And away we go NHL thread!!!!

[atomic charvel guy]

no sympathy from me, i wish the blueshirts had the hawks problems, a 2 game skid is a 10 game winning streak for the rangers.

[Spivonious]

Go USA! Awesome game last night.

[Hellbat]

Miller is a stud. Brodeur is a goat. That baseball bat swing to put the puck up into the slot was one of the stupidest plays I've seen in 25 years of watching hockey.

[Rupe]

Miller is a stud. Brodeur is a goat. That baseball bat swing to put the puck up into the slot was one of the stupidest plays I've seen in 25 years of watching hockey.

No doubt! The US team played like it was game 7 in the finals...crazy hustle!

The Czech/Russia game was great too, although I thought poor officiating helped decide the game in favor of Russia.

Although a clean hit in the NHL, Ovie's destruction of Jagr is a penalty by international rules. That holding call on Jagr that led to Russia's first goal was beyond awful as well. Both led to goals.

[Endrik]

Media made me fucking vomit before the games started. All this Canada-Russia-Sweden medal charing talk and whatnot. It could happen but hey assholes... you don't win an Olympic gold just because you have some hotter than shit star players. Canada hasn't been all that good, Slovakia won Russia. Sweden of course could easily go to finals.. so does Finland who have played great except they chocked against Sweden like usually. Czechs and Slovaks are shaky, they have had some really good games and some not so good. One of them could easily end up in the bronze game.

[Shawn Lutz]

Russia and Canada now will have to play each other in the quarter final. What that means is one of the best 2 teams in the World will be leaving Vancouver with no medal at all. I picked Russia for the gold, Canada for silver and Sweden for Bronze

Rupe, what makes Ovechkins hit on Jagr a penalty in interntional play? That looks like a clean hit in any league in the world as far as I'm concerned...

[Endrik]

What that means is one of the best 2 teams in the World will be leaving Vancouver with no medal at all.

Nah, maybe one of the best bunches in celebrity hockey tour, definitely not one of the best TEAMS.

[Spivonious]

He's just upset because a former Penguin got his ass handed to him :P

[Endrik]

Didn't see most of the Russia Czech game where Jagr supposedly sucked but other than that he has played brilliantly, like a true team leader, very active and boosts energy too all his team-mates.

btw. I've seen a lot more brutal hits during this tournament which weren't called out.

[Rupe]

Rupe, what makes Ovechkins hit on Jagr a penalty in interntional play? That looks like a clean hit in any league in the world as far as I'm concerned...

Absolutely a clean hit in the NHL. International rules state that you can't make any contact with the head or neck on a hit...Ovie's shoulder nailed him right in the face shield. I had no idea at the time, but it was heavily discussed in the post game that it should have been a penalty.

Also:

Ovechkin earns gold for open-ice Jagr destruction; was it legal?

By Greg Wyshynski
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Alex Ovechkin's hit on Jaromir Jagr is the talk of the tournament right now: a brutal collision at center ice that sent Jagr on his back, prying the puck away and eventually leading to Evgeni Malkin's second goal of the game just 1:49 into the third period. By far, the turning point in the game.


Jagr took the puck at center ice and saw Ovechkin steaming toward him at the red line. He attempted to avoid the hit by bringing the puck to his backhand and move around him.


Unfortunately, it's not 1999 Jagr but 2010 Jagr, so the move results in Ovechkin's shoulder catching Jagr on the head, rocking his helmet back and sending him to the ice.
Said Ovechkin on the hit: "It's just a moment. If I have a chance to hit somebody, it does not matter who it is."
The legality of the hit was debated by some in our live blog, but by the NHL's warped standards of justice it's a punishing but clean hit; but what about international rules?
There was contact with the head because of Jagr's move, but no leaving of the skates by Ovechkin and no injury for Jagr, who returned and played well for the Czechs. In the NHL, that's an unpunished hit.
What about the IIHF? Here's what its rulebook says:

Rule 540 - Checking to the Head and Neck Area - A player who directs a check or blow, with any part of his body, to the head and neck area of an opposing player or "drives" or "forces" the head of an opposing player into the protective glass or boards, shall be assessed at the discretion of the Referee, a minor and a misconduct penalty; a major and game misconduct penalty; or a match penalty. When injury occurs, a match penalty must be assessed.

So should that have been a head-checking penalty? Not in the eyes of officials Dan O'Halloran and Guy Pellerin. Both of whom are, incidentally, Canadian. Old Time Hockey!
Jagr talked about the hit after the game: "Guys, before you asked me the question, I know I make a mistake. It was a big mistake. The hit, I don’t really care. But the mistake was the turnover I made, they scored a goal. that hurt me the most.
"I don’t care how I feel. If something hurt, it’s always healed. But the mistake is not that easy to heal."

The consensus by the "pros" was that it should have been called.

He's just upset because a former Penguin got his ass handed to him :P

When he left town he was dead to me

[Shawn Lutz]

they called it in a diffrent game and guy has a game suspension because it....guess the double-standard for Ovechkin is growing now...lol

[Hellbat]

Slovakia actually has a pretty stacked roster. They are like 80% NHL guys, although other than Gabs, not superstar level players. Just good solid roster players known for solid play.

Before the tourney, my medal picks were Sweden, Russia, and Canada. Right now it's looking like Sweden, Russia, USA to be the medal threats. The US will get as far as they can ride Miller.

If Canada Starts Brodeur against Germany and he gets scored on early it's over for them. I'm hoping they start Luongo or Fluery for the remainder of the games. Brodeur just scares me silly whenever he's handling or batting the puck. Also Pronger is done. The US is a young fast team and they exposed the fact that he isn't good for much other than throwing elbows at the side of the net. I think the team management tried to get too many NHL linemates into the competition. Heatley and Crosby and at times Nash have looked good for Canada. (Crosby's +/- was horrible vs the US but he wasn't really 'responsible' for any of the goals.)

most importantly, in the games I've been to so far Latvia had the best looking female fans, with Norway not doing too shabby either. Norway mostly on the 38DD strength of one particular young fan.

[Hellbat]

Also, on the Ovie/Jagr hit, it's a legal hit. The rule involves causing the other players head to contact board or glass. Incidental head contact on a hit is allowed in open ice situations as long as the ref's don't feel there is intent on the head contact.


(ie guy is fishing for a puck and you sail in with a hip/elbow and smash him into next week.)

[Shawn Lutz]

Luongo gets the start against Germany....

Hellbat you've been able to go see the games live? Thats awesome.

Yesterday was a great day for world hockey, 3 great match-ups on the same day, same city and same venue. Basically all the worlds the top NHL talent in one place....

[Rupe]

Also, on the Ovie/Jagr hit, it's a legal hit. The rule involves causing the other players head to contact board or glass. Incidental head contact on a hit is allowed in open ice situations as long as the ref's don't feel there is intent on the head contact.


(ie guy is fishing for a puck and you sail in with a hip/elbow and smash him into next week.)

Wrong...it doesn't need to involve the boards or glass, it simply includes that scenario. See the "or" in the rule...very different than "and".

On another note, bad news for Johnstown Chiefs fans:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_667355.html

If nothing else, they made for a great movie!