Sports Talk
Re: Your # 6 could happen
It's no out on a limb statement to say that Canada could beat the US in the Semi Finals. It's an evenly matched contest and no way to predict. Flip a coin. So if disaster strikes there, then, in a bronze medal game against either Sweden or Finland, again it's not a stretch to say the US could loose that game as well.
Yes, the US is playing extremely well and have a gold medal within their grasp. It would be a complete let down if they didn't even make the podium.
Yes, the US is playing extremely well and have a gold medal within their grasp. It would be a complete let down if they didn't even make the podium.
Related Link: Never take your opponent lightly
I don't necessarily think it was overconfidence--IMHO these were the factors that did Russia in.
1) They were uptight and jittery the ENTIRE tournament--in fact, the only game that they played well was against the USA. The pressure of being the host team and having heavy expectations to win weighed them down.`
2) The loss to the US and the controversy over the disallowed goal rattled them even more--I don't think they ever got over this loss!!
3) The roster was NOT cohesive---it was a mix of NHL AND KHL players---many people think (and I agree) that the Russians were trying to use the Olympics to "showcase" the abilities of KHL players as being on par with the NHL--this was pure politics and it cost them dearly!!
4) Ovechkin is NOT a clutch performer PERIOD!! The Ovechkin/Malkin pairing didn't work at all!!
5) The Russian players don't dig and scrap like the Americans-Canadians-Finns, etc, They won't sacrifice their bodies like these other teams--you got a sense of "prima-donna" within the Russian squad no real unity ever developed on this team.
6) Not starting Bobrovsky in goal today was IDIOTIC--if Putin wants to send someone to Siberia he should send the Russian coach!!
1) They were uptight and jittery the ENTIRE tournament--in fact, the only game that they played well was against the USA. The pressure of being the host team and having heavy expectations to win weighed them down.`
2) The loss to the US and the controversy over the disallowed goal rattled them even more--I don't think they ever got over this loss!!
3) The roster was NOT cohesive---it was a mix of NHL AND KHL players---many people think (and I agree) that the Russians were trying to use the Olympics to "showcase" the abilities of KHL players as being on par with the NHL--this was pure politics and it cost them dearly!!
4) Ovechkin is NOT a clutch performer PERIOD!! The Ovechkin/Malkin pairing didn't work at all!!
5) The Russian players don't dig and scrap like the Americans-Canadians-Finns, etc, They won't sacrifice their bodies like these other teams--you got a sense of "prima-donna" within the Russian squad no real unity ever developed on this team.
6) Not starting Bobrovsky in goal today was IDIOTIC--if Putin wants to send someone to Siberia he should send the Russian coach!!
Related Link: What Belichick was saying in his mumbling interviews