So it comes down to this, the final game of the Olympics with the two arguably best teams in the world in USA and Canada. The first time these two teams met, USA prevailed by a score of 5-3 and many were calling it the best game they had ever seen.
Could this game be any better than the last one? Well, here's the lowdown on both of these teams.
Team USA has not lost a single game and not only that, they have not lost in regulation time. Their only real test through this tournament so far, however, was Canada. Questions about the USA's offense and goaltending were answered during that game. 4 Goals were scored on Martin Brodeur (the fifth being the empty netter), and Ryan Miller stood on his head making 42 saves, proving the critics wrong that he could see many shots, as he was not tested often in the past games against Switzerland and Norway.
USA was not taken very seriously entering the Olympics, but now they are a force to be reckoned with. After defeating Canada, the team had a day off to rest and then went into the medal round facing Finland first. They made it look easy as they scored 6 goals in the first period, on route to a 6-1 win.
Much can be said about every player on USA's roster, since they have all been key players throughout. USA has very balanced scoring and more and more people begin to contribute each game. Some of the standouts include Brian Rafalski, defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings, who surprised fans with two goals and an assist against Canada (not to mention he scored the final two goals in the game against Norway).
Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan, teammates for the New York Rangers, have been phenomenal as well, and quite possibly have the best chemistry on the team.
Patrick Kane, star forward for the Chicago Blackhawks, scored 2 goals in the game against Finland, and is really starting to emerge as a great player on this team.
Not enough can be said about Ryan Miller, ranked number one on The Hockey New's "Top 30 Goalies" list. He keeps USA in every game no matter the shot count and always gives them a chance to win, not that he doesn't do that for the Sabres, but now he has people that can actually score in front of him. Ryan Miller is the best goalie in hockey today, no doubt about it, and he will be the most important player in this upcoming gold medal game.
Canada has had more a rough ride than the USA has through these Olympics. After scorching Norway 8-2, they came very close to giving up their second game against Switzerland, pulling it out in the shootout with a goal from Sidney Crosby. The next game was lost against the USA, and questions arose on whether Canada was gold medal material.
They seemingly answered those questions in their next game against Russia, blowing the lid off of them by a score of 7-3, in which Russia played a "Euro-Trash" game, as stated by analyst Mike Milbury.
Canada has got scoring from all over their roster, Jarome Iginla had a hat trick, and the Thornton, Marleau, Heatley line was reunited from San Jose.
Two surprising players though have been that of Shea Weber and Corey Perry.
Weber is a very underrated Nashville Predators defenseman, and his skills can finally displayed on the world stage along with an all-star cast. His shot can rip right through netting (literally) and his puck moving skills are great.
Perrey has been scoring under the radar for Canada throughout the whole tournament. With the help of his Anaheim teammate Ryan Getzlaf, the two have been very dangerous.
There is no question of the skill on Canada's roster, but finesse can soon be shut down by hard work and physical play. It was a close call in last night's game against Slovakia, but they managed to pull it out. The question is, can they pull it out against the high-flying Americans?
All of these questions will be answered tomorrow. Be Sure to tune in.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Player Profiles
This is just a continuation from my last blog
Jochen Hecht
6'1'', 199 lbs. -C
Pros: Usually consistent, excellent puck control along the boards, good behind the opposition net, scores regularly when put with the right linemates
Cons: Gives up easily on the play, not very strong in terms of the NHL, could add bulk, bad passer, puck control in open ice is questionable
This Season: Hecht has the same mediocre play that was displayed from him last season. The coaching staff have a lot of faith in him, probably because he's been around for a while, but in my opinion, I think he should be a deadline deal for a center with a little more skill than him. He still scores an okay amount of goals however.
Patrick Kaleta
5'11", 198 lbs -RW
Pros: Very physical, throws himself against any player, intimidates other players when chasing a dump-in, willing to drop the gloves when needed, draws penalties, good penalty killer, can display skill beyond his level at some points
Cons: Offensive instincts could improve, has trouble putting the puck in the net, defensive work could improve, takes a lot of physical abuse, concussion problems have caused trouble
This Season: Kaleta is one of my favorite players, and for good reason. It seems he's the only player on the team who's willing to go out and hit everything that moves shift after shift. Since enforcer Andrew Peters left, Kaleta is our only source of intimidation. He has been so unlucky this season with all the injuries he's endured, but when he's played he's shown flashes of brilliance. Especially in back to back games when he scored shorthanded goals against the Rangers and Canadians.
