[NHL] - Season 2005/2006 - Deel 4

Canada heeft natuurlijk veruit het sterkste team op papier. Traditioneel heeft Canada het moeilijk tegen de Tsjechen, die met Hasek en Vokoun natuurlijk 2 geweldige goalies hebben. Ze hebben wel een zwakke defense. Maar goed mogelijke teams:
Tsjechie

Hasek, Vokoun
Defense:
Tomas Kaberle - Roman Hamrlik
Pavel Kubina - Jaroslav Spacek
Marek Zidlicky - Kuba, Slegr, Kaberle F., Modry.

Offense:
Havlat - Straka - Jagr
Elias - Lang - Hejduk
Rucinsky - Prospal - Dvorak
Cajanek - Vyborny - Hemsky

USA:

Forwards:
Tkachuk-Modano-Guerin
Knuble-Weight-Amonte
Cole-Gomez-Gionta
Rolston-Conroy-Blake

Defense:
Leetch-Leopold
Schneider-Liles
Gleason-Miller
Rafalski-Martin

Goaltenders:
DiPietro
Esche
Grahame

Finland:

Forwards:
Jere Lehtinen-Saku Koivu-Teemu Selänne
Sami Kapanen-Olli Jokinen-Tuomo Ruutu
Antti Miettinen-Niko Kapanen-Jussi Jokinen
Ville Nieminen-Mikko Koivu-Antti Laaksonen
Tony Salmelainen

Defense:
Sami Salo-Kimmo Timonen
Teppo Numminen-Joni Pitkänen
Toni Lydman-Janne Niinimaa
Aki Berg

Goalies:
Miikka Kiprusoff
Kari Lehtonen
Jussi Markkanen

Rusland:

Offense:
Kovalchuk-Yashin-Sushinsky
Samsonov-Datsyuk-Kovalev
Ovechkin-Malkin-Morozov
Frolov-Federov-Kharitonov
Extra: Viktor Kozlov (Zvinovjev)

Defense:
Zubov-A.Markov
Gonchar-Tyutin
D.Markov-Zhitnik
Tverdovsky (Zyuzin)

Goalies:
Khabibulin
Nabokov
Sokolov

Canada:

Offense:
Gagne-Sakic-Iginla
Staal-Thornton-Bertuzzi
Heatley-Spezza-Nash
Lemieux-Lecavalier-Richards

Defense:
Niedermeyer-Pronger
Blake-Foote
Jovanovski-Redden

Goalies:
Brodeur
Luongo

Sverige:

Offense:
Holmström - Sundin - Alfredsson
Näslund - Forsberg - Samuelsson
Zetterberg - Jönsson - Modin
Axelsson - Påhlsson - Nilson
(Hedström or Ekman)
Defense:
Lidström - Norström
K. Johnsson - Ragnarsson
Kronwall - Öhlund
(Bäckman 7th and Kenny 8th)

Goalies:
Henrik Lundqvist
Mikael Tellqvist
Johan Hedberg

Bij Zweden ontbreken in deze line-up onder andere Nylander en de Sedins. Wat betreft de forwards zitten ze wel goed. De defense is niet al te best. Maar het zwakke punt van Zweden, de goalies, kan door de komst van Lundqvist wellicht eindelijk eens voor langere tijd opgelost worden.

Wat een sterke teams allemaal.

Grand Rapids Griffin Jiri Hudler heeft z'n eerste speelminuten al te pakken voor Detroit, misschien net op tijd voor nog een selectie voor Tjsechie.

Ik heb net de OT en Penalty shoot-out van Philly en Cal zitten kijken en dat was de moeite waard.

Waar is Jorgen Johnsson JRZweeds?

quote:

Op woensdag 7 december 2005 04:34 schreef fernando_redondo het volgende:
Ik heb net de OT en Penalty shoot-out van Philly en Cal zitten kijken en dat was de moeite waard.

Waar is Jorgen Johnsson JRZweeds?

Hier staat hij:

Zetterberg - Jönsson - Modin

Er zullen ongetwijfeld nog spelers niet genoemd zijn, die toch deel zullen uitmaken van de selecties.
Zo speelt Ragnarsson nu bij Almtuna in de Zweedse 2e divisie en is Kronwwall gebleseerd. Beide zijn dus onzeker. Verder is de aanwezigheid van Jönsson ook twijfelachtig. Kan hij het nog? Hij is natuurlijk wel de leider samen met Sundin, maar er wordt getwijfeld of hij het niveau nog wel aan kan. Verder is het natuurlijk nog maar de vraag of je echt een checking line zou moeten gebruiken. Indien je die niet gebruikt heb je een extra plaatsen over voor de Sedins, Steen of Nylander.

