Comments on: The Leaf Blog: Olympic Hopefuls Aplenty In Leaf Land http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/ --- expert thoughts and analysis on the hockey world Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:03:48 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: BCapp http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/comment-page-1/#comment-389 BCapp Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:27:27 +0000 http://www.hockeycentric.com/?p=3419#comment-389 Yeah. You're right. I guess there is no reason why the power forward has to be in C. The point I was trying to make is that we (leaf fans), always worry about not having a Savard-esque passer, when I think a power forward would be even more important for Kessel. He can make his own opportunities after all, but his sniping creates great rebounds which we need bruisers to be putting in. It will probably come down to chemistry for the top 6 with Parise, kessel, Malone, Kane, Stastny and maybe Connoly. Yeah. You're right. I guess there is no reason why the power forward has to be in C.

The point I was trying to make is that we (leaf fans), always worry about not having a Savard-esque passer, when I think a power forward would be even more important for Kessel. He can make his own opportunities after all, but his sniping creates great rebounds which we need bruisers to be putting in.

It will probably come down to chemistry for the top 6 with Parise, kessel, Malone, Kane, Stastny and maybe Connoly.

]]> By: louie-louie http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/comment-page-1/#comment-388 louie-louie Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:14:57 +0000 http://www.hockeycentric.com/?p=3419#comment-388 agreed about Rinne over Toskala! Why not play him with Stastny though? Think about it, who are USA's top centres? Stastny, Gomez, Connolly, Pavelski? Two of these guys will be top-6 right? So Kessel has to fit along with one of them. You know he can adapt to various linemates, seeing as how hot matty stage fright is nowadays. If you want to put a power forward with Kessel, you can put RYAN MALONE on the left wing and kessel on the right, and any centre will do. agreed about Rinne over Toskala!

Why not play him with Stastny though? Think about it, who are USA's top centres? Stastny, Gomez, Connolly, Pavelski? Two of these guys will be top-6 right? So Kessel has to fit along with one of them. You know he can adapt to various linemates, seeing as how hot matty stage fright is nowadays. If you want to put a power forward with Kessel, you can put RYAN MALONE on the left wing and kessel on the right, and any centre will do.

]]> By: BCapp http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/comment-page-1/#comment-382 BCapp Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:34:03 +0000 http://www.hockeycentric.com/?p=3419#comment-382 Gripped Goalie: Backstrom is a Finn not a Swede, so it will be him and Kipper for the Finn's. That being said, Kipper probably won't play, so it will be Kipper and Rinne (I am a leaf fan, but there is no way they would take Toskala over Rinne). As well Nittymaki was the star of the 06 team and 06 olympics having a GAA below 1! So behind Kipper, Backstrom, Nittymaki, and Rinne Toskala ain't making the team. Kessel will not be a nightmare, but he will be good. If they are smart they will NOT play him with Stastny (who I love, but will look great with Kane), but instead with one of there (many) power forwards. He is a pure sniper and power forwards can dump in his rebounds. As well power forwards will clear up the way and get big defensmen off of him, something we can't do for him. Gripped Goalie:

Backstrom is a Finn not a Swede, so it will be him and Kipper for the Finn's. That being said, Kipper probably won't play, so it will be Kipper and Rinne (I am a leaf fan, but there is no way they would take Toskala over Rinne). As well Nittymaki was the star of the 06 team and 06 olympics having a GAA below 1! So behind Kipper, Backstrom, Nittymaki, and Rinne Toskala ain't making the team.

Kessel will not be a nightmare, but he will be good. If they are smart they will NOT play him with Stastny (who I love, but will look great with Kane), but instead with one of there (many) power forwards. He is a pure sniper and power forwards can dump in his rebounds. As well power forwards will clear up the way and get big defensmen off of him, something we can't do for him.

