like to see who they could beat head to head in the regular season, but they wouldn't make the playoffs.

I see this mental exercise used in football a lot. Could the 1970s Steelers beat the 2000 decade Steelers, and stuff like that. My thoughts here are about the same despite the huge differences between the sports. I don't think any team 20 years behind any other team would have a shot at all head to head, and only the top four teams above would even sniff at the Conference Finals in your scenario. It comes down to sports physiology for me, fitness is just too specialized now and these athletes are just too highly tuned. Most of these teams would step out of the time machine and be obliterated.

Maybe so. I wouldn't bet against the 1970s Soviets or Habs, the 1980s Oilers, or 90s Pens, though. Mario Lemieux could still tear up the NHL 10 years ago when he could stay healthy; his skill more than made up any 20 year advantage in youth and conditioning. But what I'm most curious about is where the Olympic squads circa 1998-2014 would fall into the pack. I would guess they would almost uniformly be near the top of our dream league.

[tifosi77]

The team Canada iced for the 1987 Canada Cup remains the single most impressive collection of hockey talent the world has ever seen, imo. Remember: Patrick Roy, Steve Yzerman and Cam Neely did not make this roster. Yes, the '76 team had more HOFers (I think 15 or 16 out of 24).... but '87 was both Gretz and Lemieux at the height of their skill, and I'll take that over 70s hockey any day of the week.

And I am part of the sentimental crowd that considers the '87 Canada Cup to be the greatest hockey tournament of all time.

[Tico Rick]

I agree, tifosi. It was epic in the true sense of the word.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

I'm not terribly knowledgeable about the coach selection process for the Olympics (particularly Canada's) but how come Quenneville wasn't even an assistant?

I'd go as far as to call him the best coach in the league right now.

[tfrizz]

I'm not terribly knowledgeable about the coach selection process for the Olympics (particularly Canada's) but how come Quenneville wasn't even an assistant?

I'd go as far as to call him the best coach in the league right now.

They brought back (basically) the same coaching staff they had in 2010.

Head Coach: Mike Babcock
Assistants: Ken Hitchcock, Lindy Ruff, Jacques Lemaire, Claude Julien

[Idoit40fans]

Also, if you would say Quenneville is the best, who is his competition. Assuming the answer, I think Canada was fine.

[SolidSnake]

One good thing that team USA did

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/u-s--men-s ... 57523.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[penny lane]

Just read that carey price is out 2 games with an injury(owie). he played hurt over the weekend.
I wanted another Flower v Price duel tomorrow.

[Dejan Kovacevic]

Dejan Kovacevic ‏@Dejan_Kovacevic
Bronze-medal games are pretty stupid. Figure out a tiebreaker, and let them go home. Seriously, who cares who finishes third?

Not sure if serious.

My hatred for everythig about that guy is well documented. That being said, im not watching the game.

Sorry you feel that way, man. Nobody agrees with everything anyone writes, but I'd sure hope you wouldn't hate over it.

[Dejan Kovacevic]

Am I a jerk for gettig tired of seeing that TJ Oshie quote about the real heroes are wearing camo? The game ended 12 hrs ago, were all aware he said it yet I'm seeing it posted and retweeted still by the minute

Honestly, it surprised the hell out of me, as well. I didn't think it was that big a deal. There were about four of us talking to him at the end of a long media session, and I'd pretty much gotten done when he said that. Reached down for the phone while still there -- wifi was precious in Sochi -- and tweeted it, thinking maybe a handful of hockey fans in Pittsburgh would find it interesting and to show a little respect for the military.

I got to the cafeteria area -- OK, McDonald's -- and looked down to see it had like 500 RTs in five minutes. I think it's about 2,200 now.

Really, you had to be there to hear it was no big deal. It's not like Oshie waited for pianos and violins before speaking. Just a really simple answer.

[Dejan Kovacevic]

Dejan Kovacevic ‏@Dejan_Kovacevic
So this is interesting: Orpik, Martin both told me they're expecting to be paired vs. Russia. Bylsma declines to confirm. #TeamUSA

What's "interesting" about it?

The ONLY thing I thought was interesting was that they were split upon arrival, and it actually looked like Orpik might stay a seventh D in the tournament. The idea of them being paired specifically to face Malkin-Ovechkin kind of lent a little light as to why Orpik made the team in the first place.

No picnic getting that into 140, so I kind of rely on Pittsburgh hockey fans to know their hockey.

[mikey287]

This is the most confusing of all of Mark Madden's usernames I think...

Spoiler:

Welcome aboard, Dejan, if that's - in fact - you.

[Kovy27]

What the hell is going on in this thread?!

[meecrofilm]

This is the most confusing of all of Mark Madden's usernames I think...

[Kovy27]

Dejan Kovacevic ‏@Dejan_Kovacevic
Bronze-medal games are pretty stupid. Figure out a tiebreaker, and let them go home. Seriously, who cares who finishes third?

Not sure if serious.

My hatred for everythig about that guy is well documented. That being said, im not watching the game.

Sorry you feel that way, man. Nobody agrees with everything anyone writes, but I'd sure hope you wouldn't hate over it.

If you'd stop trying to be Andrew Filliponi and go back to the old Dejan (if this is you)...you'd be fine. This negative attitude you developed when you became the big wig at the Trib is just annoying. The Trib called me and asked if I wanted to subscribe to the paper, I told them that the Sports Dept was terrible..so that's a no.

[Idoit40fans]

Its certainly not the content of what is written that brings on disdain, though that is lacking as well. Its the intolerable tone it takes. Assuming this is actually DK, i'm going to now ignored them.

[Dejan Kovacevic]

To Kovy and Idoit: I'd welcome hearing anything related to specifics about negativity or tone. Columns by their very nature are opinion. They're actually required to be that. If you want me to "go back to" being a beat writer, that's one thing. That won't happen, obviously. This is a different role. So I'd love to hear what you mean, assuming you're being serious.

[Durbano]

DK, what a treat to see you posting here. Really enjoy your work.

Don't mind Kovy -- he's still bitter about not getting on the ice in the last minute of game 7 vs. Tampa.