Tenslotte heeft de coach van Zweden altijd gezegd dat er ongeveer 5 spelers uit de Zweedse competities bij zouden zitten. Vind dat zelf nogal dubieus. Die kunnen het niveau gewoon niet aan, hoewel wanneer je die ongeveer 5 als 4 ziet en daarbij Ragnarsson', Jönsson, Liv/Salo en nog een 4e selecteert het allemaal nog wel meevalt.

Yzerman gaat misschien ook nog mee naar de OS hoorde ik gisteren bij ESPN.

Zeker niet en hij heeft er ook niks te zoeken.

Ik had niet anders van je verwacht.

Raar dat Brodeur daar anders over denkt, maar die heeft er ook geen verstand van.

Kan prima mee voor wat minuten, een paar punten, als 'coach' en als toekomstig Hall of Famer.

Red Wings winnen makkelijk met 5-2, o.a. een prachtige goal van Steve S.

Shanahan now 15th all-time in goals scored

De 5e center van Canada heeft 28 punten, Steve Y 9

Ik als Detroit-fan en Yzerman-fan vind ook eerlijk gezegd dat hij in elk geval niet bij de eerste 4 lijnen moet zitten. Hij moet echter wel mee. Als stand-in voor een geblesseerde en om de coach te assisteren. En natuurlijk om Canada naar het goud te leiden. Gezien het team wat hierboven geplaatst is door JZweeds moet dat geen probleem zijn, Lemieux-Lecavalier-Richards in de vierde lijn is meer dan een luxe-probleem!

Ik zie nu op TSN.ca/nhl dat Stevie Y zich heeft teruggetrokken en niet meegaat... Zonde, maar logische keuze!

Ik ga in april voor het eerst een NHL wedstrijd bijwonen trouwens. Ik denk dat het de Rangers vs Senators wordt, laatste wedstrijd van het reguliere seizoen. En anders wellicht Islanders vs Flyers... Ach ja, het maakt me niet eens zo heel veel uit, mooi om mee te maken is het in elk geval!

Denk trouwens zelf niet dat Lemieux zal gaan. Hij ligt nu in het ziekenhuis en hij heeft dit seizoen ook al niet geweldig gepresteerd.

Ga zelf in maart weer naar Zweden en zal daar weer enkele Elitserien games mee pikken.

Avalanche wint met 4-1 van Boston

Flames - Flyers was de allereerste 0-0 gevolgd door een shoot-out in de historie van de NHL.

Rangers verliezen in OT van Chicago. Een goede Lundqvist redt ze weer, maar een werkelijk fenomenale Khabibulin en een dramatische PP van de Rangers zorgen ervoor dat het toch maar bij 1 punt blijft.

Jzweeds, die OS selecties, waar heb je die vandaan?

Voor zover ik het begreep heeftie ze zelf verzonnen...

Topscorers per vandaag:
Vorige week, naam, team, gespeelde wedstrijden, goals, assists, punten, plus-minus



Weg uit de lijst zijn:

Demitra (5), die 12e staat met 36 punten
Prospal (8), die 13e staat met 35 punten

Nieuw zijn Savard en Kovalchuk, beiden van Atlanta, ondanks dat ze beiden in de laatste vier wedstrijden maar 1 punt aan konden tekenen...

Kovalchuk heeft een behoorlijk aantal wedstrijden gemist d.m.v. contract perikelen, die gaat nog behoorlijk stijgen.

Dat dacht ik ook ja, maar het zijn feitelijk maar 3 wedstrijden geweest... 36 uit 26 is in deze top 10 het op 2 na laagste gemiddelde... Het is dus maar de vraag. Bij een beter team zou Ilya echter wel stijgen. Zou wat zijn als ze hem konden halen in Detroit als er een aantal spelers stopt. Mijn favoriete speler bij mijn favoriete team. Zie het niet snel gebeuren, maar goed, zou leuk zijn

3 maar?

Dacht dat het er een stuk of 6 waren.

Geweldige speler inderdaad. Jammer dat Atlanta's goallie Lehtonen nog steeds niet fit is, ook een supertalent.

Ja maar 3, da's niet veel. Maar hij was niet warmgedraaid in het team tijdens het pre-season. Dat resulteerde ook nog in slechts 2 punten in de eerste 5 wedstrijden... Dus hij zal nog wel wat stijgen denk ik. En Lehtonen mag er ook zijn ja

Avalanche wint na een shoot out met 4-3 van de Devils

Lehtonen redt het toch niet tegen Lundqvist. Forsberg 5 games minder en 3 pt meer dan Kovalchuk.

