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The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

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Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

MattS said:
I just finalized the last bit of my trip last night. I will be in Vancouver from 2/20 - 2/23 to see Men's Ice Hockey (Fin - Swe), women's ice hockey (semifinal game) and women's curling.

Anyone else going to be out at the games?
Click to expand...

I will be there, as I go to every Olympics. Dates are still a bit unlear at this point, as they are dependent on ticket allocations from my connections.:cool:
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Since CTV outbid CBC for the Canadian Olympic TV contract, you won't be able to see it on basic cable systems in American border cities. This also affects those of you in Buffalo and Detroit who had been getting CBC on the cable. An article in the Seattle Times outlines the surprise. Break out the bunny ears.

Also found this morning in the Times, a claim that rooms are opening up for the Games. However, after looking around the linked websites, most of the hotels are either A) over 100 miles inland on the Trans-Canada Highway or B) on Vancouver Island, and there's a 90-minute ferry ride included in the transit time. You're better off staying in Seattle or Bellingham and chancing the border.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

GopherRock said:
Also found this morning in the Times, a claim that rooms are opening up for the Games. However, after looking around the linked websites, most of the hotels are either A) over 100 miles inland on the Trans-Canada Highway or B) on Vancouver Island, and there's a 90-minute ferry ride included in the transit time. You're better off staying in Seattle or Bellingham and chancing the border.
Click to expand...

When we were at Lake Louise in August they were advertising rooms for the Olympics. 500 miles.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

GopherRock said:
Also found this morning in the Times, a claim that rooms are opening up for the Games. However, after looking around the linked websites, most of the hotels are either A) over 100 miles inland on the Trans-Canada Highway or B) on Vancouver Island, and there's a 90-minute ferry ride included in the transit time. You're better off staying in Seattle or Bellingham and chancing the border.
Click to expand...

As of a couple of weeks ago there were still rooms in Surrey and Langley. Both within 30 miles of Vancouver. Both accessible by the Skytrain. And if someone wanted to spend a small fortune and buy a package (flight and hotel) there were still rooms in Vancouver.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

The Games start on Friday, Men's hockey next Tuesday. To bump up this thread and create some discussion I offer this bold prediction: Canada will not win the Gold Medal in Men's Hockey. The Russians are the better team IMO.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Jimjamesak said:
The Games start on Friday, Men's hockey next Tuesday. To bump up this thread and create some discussion I offer this bold prediction: Canada will not win the Gold Medal in Men's Hockey. The Russians are the better team IMO.
Click to expand...

Many people fall into the trap of handicapping the Olympic Hockey Tourney based on the NHL reputation/NHL production levels of the players on each team. I think that's a mistake. In the last three Olympics, six different countries have played in the finals. In the Olympic Tourney, the best talent often doesn't have enough time to gel/dictate results, as you would see in a seven game Staney Cup finals. In Olympic single game elimination, a less talented team can easily advance with only hot goalie and a bounce or two.

In other words, Russia and Canada may have the most talent, but this tourney will likely come down to who had the hot goalie. And when that happens, you have 5-6 teams that can win it, including the USA.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Jimjamesak said:
The Games start on Friday, Men's hockey next Tuesday. To bump up this thread and create some discussion I offer this bold prediction: Canada will not win the Gold Medal in Men's Hockey. The Russians are the better team IMO.
Click to expand...

The US will medal.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

World rankings on the eve of the Olympics.

1. Russia
2. Canada
3. Sweden

4. Finland
5. USA
6. Czech

7. Switzerland
8. Belarus
9. Latvia

10. Slovakia
11. Norway
12. Denmark

13. Germany
14. France
15. Austria
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Since Miller's burning out recently, the US will lose in the Quarters. Russia will play Sweden in the final, Canada will take Bronze.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Miller will have a couple of early games that should build his confidence against the Swiss and Norwegians, teams the USA should beat. After that, anything is possible.

