2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

[Skate79]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

The reason the Canadians and Americans are so good cause they train year around against good competition. This elevates their game to the next level on a continual basis.

While the US team was training here in Boston, Scott Fusco and Lane McDonald, former All Americans from Harvard, got together with a bunch of former D-1 players including Brian Leetch to compete against the girls. That kind of exposure and competition has to make them a better squad and I doubt other countries have the same interest level or thought process to ensure their girls are prepared for these Games. And it really shows.

[brookyone]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

http://www.grandforksherald.com/cont...lay-gold-again

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

And it's set...Sweden and Switzerland for the bronze medal...Canada and USA for the gold medal

[Blackbeard]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Based on these games, the difference between the US and Canada and the rest of the world has not really closed much if anything in the last four years.

Did you watch the Fin-Can and Fin-US games?...meaning the play of Team Finland? If the Finns hadn't choked their quarterfinal game vs Sweden and had played at the same level as they showed vs Canada the US wouldn't have had such an easy time of it today. Remember back a number of days ago, the goal for winning the Can -US game was not having to face the Finns again...which most people thought the loser of that game would have to do.

If the Finns had kept up their initial level of play today's semi final vs the US would probably have been a great game.

If so, would your opinion be different? After all, the difference would have been just the result of one game.

[RStarr]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Pulling for Sweden and the US...

[Skate79]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

And it's set...Sweden and Switzerland for the bronze medal...Canada and USA for the gold medal

Gold medal game at noon EST. Will have to record the game unfortunately as life and business is getting in the way. Or perhaps they will show it again in the evening.

[OnMAA]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Did you watch the Fin-Can and Fin-US games?...meaning the play of Team Finland? If the Finns hadn't choked their quarterfinal game vs Sweden and had played at the same level as they showed vs Canada the US wouldn't have had such an easy time of it today. Remember back a number of days ago, the goal for winning the Can -US game was not having to face the Finns again...which most people thought the loser of that game would have to do.

If the Finns had kept up their initial level of play today's semi final vs the US would probably have been a great game.

If so, would your opinion be different? After all, the difference would have been just the result of one game.

This is nothing new. The Finns have given the Americans and the Canucks fits on more than one occasion over the years. Clog up the middle, rely on stellar goal tending and look for a few breaks. The long and the short of it is that teams like Switzerland, Finland and Sweden keep it close on occasion based more than anything on stellar tending (Martin, Raty, Schelling). This is no different than the "Great Wall of China" leading the Chinese to the medal rounds in the 90's. The reality is that teams like Sweden, Finland, Russia etc, have a few great players, but no depth to challenge the two big teams. Play Canada or USA ten times and they may win one game.

Don't get me wrong, for the good of the game, would like teams like Sweden, Finland, Russia etc to be able to challenge more on a consistent basis. While the depth of number of teams behind the top two is greater today than four years ago, the gap to the top two has not really closed all that much. JMO.

[Eeyore]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Did you watch the Fin-Can and Fin-US games?

Yes, I did. They weren't as close as the scores.

[Eeyore]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

My point was that that is not enough. Make it a year around program with the "teachers" being there for the full season.

This is neither necessary nor sufficient for European improvement. In fact, a willingness to do this would imply that the Europeans had overcome the biggest thing holding them back: a lack of investment. If they were willing to pay for a program like this then they would be willing to pay for the sorts of youth programs and team infrastructure that could overcome the gap without such a program.

And that's the thing: the persistence of the gap between the North Americans and the Europeans is almost entirely a product of the different levels of investment the countries involved. Until the Europeans decide that they really want to close the gap, nothing anyone else does is going to make a difference. Throwing out ideas for what could be done is petty much irrelevant until they make that commitment.

Beyond that, I don't think that efforts at the adult level are really where the focus should be. The Europeans don't need tactical advice, or nutrition, or anything else with running an Olympic team per se. They need to have more young girls playing the game and getting youth level coaching. Until they start producing more potential Olympic players, nothing they do with the ones they have is a difference maker.

