Canada Humbled

Stardate 5360.1

Well, the picture just about sums it up. Yeah, that's Kasparitis taking out Gagne with a great hip/butt check.

For a team boasting so much talent, I wonder how they even made it into the medal round. After losign 2-0 to Switzerland, I decided that something was terribly wrong. Finland is a tough and fast team, and they pretty much skated circles around our guys. The Czech game was lucky I think. Takign a 3-0 lead into a third period where Canada only got 2 shots left me feeling surprised they actually hung on to win. The game today featured a Canadian squad with slow feet, lack of motivation and a few bad penalties. After Russia finally scored, the guys didn't seem as desperate as you would think they ought to. Sure, there were a few tense moments around the Russian goaltender, but frankly, you couldn't find the drive, determination and desperation that you would normally associate with a team about to be eliminated.

In the games I saw, dump and chase strategy doesn't work when you get beat to the puck more often than not.

I wonder at the wisdom of putting checking role-players in the lineup like Draper, and guys like McCabe and Pronger. Where were some of our youth? You know, the guys near the top of the NHL scoring race, like Eric Staal, Sidney Crosby or Jason Spezza? Where was one of the toughest and most talented young defensmen in the league in Phaneuf?

Canada was beaten for many reasons. I think one was skating. I think another was certain choices for the team. Maybe a touch of arrogance in there too...

Brodeur was a bright spark, but then goalies don't win games when you get down to the nitty gritty, they only help. A few goals go miles when it comes to winning however...