Here is the Team USA schedule:

Date Opponent Time (PST) Channel
Feb. 16 Switzerland 12 p.m. PST USA
Feb. 18 Norway 12 p.m. PST USA
Feb. 21 Canada 4:40 p.m. PST MSNBC
Feb. 23 Qualification Games+ 12 p.m. PST TBD
Feb. 24 Quarterfinals 12 p.m. TBD
Feb. 26 Semifinals 12 p.m. TBD
Feb. 27 Bronze-Medal 7 p.m. TBD
Feb. 28 Gold-Medal 12:15 p.m. TBD
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Puck Swami said:
Many people fall into the trap of handicapping the Olympic Hockey Tourney based on the NHL reputation/NHL production levels of the players on each team. I think that's a mistake. In the last three Olympics, six different countries have played in the finals. In the Olympic Tourney, the best talent often doesn't have enough time to gel/dictate results, as you would see in a seven game Staney Cup finals. In Olympic single game elimination, a less talented team can easily advance with only hot goalie and a bounce or two.

In other words, Russia and Canada may have the most talent, but this tourney will likely come down to who had the hot goalie. And when that happens, you have 5-6 teams that can win it, including the USA.
Click to expand...

My basis of picking Russia certainly have some basis in the performances of their NHL players but it's only about 25% of the equation.

I'm picking Russia because a) In recent international tournaments they've been unbeatable and have beaten Canada in Canada before (2008 World Championships). It's not a great thing to base on but it does give them confidence.

b) They have absolutely zero pressure to win the Gold. The pressure on Canada in this tournament I think is gonna be unbearable. It's basically Gold or Death for them.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Puck Swami said:
Many people fall into the trap of handicapping the Olympic Hockey Tourney based on the NHL reputation/NHL production levels of the players on each team. I think that's a mistake. In the last three Olympics, six different countries have played in the finals. In the Olympic Tourney, the best talent often doesn't have enough time to gel/dictate results, as you would see in a seven game Staney Cup finals. In Olympic single game elimination, a less talented team can easily advance with only hot goalie and a bounce or two.

In other words, Russia and Canada may have the most talent, but this tourney will likely come down to who had the hot goalie. And when that happens, you have 5-6 teams that can win it, including the USA.
Click to expand...

I would be more apt to agree with you 100% on this if they were actually playing on 200x100 ice instead of 200x85.

That said, there's a few teams that are going to be huge land mines in waiting because of goaltending: Czechs (Vokoun), Slovaks (Halak) and Swiss (Hiller). All of those teams get progressively thinner in scoring going from the Czechs to the Slovaks to the Swiss but all three of those goaltenders can stonewall any team if they don't come to play.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Puck Swami said:
Miller will have a couple of early games that should build his confidence against the Swiss and Norwegians, teams the USA should beat. After that, anything is possible.
Click to expand...

It's not his confidence that's an issue. It's the fact that the Sabres have the 2nd worst backup goaltender in the league behind Chris Osgood and so Miller's under pressure to win everything by himself and it's been catching up to him recently.

After a 5-0 start to 2010, he's gone 3-6-3, .906 save pct. and a 2.73 GAA. Those numbers won't do it for an underdog American squad.

He's on pace for about 70 starts, something he's done once in his career, and because of the Olympic break, those starts are closer together than in a usual NHL season.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

I really hope that the media attention doesn't get to Lindsey Vonn... Right now, she seems to be the face of the US team at the moment... Way more pressure than she has ever had on her before... I'm sure they'll be all over her training run tomorrow... Can't wait to see how the non-skiing media spins the sandbagging that is common place ;)

At least it's keeping the media away from Bode Miller and letting him do his thing :D
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Puck Swami said:
Miller will have a couple of early games that should build his confidence against the Swiss and Norwegians, teams the USA should beat. After that, anything is possible.

Here is the Team USA schedule:

Date Opponent Time (PST) Channel
Feb. 16 Switzerland 12 p.m. PST USA
Feb. 18 Norway 12 p.m. PST USA
Feb. 21 Canada 4:40 p.m. PST MSNBC
Feb. 23 Qualification Games+ 12 p.m. PST TBD
Feb. 24 Quarterfinals 12 p.m. TBD
Feb. 26 Semifinals 12 p.m. TBD
Feb. 27 Bronze-Medal 7 p.m. TBD
Feb. 28 Gold-Medal 12:15 p.m. TBD
Click to expand...

The Swiss aren't patsies by any stretch -- the US could easily go 1-2-0 in that group.
 
Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10451268-71.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

So, anyone see the flawed logic in NBC's thinking? They're broadcasting about 1600 fewer hours of live events online because they say people only go online to watch highlights. But they're also stepping up efforts to block Americans from watching live events via other means.

And really? They're putting USA-Canada on msnbc so that they can show ice dancing on the main network? Really?
 
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