Waren er nog meer vechtpartijen

JR gaat niet mee naar Turijn. Toch wel opvallend

quote:

Op zaterdag 10 december 2005 17:59 schreef JZweeds het volgende:
Lehtonen redt het toch niet tegen Lundqvist. Forsberg 5 games minder en 3 pt meer dan Kovalchuk.

Ook niet zo gek, Lehtonen heeft dit seizoen nog maar 1 wedstrijd in de goal gestaan vanwege een blessure.

't Blijft een groot talent.

Topper.

Flames-Sens gaat nog wel uit de hand lopen omdat er veel te veel high sticks zijn

Wings winnen met 3-1 van Pittsburgh.

Jiri Fischer heeft vandaag gezegd dat ie waarschijnlijk nooit meer zal spelen.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 december 2005 05:26 schreef popolon het volgende:
Wings winnen met 3-1 van Pittsburgh.

Jiri Fischer heeft vandaag gezegd dat ie waarschijnlijk nooit meer zal spelen.

Was een goede speler die nog niet aan zijn volle potentieel zat. Zoiets gun je niemand, en als het dan toch moet had ik liever een van de veteranen gehad, die hebben al zoveel moois achter de rug...

Oh en JZweeds, Forsberg heeft inderdaad een beter gemiddelde dan Kovalchuk... Hij heeft een beter gemiddelde dan wie dan ook...

Overigens staat hier iets heel anders Popolon...

Wings weer getroffen door persoonlijk drama.

Het zou mooi zijn als ze weer de Stanley Cup winnen en hem opdragen aan Fischer, zoals in 1998 aan Vladimir Konstantinov.

Lemieux ook niet naar Turijn.

De Zweedse kern bezorgt de Wings weer een overwinning.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 december 2005 10:29 schreef WasQ het volgende:
Overigens staat hier iets heel anders Popolon...

Ja sorry, maar artsen vinden het niet echt verstandig.

Er stond ook 'waarschijnlijk'.

Ik zie het niet zo snel meer gebeuren.

Wel apart, een hockeyspeler in diepe tranen.

Het zou niet de meest verstandige zet zijn om weer te beginnen inderdaad, maar uit wat ik over Fischer heb begrepen, leeft hij voor het ijshockey, en dus heeft hij zonder ijshockey geen leven meer. Ik denk dat hij over een poosje weer op de ijsbanen te vinden is. Ik hoop op een stuk lager niveau, zodat hij zichzelf niet in gevaar brengt.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 december 2005 17:18 schreef WasQ het volgende:
Het zou niet de meest verstandige zet zijn om weer te beginnen inderdaad, maar uit wat ik over Fischer heb begrepen, leeft hij voor het ijshockey, en dus heeft hij zonder ijshockey geen leven meer. Ik denk dat hij over een poosje weer op de ijsbanen te vinden is. Ik hoop op een stuk lager niveau, zodat hij zichzelf niet in gevaar brengt.

Als echte sportman kan hij in mijn ogen beter op hoog niveau spelen. Ik kan me voorstellen dat hij zich op lager niveau niet kan inhouden en dan is er geen Colucci in de buurt... de Wings zouden hem eigenlijk richting een off-ice positie moeten proberen te sturen maar uiteindelijk is het aan Fischer. Ik hoop dat hij het leven los van de sport zoals hij er nu in zit kan zien.

edit:
Ik heb het nu wel over inhouden, maar zijn ineenstorten was een samenloop van omstandigheden. Hij moet een soort sensory overload hebben gekregen die tot zijn versnelde hartslag leidde en door zijn hartafwijking had dat bijna fatale gevolgen. Het heeft dan echter niets met jezelf inhouden te maken en staat in dat geval ook los van het niveau waarop hij speelt/speelde. Het is dan namelijk iets wat hem zomaar op straat ook zou kunnen overkomen.

Lundqvist halverwege de 1e periode al 12 shots moeten keren tegen de Canucks. Ik zie het somber in.

Forsberg heeft er al weer 1 inliggen tegen Columbus (1-1) en Detroit staat met 1-0 achter tegen Atlanta.

quote:

Op woensdag 14 december 2005 01:29 schreef JZweeds het volgende:
Detroit staat met 1-0 achter tegen Atlanta.

Datsyuk scoort net 1-1.

Mijn Fantasy team, met Lundqvist ook.