]]> By: GrippedGoalie http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/comment-page-1/#comment-380 GrippedGoalie Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:35:13 +0000 http://www.hockeycentric.com/?p=3419#comment-380 Kessel can and will torch Canada at least once, all it takes is one slip up for him to get open and he has an amazingly quick release to go along with his Wendel Clark esque accuracy... Belarus sucks compared to the big four (Canada, Russia, USA, Sweeden) but they've got a chance to finish better than Canada did last time around. I do honestly think Gustavsson will make the team behind Lundqvist and Backstrom and the way Toskala has been playing lately I wouldn't be surprised to see him suit up behind Kipper Kessel can and will torch Canada at least once, all it takes is one slip up for him to get open and he has an amazingly quick release to go along with his Wendel Clark esque accuracy…
Belarus sucks compared to the big four (Canada, Russia, USA, Sweeden) but they've got a chance to finish better than Canada did last time around.
I do honestly think Gustavsson will make the team behind Lundqvist and Backstrom and the way Toskala has been playing lately I wouldn't be surprised to see him suit up behind Kipper

]]> By: Mike Wrath-G http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/comment-page-1/#comment-379 Mike Wrath-G Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:39:48 +0000 http://www.hockeycentric.com/?p=3419#comment-379 Kessel a "nightmare" for the Canadians? You're out of your fucking mind. That must be a joke, because Kessel is a one-dimensional player and Canada will eat him like Boston eats him. Kessel a "nightmare" for the Canadians? You're out of your fucking mind. That must be a joke, because Kessel is a one-dimensional player and Canada will eat him like Boston eats him.

]]> By: ahHA http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/comment-page-1/#comment-378 ahHA Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:08:08 +0000 http://www.hockeycentric.com/?p=3419#comment-378 Tommy Salo is 2 words!! Tommy Salo is 2 words!!

]]> By: Brad http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/comment-page-1/#comment-376 Brad Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:34:08 +0000 http://www.hockeycentric.com/?p=3419#comment-376 Koltsov, 1 word, Tommy Salo. That's really the only reason you made it past Sweden. If I remember, you got trounced by Canada in the semi's, and again got beat up in the Bronze game. 2002 was near the beginning of the in-flux of amazing Swedish goaltending. Belarus really has a severe outside shot of winning a medal this time. USA, Russia, Czech, Sweden, Finland, Canada are better teams than Belarus. Good job at ruining Salo's career though. he was never the same after that half court goal. :) Koltsov,

1 word, Tommy Salo. That's really the only reason you made it past Sweden. If I remember, you got trounced by Canada in the semi's, and again got beat up in the Bronze game. 2002 was near the beginning of the in-flux of amazing Swedish goaltending. Belarus really has a severe outside shot of winning a medal this time. USA, Russia, Czech, Sweden, Finland, Canada are better teams than Belarus.

Good job at ruining Salo's career though. he was never the same after that half court goal. :)

]]> By: Konstantin Koltsov http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/comment-page-1/#comment-374 Konstantin Koltsov Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:44:02 +0000 http://www.hockeycentric.com/?p=3419#comment-374 First of all, you forgot about the 3rd regular NHLer from Belarus...Ruslan Salei! He played 70 games for the Avs last year. And while we might not be a powerhouse, but let me remind you that Belarus defeated SWEDEN in the quarterfinals at the 2002 Olympics and we finished 4th overall that year. First of all, you forgot about the 3rd regular NHLer from Belarus…Ruslan Salei! He played 70 games for the Avs last year. And while we might not be a powerhouse, but let me remind you that Belarus defeated SWEDEN in the quarterfinals at the 2002 Olympics and we finished 4th overall that year.

]]> By: MothaUcka http://www.hockeycentric.com/the-leaf-blog/the-leaf-blog-olympic-hopefuls-aplenty-in-leaf-land/comment-page-1/#comment-373 MothaUcka Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:16:38 +0000 http://www.hockeycentric.com/?p=3419#comment-373 Okay, FIRST of all, there is no possible way that Jason Blake makes the American team. He outscored a lot of the potential USA roster last year, but the fact is Blake runs too hot and too cold on a consistent basis. You never know which Blake will show up. He works really hard on the Leafs, but also Burke wants to go with a younger team. They'd rather give his spot to a future US born stud like Okposo for example or even T.J. Oshie. It's without a doubt a building year for the team USA and Blake is a 36-year-old with a volatile work ethic and you can't count on him to perform. Okay, FIRST of all, there is no possible way that Jason Blake makes the American team. He outscored a lot of the potential USA roster last year, but the fact is Blake runs too hot and too cold on a consistent basis. You never know which Blake will show up. He works really hard on the Leafs, but also Burke wants to go with a younger team. They'd rather give his spot to a future US born stud like Okposo for example or even T.J. Oshie. It's without a doubt a building year for the team USA and Blake is a 36-year-old with a volatile work ethic and you can't count on him to perform.

]]>