Tim Kennedy
5'10''. 173 lbs. -LW
Pros: Very crafty with the puck, good at getting out of tight situations, good behind the net, very fast
Cons: Causes many giveaways, could use a little more development, defensive awareness has yet to be seen, not always consistent
This Season: This is Kennedy's first full season with the Sabres, and it has been what you would expect of a rookie player. He has shown flashes of talent beyond his age in some games, and in others he's practically invisible. In a few years, I think Kennedy will be an important player for this team but for now he's a third and fourth line winger.
Clarke MacArthur
5'11'', 191 lbs. -LW
Pros: Good speed, nice shot, battles well, pretty good passer, tries his best physically
Cons: Not a very big or strong player, could work well if he had the right linemates, not the best stick-handler, very streaky
This Season: MacArthur started of this season very well as he lead the Sabres in scoring for a short time, but he has fallen off the wagon since. His scoring has seemed to have disappeared but he still works hard out there every game (one of the few). I always have high hopes for him and I really think he could explode offensively but he seems to get really hot and then cold for long periods of time.
Adam Mair
6'1'' 208lbs. -C
Pros: Good balance, fast skater, can be very physical, willing to drop the gloves, sticks up for teammates
Cons: Bad passing, tries to do too much, can't seem to find his place on this team, never seems to leave the fourth line, scoring is very scarce
This Season: Mair is suffering yet another disappointing season. The only role I can see him in on this team is as an enforcer, he's no good at anything else. Sure, he works as hard as he can, but that's not good enough when your team consists of rugged, board-battling players. Also, he's a very good and exciting fighter, I wish he would do more of it.
Mark Mancari
6'3'' 225 lbs. -RW
Mancari has not seen that much action with the big club but he has put up good numbers in Portland. He has looked good when he is in the lineup and I think eventually he will be a good player for the Sabres. Over the summer Mancari said he wanted a trade because he wasn't getting any playing time in the NHL, this caused Lindy Ruff to immediately send him to Portland out of training camp, he obviously isn't good enough to be playing in the NHL, he's no Ovechkin, he can't demand a trade like that.
Jason Pominville
Pros: Rocket shot, good on breakaways/shootouts, accurate
Cons: Needs to shoot more, can't get open, needs to be more physical, needs to work on passing the puck
This Season: Pominville is losing the "fan favorite" tag. He used to be one of my favorite players until he dropped off completely. After his breakout season of 34 goals his goal total has decreased dramatically. That may be because his linemate Danny Briere left but he should still be able to put up those types of numbers.
Jochen Hecht
6'1'', 199 lbs. -C
Pros: Usually consistent, excellent puck control along the boards, good behind the opposition net, scores regularly when put with the right linemates
Cons: Gives up easily on the play, not very strong in terms of the NHL, could add bulk, bad passer, puck control in open ice is questionable
This Season: Hecht has the same mediocre play that was displayed from him last season. The coaching staff have a lot of faith in him, probably because he's been around for a while, but in my opinion, I think he should be a deadline deal for a center with a little more skill than him. He still scores an okay amount of goals however.
Patrick Kaleta
5'11", 198 lbs -RW
Pros: Very physical, throws himself against any player, intimidates other players when chasing a dump-in, willing to drop the gloves when needed, draws penalties, good penalty killer, can display skill beyond his level at some points
Cons: Offensive instincts could improve, has trouble putting the puck in the net, defensive work could improve, takes a lot of physical abuse, concussion problems have caused trouble
This Season: Kaleta is one of my favorite players, and for good reason. It seems he's the only player on the team who's willing to go out and hit everything that moves shift after shift. Since enforcer Andrew Peters left, Kaleta is our only source of intimidation. He has been so unlucky this season with all the injuries he's endured, but when he's played he's shown flashes of brilliance. Especially in back to back games when he scored shorthanded goals against the Rangers and Canadians.
Tim Kennedy
5'10''. 173 lbs. -LW
Pros: Very crafty with the puck, good at getting out of tight situations, good behind the net, very fast
Cons: Causes many giveaways, could use a little more development, defensive awareness has yet to be seen, not always consistent
This Season: This is Kennedy's first full season with the Sabres, and it has been what you would expect of a rookie player. He has shown flashes of talent beyond his age in some games, and in others he's practically invisible. In a few years, I think Kennedy will be an important player for this team but for now he's a third and fourth line winger.
Clarke MacArthur
5'11'', 191 lbs. -LW
Pros: Good speed, nice shot, battles well, pretty good passer, tries his best physically
Cons: Not a very big or strong player, could work well if he had the right linemates, not the best stick-handler, very streaky
This Season: MacArthur started of this season very well as he lead the Sabres in scoring for a short time, but he has fallen off the wagon since. His scoring has seemed to have disappeared but he still works hard out there every game (one of the few). I always have high hopes for him and I really think he could explode offensively but he seems to get really hot and then cold for long periods of time.
