USA vs Finland

[Cujo]

FINLAND-2

UNITED STATES-1

1ST PERIOD

Finland just put one past DiPietro and they've looked dominant so far. It looks like it'll be a quick exit for The States if this keeps up.

Just when you think the Americans are out, they put one in the back of the net. However, I still like Team Finland's chances.

[WJMorris3]

Well, there's one back. The first non-power play goal against the Finns since the Czech game.

EDIT: Tie game now!

[ninersdd]

4-2 Finland, end of 2. Peltonen just batted one in

[HatCityEnforcer]

Dumb penalties all over the place today....

Can't blame Dippy or the D just by themselves...this one's a collective team effort...and Finland's taking full advantage of it.

Ah well, that 7th place game is gonna be lots of fun to play in

Anyone else have the feeling that the hardware the women brought home are gonna be the only hockey medals North America sees?

[jkrdevil]

Ah well, that 7th place game is gonna be lots of fun to play in

There is no 7th place game. They come home now to their NHL teams.

What do expect from a poorly constructed team. Dipetro played well, he's the goalie of the future for team USA. 2010 the US should do well.

Time for a pool. How long before the find the US rooms trashed?

[WJMorris3]

Dumb penalties all over the place today....

Can't blame Dippy or the D just by themselves...this one's a collective team effort...and Finland's taking full advantage of it.

Ah well, that 7th place game is gonna be lots of fun to play in

Anyone else have the feeling that the hardware the women brought home are gonna be the only hockey medals North America sees?

Mark my words, this will be the first Olympics without any North American teams finishing in the top 4 in men's ice hockey. All it needs is a Russian win to cinch it.

[spyboy1]

I can only hope that Keith Tkachuk has seen his last ice time in a USA jersey.

His total inability to score no longer is enough to offset his total inability to stay out of the penalty box.

You couldn't help but notice how little ice time he was getting and how he was on the bench when we normally would have him out there. You would have thought he might have gotten the message, but when they finally did let him off the bench, it was straight to the penalty box once more. What a cement head.

Six games and no points plus three penalties and a minus 2 today in an elimination game. Nice.

[ROCHitman]

A few thoughts...

Tkackuck SHOULD be done playing for the US. He wasn't that great game in and game out. I admire his physical play in front of the net, but he just couldnt finish and his penalties hurt us.

As much as I don't like DiPietro and as much as I wanted Miller to be named to the team, I'm glad Miller was left home. Rick played well and Miller couldn't have led this team to any better results.

ASide from Rickm I thought Eric Cole and Rolston were our two best players throughout the tournament.Cole was using his body all opver the place today and both players have the speed for that open ice.

[SEMOSTLfan]

all in all a pretty pathetic showing by the americans. i hope the olympics go back to amatuer hockey players after the 2010 games in vancouver.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

scoring the 2 goals should be a major accomplishment.

[-kj]

i hope the olympics go back to amatuer hockey players after the 2010 games in vancouver.

Except that they never have been strictly amateur. The dominant Soviet teams were never amateur teams. Most European teams were still made of professional players, they just didn't play in the NHL.

[CC97]

i hope the olympics go back to amatuer hockey players after the 2010 games in vancouver.

Except that they never have been strictly amateur. The dominant Soviet teams were never amateur teams. Most European teams were still made of professional players, they just didn't play in the NHL.

Canada boycotted the hockey because of this a few times in the 70s

[jkrdevil]

ASide from Rickm I thought Eric Cole and Rolston were our two best players throughout the tournament.Cole was using his body all opver the place today and both players have the speed for that open ice.

I would thorw Gionta in that mix with Rolston, Cole, Dipetro. Those 4 were the only ones who played with any heart and that been the Americans problem this year and previous.

I don't think the American players really care about the Olympics the way other countries do. The European players grew up as the Olympics being the big thing for Hockey. The Canadians didn't however they have the this game is our countries game thing going on with them. The US has niether of that. The US has never had success in the Olympics when it's been outside the US. The Miracle on Ice generation is retireing now, the current crop of players coming up for the US grew up watching the NHL and dreaming of winning the Cup. I don't think they players care much about international competitions.

We won the World Junoirs in 2004 but the last 2 years have been diappointments in that tournament. This year we were Gold Medal favorites and walked away without a medal. This years team apparently had a lot of in fighting amongst the team.

This certaintly isn't only a hockey thing. Team USA basketball and Baseball have the same issues.

Hopefully 2010 will be better?

[ROCHitman]

This year we were Gold Medal favorites and walked away without a medal. This years team apparently had a lot of in fighting amongst the team.

I wouldn't go THAT far.

I NEVER expected the US to medal, yet alone win Gold. They just aren't that talented.

You're right about Gionta though. I think alot of people would have said he played better if Tkachuck, his linemate, was better.

[jkrdevil]

This year we were Gold Medal favorites and walked away without a medal. This years team apparently had a lot of in fighting amongst the team.

I wouldn't go THAT far.

I NEVER expected the US to medal, yet alone win Gold. They just aren't that talented.

You're right about Gionta though. I think alot of people would have said he played better if Tkachuck, his linemate, was better.

I was talking about the WOrld Juniors.

[NJTank]

The old Amatuer system was a joke in the Olympics. The Communist countires like the USSR, East Germany, Czechslovaki all cheated at that time none of their palyers were amatures. They were memeber sof teh army usually who only played sports for a living, and since they had no choice but to do what the state said besides it beat the Siberian Salt Mines.

But all they did was train and play and if thats not professional I dont know what is.

[mydogisgomez]

if this is the best the USA Olympic Hockey team can do, I agree with SEMOSTLfan, lets put a team of amateurs together for the next Olympics. Let them play together for a year or two on the big ice in Europe to get it together and we'll have a true team and an underdog team for the fans to root for. The NHLers that go back home to play for their home countries seem to have much more pride than their American counterparts. If the amateurs could only muster one win, it wouldn't be any worse than our team of "superstars" did this year. A bunch of kids feeling like they had something to prove would be pretty exciting and our NHL guys could sit on the beach and count their money for a couple of weeks before they get back to vying for the Stanley Cup. Everyone wins. Of course, it will never happen.

[jkrdevil]

if this is the best the USA Olympic Hockey team can do, I agree with SEMOSTLfan, lets put a team of amateurs together for the next Olympics. Let them play together for a year or two on the big ice in Europe to get it together and we'll have a true team and an underdog team for the fans to root for. The NHLers that go back home to play for their home countries seem to have much more pride than their American counterparts. If the amateurs could only muster one win, it wouldn't be any worse than our team of "superstars" did this year. A bunch of kids feeling like they had something to prove would be pretty exciting and our NHL guys could sit on the beach and count their money for a couple of weeks before they get back to vying for the Stanley Cup. Everyone wins. Of course, it will never happen.

Well to be fare this was pretty much the expectation going into the Olympics. USA Hockey is in a transition period. On paper they should do better in the recent drafts there ahve been a record number of US players selected by 2010 the U.S. should have a pretty strong young group of players.

[spyboy1]

I keep hearing calls for the Olympic hockey to return to the amatuers.

First, every one remembers how cool 1980 was, but who gets excited about how we did in 1984, 1988, 1992 & 1994? Un, NO ONE becuase it sucked going up against the Soviet non-pro professionals.

Second, we have that already in the World Juniors.

Third, if the NHL were to not send it's players to the Olympics in the future, it might be more even, as the top Russians are now committed to the NHL as well.

I'd still rather see the best in the world face off against each other. It's only two weeks every four years. That's not too much too ask now is it? Sure, the USA might be overmatched, but these games have been awesome. Even Italy vs. Germany was a great game.