Sta netjes 3e van de 8 spelers.

En dat als NHL rookie!

Is bij meer mensen de Sopcast zo slecht?

Wat is Montreal toch een hEEEEErlijke ijshockeystad waar ik echt heel graag alleen naartoe wil voor het ijshockey

En Rue Saint-Catherines natuurlijk ook een beetje

Lees net dat Vancouvers goalie Cloutier er voor de rest van het seizoen uit ligt. Dit beteketn dat ze op zoek moeten naar een nieuwe goalie voor tijdens de play-offs. Die halen zo ook met Auld nog wel. Staan nu met 0-1 voor tegen de Rangers. Lundqvist 1-21 na nauwelijks 26 minuten.

edit: Rangers 1-1 Petr Prucha
Detroit 2-6. Dat wordt niets meer.
Flyers: 2-1

[ Bericht 14% gewijzigd door JZweeds op 14-12-2005 02:20:29 ]

4 maanden dus die is er weer voor de PO's

Overigens moeten ze zowiezo een andere keeper halen als ze ver willen komen in de PO. Want fivehole Cloutier zal ze niet ver brengen.

Ik zou voor Luongo gaan

Hoe willen ze die krijgen? Wat moet er in de richting van Florida gaan willen ze traden? Zeker nu Cloutier eruit ligt. Net van een zware blessure afkomend zal hij nog minder waarde hebben. En hoe willen ze met Luongo onder de salary cap blijven?

Zeker moeten ze sowieso van Cloutier af. In dat opzicht is dit natuurlijk een goede mogelijkheid om eindelijk eens een goalie aan te trekken die ze een stanley cup kan bezorgen. Het moet echt wel in de komende 3 jaar.

Bertuzzi

Een erg mooie post van iemand anders:

Alright people, in addition to being Kings fans, most if not all of us are Team USA fans as well. Team USA brass will be naming the Olympic Roster on December 19th although if there are any injuries you can name replacements up until the day the Olympics start. This is an interesting point in time for USA Hockey. The old guard is on their way out, and their are a lot of exciting young Americans coming through the ranks, but these players are really young and have little or no experiance at the senior level. So does Team USA start a youth movement or stick with the old guard one more time? I think they'll do a combination of both, but lets make this clear, in a single elimation tournament, anything can happen. The olympics shouldn't be used to groom young talent IMO. Any team can win, this is why I believe will still see a good mix of veterans named to the team even though this will be their last Olympics. Anyways this is what I think will see on December 19th.

Forward Lines

Keith Tkachuk-Mike Modano-Bill Guerin

Tkachuk is probably a surprise to some. I agree, at the start of the season there is no way he would be on my Olympic team, BUT since he's come back from being overweight/injuried, Tkachuk has been playing great hockey. 12 points in his last 4 games, last night against the Rangers he dominated almost every shift. He drove to the net hard, scored 2 goals and picked up an assist. Also keep in mind previous international experience, Tkachuk has delivered for the US every time he's put on the Red, White, and Blue sweater. 5 goals in the World Cup and 2 in the Olympics. If Keith Tkachuk is healthy he has to be on this team, his combination of size and skill is too impressive to pass up.

Mike Modano is a no brainer as the America's #1 center. After a disappointing season last go around, Modano has reverted back to his old self this season. 26 points in 27 games so far this year. Modano has the speed and skill to really excel on the international ice. Like Tkachuk, Modano steps up for America. 4 points in the World Championships, 6 assists in 5 games in the World Cup, and 6 assists in 6 games during the Olympics. Modano hasn't scored a ton of goals in the last 3 major tournaments, but on this line that won't be his role. Modano is 35, this might be his last Olympics so he'll be looking to make a big impact. Going into the year I was worried about the center position for Team USA, but with Modano's resurgence I'm not worried anymore.

To be honest, Guerin's play doesn't warrant selection to the team. He doesn't look motivated and in the Stars games I've watched, Guerin is invisible at times. With his size and skill, Guerin should be making an impact in every game he plays. Sometimes though you have to ignore numbers and pick a guy on talent. This is one of those times. Guerin has too much speed and skill to be left off this team. Hopefully the thought of playing for a Gold Medal will be enough to inspire him, because an inspired Bill Guerin is one of the top power forwards in the league.

Depending on which Bill Guerin shows up, this could be one of the best lines in Turin. I'm confident that Tkachuk will perform will in a US sweater, he always has, ditto for Modano. This line has a ton of speed and plenty of skill, With Modano feeding these 2 power forwards, they can have a field day against the small European defensive corps.