Adam Mair
6'1'' 208lbs. -C
Pros: Good balance, fast skater, can be very physical, willing to drop the gloves, sticks up for teammates
Cons: Bad passing, tries to do too much, can't seem to find his place on this team, never seems to leave the fourth line, scoring is very scarce
This Season: Mair is suffering yet another disappointing season. The only role I can see him in on this team is as an enforcer, he's no good at anything else. Sure, he works as hard as he can, but that's not good enough when your team consists of rugged, board-battling players. Also, he's a very good and exciting fighter, I wish he would do more of it.
Mark Mancari
6'3'' 225 lbs. -RW
Mancari has not seen that much action with the big club but he has put up good numbers in Portland. He has looked good when he is in the lineup and I think eventually he will be a good player for the Sabres. Over the summer Mancari said he wanted a trade because he wasn't getting any playing time in the NHL, this caused Lindy Ruff to immediately send him to Portland out of training camp, he obviously isn't good enough to be playing in the NHL, he's no Ovechkin, he can't demand a trade like that.
Jason Pominville
Pros: Rocket shot, good on breakaways/shootouts, accurate
Cons: Needs to shoot more, can't get open, needs to be more physical, needs to work on passing the puck
This Season: Pominville is losing the "fan favorite" tag. He used to be one of my favorite players until he dropped off completely. After his breakout season of 34 goals his goal total has decreased dramatically. That may be because his linemate Danny Briere left but he should still be able to put up those types of numbers.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Player Profiles Part 1
In this blog, I'm going to write a short paragraph about all players on our team.
These Paragraphs will include accomplishments, pros and cons, and other information.
Forwards
Tim Connolly:
6'1'', 191 lbs. -C
Tim Connolly is known as one of the most injury-prone players in the NHL in the past several years. Past concussion problems have limited him to very minuscule numbers that don't match the underrated skill-set he possesses.
Pros: Very very calm, can control the puck as good as the best, very good passer, sets up many plays and runs the power play whether in the corners or on the point, strong and accurate shot
Cons: Lacks consistency, passes not always as good as they should be, not physical at all, needs to add bulk to his large frame, gives up on the play easily, not very good defensively
This Season: For the first time in a while, Connolly has managed to stay healthy throughout the length of a season. While the season may not be over, he is producing points on a consistent basis. He may not always consistent but he his quietly remaining Buffalo's top scorer
Matt Ellis:
6'0'', 212 lbs. -LW
Matt Ellis is a young player who constantly is improving his game. He works harder than the average player and what he may lack in skill he makes up for in heart. Usually stays on the fourth line and continues to keep a roster spot.
Pros: Very hard worker, battles well in the corners, very speedy, possesses a quick shot, good defensively
Cons: Turns over the puck a lot, has trouble passing, doesn't work well in open ice, shaky skater
This Season: Hasn't been much of a factor, never lacking consistency and comes to play every night, but hasn't put very many points up. He's been a healthy scratch a number of times to make room for other players, and 2 goals don't say much.
Tyler Ennis
5'9'', 163 lbs. -LW
I don't have much to say about Ennis, I haven't seen enough of him. I thought he looked pretty good in the one game he played this season, and he backed that up with a goal in his only NHL game.
Paul Guastad
6'4'', 220 lbs. -C
Guastad has been one of my favorite Sabres throughout the years. An extremely hard worker and not afraid to drop the gloves (one of the few). Always does big things in big moments and throws his body around no matter what.
Pros: Very large frame causes for intimidating stature, always one of the league leaders in faceoff percentage, good in puck battles, very physical and tough
Cons: Slow skater, puck control is not very good, sometimes can't keep his balance, could improve shooting
This Season: Hasn't put up numbers he has in the past, but is still trying his best every game and battling it out. He always sticks up for his teammates (especially Ryan Miller) and has dropped the gloves a few times, but could still use a few more pucks in the back of the net.
Nathan Gerbe:
5'6'', 173 lbs. -C
Nathan Gerbe is officially the shortest player in the National Hockey League. He has not played a full season but has seen quite a bit of action as a result of injury call-ups. I really enjoy his play because he brings energy to the offense and that is needed from him because of his tiny stature.
Pros: Extremely fast, can blaze past defenders, plays bigger than he is, always throwing the body around, decent shot, very crafty, can become a good player in the future
Cons: His height, sometimes seems too small for the tough game being played out there, puck control is not where it needs to be, injury-prone
This Season: Gerbe saw a lot of action last season but not to long into this one he was called up as a replacement and showed improvement from his last time up. He scored his first NHL goal this time around but just when things started to go good he went down with an injury. He hasn't seen any action since.
Mike Grier:
6'1", 227 lbs. -RW
Mike Grier has been around a long time and is coming back to his second stint with the Sabres. The rugged veteran plays with a lot of heart and leadership and has been well liked by his teammates at any of his stops during his career.