[OnMAA]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

This is neither necessary nor sufficient for European improvement. In fact, a willingness to do this would imply that the Europeans had overcome the biggest thing holding them back: a lack of investment. If they were willing to pay for a program like this then they would be willing to pay for the sorts of youth programs and team infrastructure that could overcome the gap without such a program.

And that's the thing: the persistence of the gap between the North Americans and the Europeans is almost entirely a product of the different levels of investment the countries involved. Until the Europeans decide that they really want to close the gap, nothing anyone else does is going to make a difference. Throwing out ideas for what could be done is petty much irrelevant until they make that commitment.

Beyond that, I don't think that efforts at the adult level are really where the focus should be. The Europeans don't need tactical advice, or nutrition, or anything else with running an Olympic team per se. They need to have more young girls playing the game and getting youth level coaching. Until they start producing more potential Olympic players, nothing they do with the ones they have is a difference maker.

We actually agree. Bringing in top players from NA to teach and play against the players in country is part of the INVESTMENT that should be funded by those governing bodies. That was part of the point I made in an earlier post on the subject. Its a Win-Win-Win opportunity. Giving more NA college grads a place to play at a high level while getting compensated and hone coaching skills and helps to local nations to get better by having more top talent to help teach the grass roots and for the grass roots to look up to. It could also increase the pipeline of future players from Europe getting into the NA college system.

[OnMAA]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Pulling for Sweden and the US...

Got it only half right. Pulling for the Maple Leaf and the Tre Kronor.

[ARM]

Got it only half right. Pulling for the Maple Leaf and the Tre Kronor.

You know how in NCAA hockey you're always pulling for somebody different to win? Well, I'm going to borrow from your "usual" line of thinking for this one and cheer for the Americans who haven't won gold in 16 years and the Swiss who have never medaled.

[brookyone]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Spooner seems particularly sharp in Sochi. Not tremendously surprising to WCHA fan folks.

[Skate79]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

This is nothing new. The Finns have given the Americans and the Canucks fits on more than one occasion over the years. Clog up the middle, rely on stellar goal tending and look for a few breaks. The long and the short of it is that teams like Switzerland, Finland and Sweden keep it close on occasion based more than anything on stellar tending (Martin, Raty, Schelling). This is no different than the "Great Wall of China" leading the Chinese to the medal rounds in the 90's. The reality is that teams like Sweden, Finland, Russia etc, have a few great players, but no depth to challenge the two big teams. Play Canada or USA ten times and they may win one game.

Don't get me wrong, for the good of the game, would like teams like Sweden, Finland, Russia etc to be able to challenge more on a consistent basis. While the depth of number of teams behind the top two is greater today than four years ago, the gap to the top two has not really closed all that much. JMO.

Well said and on point.

[ExHockeyguy]

Re: 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

We actually agree. Bringing in top players from NA to teach and play against the players in country is part of the INVESTMENT that should be funded by those governing bodies. That was part of the point I made in an earlier post on the subject. Its a Win-Win-Win opportunity. Giving more NA college grads a place to play at a high level while getting compensated and hone coaching skills and helps to local nations to get better by having more top talent to help teach the grass roots and for the grass roots to look up to. It could also increase the pipeline of future players from Europe getting into the NA college system.

I agree to a point with OnMAA and Eeyore. But there's one thing missing here. Investment will never happen until the CULTURE changes. As one who has "been there, done that" on this subject, I can say it's a cultural issue. It's just not that important to the country governing bodies. Over there most Olympic sports are government sponsored (for the most part). There's only so much ways to slice a pie. Over here we have a privately funded USOC and the individual sports are responsible for their own funding, receiving some assistance from the USOC, usually based upon metrics. In terms of European interest and support, women's ice hockey is way down the list and only really somewhat important once every four years. Don't forget, it wasn't so long ago that USA Hockey and even Hockey Canada were pretty uneasy with this whole "girls play hockey?" thing. Change comes very slowly, especially to the "old world." First and foremost, THEY have to really WANT it. That probably won't be tomorrow....or the next day either. Just my two cents.