Erik Cole-Scott Gomez-Brian Gionta

Some might be surprised to see Cole in the top 6, but he's definitley has top 6 talent. Also with Peter Laviolette at the helm, I think Cole is pretty much a lock to be on the team. Cole plays a north and south game. He loves to hit and he loves to go to the net. He has good hands and he is solid at both ends of the ice. This will be Cole's first Olympics but he had 6 points(1G, 5A) in the World Championships so he has international experience.

Ever since breaking into the NHL in 1999, Gomez has been a solid NHL performer. One of the best passers in the league, Gomez has tremendous on ice vision and he's always near the top of the assist rankings. Gomez is a great skater and coming through the New Jersey ranks you know Gomez plays both ends of the ice. Gomez has a decent wrist whot, if he used it more he'd be able to hit 20 goals every season. This will also be Gomez's first trip to the Olympics, but he did perform well in the World Cup, 4 points(1G, 3A) in 5 games.

The feisty Gionta impressed with his play in the last World Championships and his play this season has warranted to selection to the team. Gionta's put up 17 goals and 13 assists in 28 games so far this year, at times he's been the best Devil on the ice. Despite his small stature, Gionta goes hard to the front of the net. On Devil powerplays, it's often Gionta screening the goalie. Gionta plenty fast and the international ice should suit his game.

This line features three players who were not on the Salt Lake team. So you start to see the roster turnover from the last go-around. Despite the lack of Olympic experience, all three do have international experience whether its the World Cup or World Championships. In addition, all 3 guys have been battle tested in the play-offs. Gomez and Gionta have their name in Lord Stanley's Cup and Cole played a prominent role in Carolina's cup run. Cole's role on the line will be to drive to the net and hit everything in sight. He'll have to work hard in front of the net and along the boards, he should thrive on pinpoint passes from Gomez and Gionta. Gomez will look to set up his wingers whenever possible, he'll need to have a big tournament for the US to succeed. Laviolette will hope Gionta's form carries over to Turin, he's been outstanding so far this year and he'll need to be for the US.

Mike Knuble-Doug Weight-Mark Parrish

Knuble has been putting up good numbers this year. 13 goals and 12 assists in 28 games. Throughout his career, Knuble has been known as a hard working, 2 way player, who excels on the PK and will occasionally chip in with some goals. Knuble though, can score in bunches when he plays with a great playmaker(Thornton, Forsberg). While Conroy is no Forsberg, he is a very solid passer. Knuble will win a ton of battles along the boards and he'll drive to the net. At the last World Championships, Knuble recorded 4 goals and 2 assists in 7 games.

I'm not the biggest Doug Weight fan in the world. If it were up to me, I'd have Conroy center the 3rd line and Drury center the 4th. However, pundits on TSN have said that Team USA officials are pretty set on Modano, Gomez, Weight, and Conroy being the centers. So Drury gets bumped to wing. Weight is a talented player, he's a great passer and has a decent wrist shot. Weight has 5 goals and 16 assists on the year while playing with subpar talent. He's a decent skater, but he's lost a step over the years.

I went back and forth on the RW spot for this line for awhile. In the end I went Mark Parrish over Tony Amonte. Amonte's play has been declining over the past couple seasons, and while Parrish's numbers have also leveled off I think he brings more to the table at this point of their careers. Parrish is a very streaky scorer, he has a great wrist shot, and he has a nose for the net. Amonte is the better skater but he's slowed down a lot. Another reason behind the selection of Parrish on this line is his chemistry with Weight. During the World Championships the 2 played together and they clicked. Weight and Parrish recorded a combined 11 points.

This could be a very effective line for the Americans. Knuble excels when he plays with a great playmaker and that's just what Weight is and if Weight and Parrish can find the chemistry they had at the World Championships this line can put up some numbers. Rather than rolling the traditional 2 scoring lines and 2 stopper/energy lines, I think the US will dress 3 dedicated scoring lines. Weight had a decent Olympics last time, 3 assists in 6 games. He is one of the few returning guys so he'll have to provide some leadership as well.

Chris Drury-Craig Conroy-Jason Blake

Like I said above I'd rather have Conroy center the 3rd line and Drury the second. Drury is versatile enough to play wing and play wing effectivley but I think its pretty dumb to not have America's best face-off man taking face-offs, but I digress. Drury brings a lot to the table. He's tough, gritty, and responsible on D. He's got good skill but he's not a point per game player. A lot of the Sabers recent success has been due to Tim Connolly stepping his game up and becoming the #2 center behind Briere and Drury getting the role of #3 center. Drury loves to play against other team's big lines and I think Laviolette will play this line against other top lines. Drury will relish that role.