Pros: Displays great leadership, plays with a rough edge, never gives up on the play, good puck control, adapts well to his linemates
Cons: Very slow skater, not always as physical as he should be, lacks consistency, age may be taking its toll on the veteran player
This Season: Grier brings good leadership and calmness to the locker room, but on the ice he has been nothing short of a disappointment. His play has been sub-par all year and he has had to deal with the death of his mother as well (which may have contributed to his play)
I will continue this through my next several blog posts, comment on them and tell me what you think, who's your favorite player? why? what do you think will happen at the trade deadline for the Sabres this season?
Note: I'm doing these players in alphabetical order, I know it seemed like a few strange selections to open up with
These Paragraphs will include accomplishments, pros and cons, and other information.
Forwards
Tim Connolly:
6'1'', 191 lbs. -C
Tim Connolly is known as one of the most injury-prone players in the NHL in the past several years. Past concussion problems have limited him to very minuscule numbers that don't match the underrated skill-set he possesses.
Pros: Very very calm, can control the puck as good as the best, very good passer, sets up many plays and runs the power play whether in the corners or on the point, strong and accurate shot
Cons: Lacks consistency, passes not always as good as they should be, not physical at all, needs to add bulk to his large frame, gives up on the play easily, not very good defensively
This Season: For the first time in a while, Connolly has managed to stay healthy throughout the length of a season. While the season may not be over, he is producing points on a consistent basis. He may not always consistent but he his quietly remaining Buffalo's top scorer
Matt Ellis:
6'0'', 212 lbs. -LW
Matt Ellis is a young player who constantly is improving his game. He works harder than the average player and what he may lack in skill he makes up for in heart. Usually stays on the fourth line and continues to keep a roster spot.
Pros: Very hard worker, battles well in the corners, very speedy, possesses a quick shot, good defensively
Cons: Turns over the puck a lot, has trouble passing, doesn't work well in open ice, shaky skater
This Season: Hasn't been much of a factor, never lacking consistency and comes to play every night, but hasn't put very many points up. He's been a healthy scratch a number of times to make room for other players, and 2 goals don't say much.
Tyler Ennis
5'9'', 163 lbs. -LW
I don't have much to say about Ennis, I haven't seen enough of him. I thought he looked pretty good in the one game he played this season, and he backed that up with a goal in his only NHL game.
Paul Guastad
6'4'', 220 lbs. -C
Guastad has been one of my favorite Sabres throughout the years. An extremely hard worker and not afraid to drop the gloves (one of the few). Always does big things in big moments and throws his body around no matter what.
Pros: Very large frame causes for intimidating stature, always one of the league leaders in faceoff percentage, good in puck battles, very physical and tough
Cons: Slow skater, puck control is not very good, sometimes can't keep his balance, could improve shooting
This Season: Hasn't put up numbers he has in the past, but is still trying his best every game and battling it out. He always sticks up for his teammates (especially Ryan Miller) and has dropped the gloves a few times, but could still use a few more pucks in the back of the net.
Nathan Gerbe:
5'6'', 173 lbs. -C
Nathan Gerbe is officially the shortest player in the National Hockey League. He has not played a full season but has seen quite a bit of action as a result of injury call-ups. I really enjoy his play because he brings energy to the offense and that is needed from him because of his tiny stature.
Pros: Extremely fast, can blaze past defenders, plays bigger than he is, always throwing the body around, decent shot, very crafty, can become a good player in the future
Cons: His height, sometimes seems too small for the tough game being played out there, puck control is not where it needs to be, injury-prone
This Season: Gerbe saw a lot of action last season but not to long into this one he was called up as a replacement and showed improvement from his last time up. He scored his first NHL goal this time around but just when things started to go good he went down with an injury. He hasn't seen any action since.
Mike Grier:
6'1", 227 lbs. -RW
Mike Grier has been around a long time and is coming back to his second stint with the Sabres. The rugged veteran plays with a lot of heart and leadership and has been well liked by his teammates at any of his stops during his career.
Pros: Displays great leadership, plays with a rough edge, never gives up on the play, good puck control, adapts well to his linemates
Cons: Very slow skater, not always as physical as he should be, lacks consistency, age may be taking its toll on the veteran player
This Season: Grier brings good leadership and calmness to the locker room, but on the ice he has been nothing short of a disappointment. His play has been sub-par all year and he has had to deal with the death of his mother as well (which may have contributed to his play)
I will continue this through my next several blog posts, comment on them and tell me what you think, who's your favorite player? why? what do you think will happen at the trade deadline for the Sabres this season?
Note: I'm doing these players in alphabetical order, I know it seemed like a few strange selections to open up with
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