Don't be sad, Canada. You still have better health care than us.
One of the things I was looking forward to after the US upset Canada on Sunday was reading the comment section of the TSN game story. I always like to check in there when there’s any sort of hockey event that does not favor a Canadian perspective and, let’s face it, this one promised to be the motherload. As of this writing there were 354 comments posted ranging from wailing hysteria to bitter second guessing, mindless yahooism and just flat out denial. A sampling for your entertainment.
We’ll start with ptm:
Ok, I don’t know about the rest of you Candadians out there, but, I for one, am absolutely positive that this loss to US will make the Canadian Men’s Hockey team stronger. I KNOW WE WILL WIN THE GOLD MEDAL IN VANCOUVER 2010 IN MEN’S HOCKEY. That is not wishful thinking. The US team will go down from here on in. Stay tuned, it is definitely not over for our Canadian team. For you doubters out there, jump on the bandwagon with the commentators from the game shown on CTV tonight…what a bunch of losers they are. Did anyone else notice that they were right alongside the Americans on this game?? I say to them, shame on you. It ain’t over till it’s over. Watch and see. GO CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think we can safely file that one under denial. Much as I admire your passion, ptm, I think the folks at the home might need to tweak your medication drip.
A bit more of the river in Egypt from BigM13.
People, people, people, calm down. Breathe… Losing this game is not a bad thing. It gives us an extra game to come together as a team. We took some positive steps tonight, carried most of the play, and came an eyelash short of tying it up. This is a process, folks, and Team Canada is right on schedule. I feel bad for the Germans, as I’m afraid they’ll feel the wrath of our frustration in the next game…
Riiiight. Losing this one wasn’t a bad thing even though it resulted in you finishing fifth and facing an apparently superior Russian team on the second night of back-to-back games. It’s a process. Like having to go to a shoot-out to beat Switzerland. Part of the process.
Now for a little bitterness and the predictable Brodeur bashing from the aptly named Sumtingwong.
I knew this was one for the loss column the second I saw Brodeur on the ice. He was shaky every time the puck was near, and I gringed (sic) whenever he went after the puck. He was a good goalie from a bygone era where interference penalties were not called. Which doesn’t cut it for this level of play. He doesn’t strike me as a team-first kind of player (more interested in personal records) so I don’t think this will be his last year in the NHL. Even though it should be. I would hope he has played his last Olympics though. It’s been years since Brodeur carried a team, please Babcock, don’t waste Canada’s chances because of nostalgia.
Oh, of course, it was all Martin Brodeur’s fault, I’m sure. It’s just a sense of sappy nostalgia for days gone by that caused Babcock to play him in this game. He’s over the hill completely. Nevermind his 34 wins, 7 shutouts, GAA of 2.32 and saves percentage of .915 he’s posted while leading the New Jersey Devils to second place overall in the Eastern Conference, 4th best point total in the NHL this sason. Forget all that because he misplayed a clearing attempt and it ended up in his net.
Listen up, shmucko. Ken Dryden on his best day would not have won that game for you. If you think Luongo would have been the difference, you need to maybe think about switching over to curling as your favourite sport. Your posts are making me gringe.
Of course, Hedghog44 wants to back up your scapegoating.
Brodeur has never been the reason his team has won anything. He has never won a Conn Smythe, wasn’t spectacular in 2002, flamed out in 2006 and sucked tonight. He has to go.
Soooo… Marty Brodeur is just an overrated dog turd of a goalie who never would have won a damn thing if he hadn’t played in Jersey? Never mind the Calder, the 4 Vezina’s, the 3 Stanley Cups, countless All-Star appearences and the all time record for shut-outs. Just a fluke of the draft that people continually mention his name in the discussion of the greatest goalies of all time.
Let’s finish off this session with some more groundless optimism, this time from PaulVV.
Are you guys for real? I mean did we watch the same game? 41 seconds in the first shot goes off Crosby’s stick and in. So right away we are off to an unlucky start. Canada hammers them with shots to the tune of 45 to 22. Scoring chances ESPN has it at 23 to 11 for Canada and lets not talk about time in the attacking zone. Lets see….another goal goes off Weber’s skate and in…..mean time…Canada continues to hammer. So how about Canada getting just one bounce…just one…and I think we have a different story then…oh Brodeur this and Miller that. If I were USA I’d work on improving my game because those bounces don’t happen every game and that luck will run out…When it does your skill won’t carry you. You can’t let another team fire 45 shots on your goal and win. I still call Canada to win it all…if they play like tonight!!
This sentiment was a bit prevalent in the posting, actually. It was all lucky bounces that got the US the win. The Canadians outplayed and outworked them but the winds of fate and a crappy old has-been of a goalie did the good guys in. The last line there really says it all. “If we play the way we did on the night of our most humiliating loss in recent memory, we’re going to kick ass!”
Keep owning the podium, eh?
Tags: Abject Denial, Martin Brodeur, Mike Babcock, TSN, TSN Comments, USA vs. Canada, Vancouver
Hockey Gone Wild 
February 23, 2010 at 3:39 am |
I didn’t think I’d be so into the US-Canada rivalry…but I guess the World Juniors win kind of got me into it. And obviously this was an amazing game. Of course there’s a tendency (and boy, have I noticed it in Chicago this year…) to overstate the goalie’s role in wins and losses. Miller was fantastic, Brodeur had an off night (and he’s had a few this year, despite the spectacular record), but there was much more to it than that. Problems with teamwork, problems with the line combinations, some players that maybe are past their prime, etc. (I’m not being a Blackhawks fangirl saying this, but agreeing with some more reasonable commenters–Keith and Seabrook should be paired up, and Toews could get more time.)
I read some of the comments on that story; in the morning I looked at the story in the Vancouver paper, because it’s fun to see Canadians get riled up (the goalie debate seems to be all Canada talked about Monday). Can’t wait to see what happens next–I won’t make predictions.
February 23, 2010 at 10:53 am |
I’ll make a prediction. Canada will whomp up on Germany, as they should, and then get beat by Russia in what will be the Alex Ovechkin prime time extravaganza. Canada has no answer to Ovechkin. He’ll burn past Pronger like he was a dime store wooden Indian. He’ll run over Neidermeyer like he was a paper cut-out. Granted, that’s going to be a hell of a game but I’m not sure even “Lou”, as his nation of close friends call him, can save them in that one.
Then who do you blame? It’ll be dump on Mike Babcock and Steve Yzerman time. Maybe I shouldn’t taunt too much considering how tragic it is that a nation’s pride hangs in the balance but it’s sort of a natural reaction to the fans’ sense of entitlement and, sometimes, poor sportsmanship when they lose. The fans giving the US squad any respect for what they accomplished were in a minority. So be it.
November 7, 2011 at 12:17 pm |
Hey so I randomly stumbled upon this blog.
I just NEEDED to take the opportunity to say this.
Who, exactly, was in denial back then? God it’s so great when arrogant Americans get put in their place.
I know it’s old news, water under the bridge, etc… but I can never get over the over-zealous American sense of self-worth.
Have a good day.