Unlike the players mentioned so far in this post, Conroy has had little to no success in the international game. He was not brought to Salt Lake in 2002 and he was benched along with Brett Hull and Brian Rolston after 2 games in the World Cup. Going into the season, I would have bet money that Roenick would have been the Kings American center going to Turin, not Conroy. However, Conroy is having a tremendous season, outplaying JR easily and playing his way onto the team. Conroy is a very good in both ends of the ice, he's good in the circle, has a nice wrist shot, and he's a good passer. In addition, he's a willing hitter and he's huge on the PK. This will most likely be Conroy's first and last Olympics so this will be his only chance to make up for what amounts to a mediocre international career.

Blake, the former King will bring a lot of speed and grit to the table. The fast winger is a great penalty killer and recently has shown some goal scoring ability. I debated this spot for awhile. Going between Blake, Brian Rolston, Mike York, and Jeff Halpern. If it were up to me I'd pick Rolston, he's got more size and a bigger shot. But I'm trying to predict what Team USA will do and I think they'll pick Blake. Rolston's got benched at the World Cup, and while he's having a good year in Minnesota, Blake has put up better numbers.

This is a line Laviolette will play against other top scoring lines. While Conroy is playing more offensive role this year, he has excelled in a defensive role in the past(St. Louis). Drury has played a more defensive role in Buffalo this year, and Blake is a great pest type. While this line is will play a defensive role, all three guys have enough skill to keep possesion of the puck in the offensive zone. In addition they can chip in with some goals as well. All 3 guys also can log minutes on the PK, thus allowing the guys on the scoring lines to log most of their time on the powerplay.

Notable Forwards left off

-Brian Rolston

Like I said above, if I were picking the team I'd have Brian Rolston on it. He's got solid size, very good speed, and a great shot. In addition he is responsible in his own end and he can play in all situations. He has international experience having played in Salt Lake and the World Cup. But he was benched by Ron Wilson during the World Cup and he did not go to the World Championships. However he's played pretty well so far this year so out of all of the omissions I think he might be the guy who makes it.

-Mike York

York made the last Olympic team but since then he has not developed all that much. He's a good skater and has some decent skills but he's gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season. Also York did not impress in the World Championships, just one point in 7 games.

-Jeff Halpern

Halpern is a speedy, defensive minded forward. Halpern has racked up a good number of assists this season but a lot of that has to do with playing with Alexander Ovechkin. Halpern has decent skill, but his role is to cover for his wingers. Halpern misses out on this team because Blake can play a similar role and at the same time provide more scoring.

-Zach Parise

One of the members of the triumphant World Junior team from 2004, Parise is the first member of that team to see experiance at the senior level. Parise played at the World Championships and he did not look out of place. Parise has a lot of offensive ability and he'll definitley be a big part of the team in the future. But after a fast start(2 goals in his first game) Parise has tailed off and so far only has 8 points in 27 games. Basically his production doens't warrant selection. Look for him to get more experience during the World Champions in upcoming years.

-Dustin Brown

Brown has made an impact at the NHL level with his physical play. Brown though only had 6 goals and 6 assists in 31 games. Like Parise, Brown needs more international experience look for him to get more experience durings World Championships.

-Scott Young

Young had a good tournament in 02, 4 goals in 6 games but his production has slowed down. No dice for Scott Young.

-John LeClair

One of America's best players in 02, now he's too old, has back problems, and doesn't hit anymore. Sorry Johnny Vermont.

Defensive Pairings

Brian Leetch-Mathieu Schneider

Even at the advanced at age of 37, Leetch is still an all star caliber defenseman. Leetch is a veteran of 3 Olympic campaigns so he brings a lot of experiance to the team. Leetch has probably seen every move in the book at least twice, he's great positionally and his passing is outstanding. He still logs a lot of minutes for the Bruins and his skating is still strong. Although his end to end rushes are less frequent, Leetch can still pull one of when its needed.

Schneider was unlucky to not be on the Salt Lake team. Like this season he was having a great start to the year but picked up a groin injury that kept him out of the games. Schneider is known as a dynamic offensive dman but he does have some bit to his game. He's not afraid to deliver a hit and his skating ability bails him out of trouble. Schneider brings a big time shot that will be extremley useful on the PP.

Some might question the pairing of 2 offensive minded dmen, but I feel that both Leetch and Schneider are good enough defensivley that they will be able to play together. The international game is all about transition, and with particular pair, the US will have 2 guys who can make tape to tape breakout passes and when needed carry the puck up ice.

John-Michael Liles-Hal Gill

Liles has played at an all star level this year, probably Colorado's best defenseman on the year. Liles is a great skater who loves to activate and go down low. Liles knows exactly when to run the backdoor play and has scored on it a couple times this year. He has a very good point shot and is a really good passer. Like Leetch he can make and end to end rush when its needed and despite his small stature, Liles is not afraid to mix it up.

Team USA avoided bringing a big defensive dmen last time around(Hatcher), but I think they'll bring one this year in Gill. In Salt Lake the US defense was very mobile and skilled but they lacked some muscle, this was evident in the Canada game. I know its dumb to pick one guy because of one team, but if you look around some of the European teams have their own power forward types(Frolov, Forsberg, Sundin, Ovechkin, Jagr) who are tough to handle down low. Gill is a beast of a hitter who is very fundamentally sound. He makes up for his lack of footspeed with playing smart and being in position. His long reach also helps out a ton.

JM Liles is an offensive dynamo, but he does get caught out of position from time to time. Pairing him with the stay at home Gill seems ideal. Gill will be able to cover for Liles when he ventures forward and he'll be able to handle the big forwards down low. Gill will play a ton on the PK and Liles should log minutes on the second PP unit. Gill's transition game leaves a lot to be desired so Liles will have to do the heavy lifting as far as moving the puck forward.

Brian Rafalski-Aaron Miller

Rafalski is another member of the Salt Lake team. He brings a lot of international experience, remember that he played in europe for awhile before signing with the Devils. He's a heady player who skates and passes well. Rafalski performed well in 2002 and in the World Cup. Like I said above, transition is everything, and Rafalski game is perfect for international play.

Miller also made the 2002 team, and has played very well this season. Miller is a reliable stay at home dman who will allow his partner to be more active in the offfensive zone. Miller is a good hitter and he's strong in front of the net. Like Gill, Miller will never be confused for ace offensive player, but he can make a decent pass and he knows his limitations.

Another traditional pair, the offensive guy paired with the stay at home guy. There's a lot of experience in this pair. Rafalski and Miller have plenty of experience internationally and also both guys are have been battle hardened in the play-offs.

Extra: Tim Gleason, Chris Chelios

During the the Kings visits to local rinks yesterday, somebody asked Gleason about his Olympic chances and he said they were fairly good and he also mentioned that the US was going to take 8 defensemen. Usually teams bring 13 forwards and 7 dmen, but USA brass is going another direction. Because of the mobile offensive defensemen already in the top 6 I think team USA will bring 2 guys who are more stay at home guys and who'll help out on the PK.

Despite his lack of senior international experience, Gleason has played well enough this season to be selected. Gleason has been great in his own this year and is a good enough skater to be effective on the big ice in Turin. Gleason plays with an edge and he is big time hitter. His passing is very good, he's sprung a couple breakaways with home run passes for the Kings and he hasn't committed that many giveaways in the defensive zone.

I thought about the 8th spot for awhile. I went back and forth between Paul Mara, Bryan Berard, Jordan Leopold, Paul Martin, and Chelios.I ended up naming Chelios. Like I said above, Team USA already has solid puckmovers scattered in he top 6, that's why I went with Chelios. I think the call to bring an 8th dman is very telling. It seems like they are reserving a spot for Chelios. While Chelios is not really liked by many, there's no denying his heart and toughness. If the US brings him I don't think he'll see all that much ice time. Instead Laviolette will pick his spots to use Chelios(PKs, late in games when protecting a lead, and against other big lines). Chelios is a terrific leader and if used correctly he can be an effective player.

Notable Defensemen left off

-Bret Hedican

Some have speculated that with Laviolette coaching, Hedican has a very good shot at making the team. Hedican is one the fastest defensemen in the league and is he very sound at both ends of the ice. But his assist numbers are surprising. Hedican doesn't rack up that many points, his shot is not very good, and he's not a pinpoint passer. In reality he's a speedy stay at home dman, who rushes the puck when to get out of trouble. I don't think he brings enough skills to the dance to bring him. So unfortuantley he won't be able to add the the family medal count.

-Bryan Berard

A former first overall pick, Berard is a veteran of the '98 team. Berard got dealt some bad cards, if it wasn't for his eye injury, Berard's development isn't stunted, and he probably makes the 02 team. Despite the injury though, Berard has worked hard and he is still a dynamic offensive player. Berard's defensive game though leaves a lot to be desired. He gets a bit too reckless in the offensive zone and although he has enough speed to recover, you can only play with fire so much before you get burned.

-Paul Mara

I wanted to find a spot for Mara on the team. l've seen a lot of Mara this season and he has played well. Mara has always had all the tools, size, speed, shooting. This year it all seems to be coming together for him. Basically though, Mara gets squeezed out because of the vets getting one more run, and those same vets play the same game as Mara and are better at it(Leetch, Schneider). Also Mara has very little international experience.

-Jordan Leopold

A slow to start to the season hurt Leopold. Leopold didn't score his first point until the middle of November and he has yet to score a goal this season. Leopold going to be a mainstay on the US blueline in the future, but now is not the time. He got some experience at the World Championships and he could use a bit more. Leopold is part of the exciting young crop of 2 way defensemen the US is developing. He'll get his shot in the future, not in Turin though.

-Paul Martin

Like Leopold, an exciting young dmen, Martin is having a better season Leopold, he sees more ice time on the PP manning the point with Rafalski. He's bright prospect for the future, but like Leopold, now is not his time.

-Ken Klee

Miller and Gill are better than Klee in pretty much every aspect of the game. If one of those 2 go down though look for Klee to get a call.

-Joe Corvo

Corvo is having a career year, credit to him for working hard and improving his game but his chances for the Olympics are slim. I don't even know if he was on the preliminary roster. A lot of Corvo's success has to do with Andy Murray putting him in situations where Corvo can succeed, notice Corvo is never out there against other big lines and he doesn't get alot of PK time. Laviolette won't have that luxury.


Goaltenders

#1 Rick DiPietro

DiPietro was outstanding during the World Championships, 1.68 GAA, .942%. The highly touted netminder is coming into his own. He's has some real good performances for a pretty bad Islanders team, if DiPietro can stay healthy I think he'll be America's #1. When DiPietro is on, he's tought to beat, he's quick and he's got a great glove hand. Above all though, DiPietro's got the moxy, he's a cocky kid who wants to be in the big games. An added bonus is DiPietro's ability to play the puck, like Brodeur he can help spring a few attacks with some home run passes.

#2 Robert Esche

Esche isn't having a great season so far. For Philly during last season, Esche was phenomenal, he's a big guy, who stays big in net. He's pretty fundamentally sound and he keeps things simple. He's coming back from an injury this week so keep an eye on his numbers. Esche outplayed DiPietro during the World Cup, Wilson played him the majority of the games, and in some of them he was the US's best player. There a couple back to back dates in the preliminary rounds so the #2 goalie will certianly play. Hopefully Esche finds the game that brought the Flyers to within one game of the Stanley Cup.

#3 John Grahame

Grahame has come on pretty strong as of late and I think he gets the nod for the #3 spot. Young Ryan Miller was playing his way onto the team but suffered a fractured thumb and has missed some time. He's back with Buffalo this week but Biron has been hot as of late and who knows how many starts Miller would get. You may ask yourself, well Esche is hurt but he gets on the team, but Esche has international experience while Miller does not. Anyways on Grahame, he's a big guy but is also pretty quick. He plays the puck pretty well and although his save percentage is ugly he's been playing well.

Notable Goalies Left Off

-Ryan Miller

Miller can still play his way onto the team, if he gets picks up where he left off. He's a quick goalie, with excellent reflexes and a strong glove hand. He won the Buffalo job in camp and was cementing his position until his unlucky injury. If he comes back strong though he'll push Grahame for the #3 spot.

-Ty Conklin

Played pretty well in the World Championships but has been terrible this year and got hurt. No chance for Ty.

Alright folks that's it. Hope you enjoyed my very long look at Team USA. We definitley won't be the favorites but I can't stress this enough. ANYTHING can happen in a single elimination tournament. The US will field a very competative team that will be really hard to play against. I think America has a nice blend of speed, size, skill, and grit. In addition there is a lot of experience going to Turin alogn with some hungry youngsters. If DiPietro steps up, the old guys come through once again, and the young kids contribute, the US can medal. A lot of ifs, but it can happen.

As always look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts and opinions.

quote:

Op woensdag 14 december 2005 02:13 schreef JZweeds het volgende:


Detroit 2-6. Dat wordt niets meer.

Alweer 6-4, bizarre wedstrijd.

En 6-5


Wat een wedstrijd.

6-6 !!!

Detroit teruggekomen tot 4-6, 5-6, 6-6, laat ook maar niet bij te houden dit.


Rangers nu 2-2. Weer Prucha.

Met Bertuzzi alleen krijg je Luongo niet. Daar moet nog heel wat bij.