Will day-job alliances affect olympic play?
by Brainumbc on Nov 15, 2009 4:06 PM EST
30 comments
Consider the following hypothetical situation. Yes... it's VERY hypothetical, but it's just an example of something that *could* happen.
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It's February 2010. It's the gold medal game vs Russia and.. oh let's say.. Sweeden. The game is tied and it's in OT. The Russians chip the puck ahead and it curls around behind Lindqvist. Nick Bacstrom zooms back and chases it around the net... but there's OV... rushing in on the other side like a freight train. Backstrom is caught like a deer in the headlights. The way OV plays, he slams into Nikkie with the same zealousness that he used when he blew that hit on Malkin.. hitting him hard enough to get him to cough up the puck and there's OV... all by his lonesome right in front of Henrik with the puck. He roofs it and wins the gold.
Rewind to right before OV makes the hit, during his charge. Do you think it's possible something might pop up in his mind last split second that makes him think "I could destroy Nikkie, get the puck and there's my chance to win the gold.. BUT that might injure him and take him out for months... thus significantly reducing our NHL teams' chances at winning the Stanley cup"?
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I know it's a stretch (and let's forget about how possible a scenario is like the one above) but we have to admit: Situations like this might pop up; either super critical ones like above mentioned or something as minor as a D-man deciding if he should really whale that hard on the guy creating a screen in front of him because the guy happens to be his NHL-teammate (I don't know why but the pic of tom Poti ramming his stick into Umburger's back before getting owned the other week is popping into my head).
The decision to not allow NHLers to play in 2014 olympic hockey has me torn, not so much about worries over injuries to players who are getting paid tons of money but because of the following dilemna:
* If you want to prove your country's team is the best in the world, then shouldn't you have the BEST players so there's no doubt your country earned that gold medal?
But on the other hand..
* You have to wonder if there are little alliances that could, even subliminally, be making your team "pull their punches", causing the best players to play less then their best, effectively giving us less of a "world class" performance anyways? I guess it wouldn't be as big of a deal during the non-Olympic world championship because it's played during the NHL offseason, and your team would have enough time to rearrange a few things. But the Olympics come right at the start of the home-stretch for the NHL: The do-or-die time where a club teetering on the #8 position needs every tiny little advantage it can get.
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The first problem with your hypo is that Limus Sweeden would have dropped the ball way earlier and gotten eliminated before the gold medal game.
As for the substance of your post, I think it’s an interesting point to consider. I think the better example would be AO on Green because Green is infinitely more likely to put himself in a position to get trucked by AO (and I really want AO to beat Team Canada for Gold). Nick is a smart player and if he knows AO is out there he’ll avoid a hit like that. He basically knows where all players on the ice are at all times. How often do you see Nick take a big hit from anyone? Including the dirt bag predators that roam the NHL.
I’m not really worried. I think that the kind of guys that get put on Olympic teams are, for the most part, not the kind of guys that try to take advantage of players and hurt them. Jarkko Ruutu excepted. AO, and many other guys in the Olympics, play hard and will look to take the body, but they aren’t the kind of guys that premeditate injuries such that they would consider which NHL team the guy is on before trying to blow out their knee. Throw in the fact that the guys in the Olympics are, by and large, the best at defending themselves on the ice, and I don’t think the kind of targeting you envision is a real problem.
There is definitely a concern with your star players taking more hits in intense games during the Olympics. I just don’t think the NHL team affiliation angle is going to play much of a role in how the different teams and players attack each other. Do you think Mike Green is going to hesitate to tell Mike Babcock any secret he knows about stopping AO? I doubt it. And if Green and AO have to hit each other, they will. They’ll probably play in the Olympics exactly how they play in the NHL. They are competitive guys and want to win, they’ll sort out the Cup chase stuff at the end of February.
If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...
by Fehr and Balanced on Nov 15, 2009 4:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Nice Avatar :)
I take it you’re predicting a Russia vs Canada final like everyone else eh? If that’s the case do you think Green would even make it on the roster?
But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sweeden make it to the finals again.
by Brainumbc on Nov 15, 2009 4:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I hope Green doesn’t make it. I’m also not predicting the Gold medal game; it depends on the draw. If RUS and CAN are bracketed to meet in the Semifinals then they can’t be the Gold medal game. I’m predicting that two of RUS, CAN, SWE make the Gold medal game.
If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...
by Fehr and Balanced on Nov 15, 2009 5:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yea I’m doubting he’ll make it. Canada has such a potent offense Green would be a liability.. but hell if that wouldn’t be the most interesting line up of a gold medal game.. wouldn’t it?
Ovi/Kovi/Malkin and green running around and trying to stop all three of them at once.
by Brainumbc on Nov 15, 2009 8:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The Gold medal game should be awesome regardless of which two teams play. I disagree on your assessment of Green, and if I thought he was a liability I’d want him on Team Canada. I just think it would be nice to see Green go down the stretch and into the playoffs rested and playing with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. Scary thought.
If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...
by Fehr and Balanced on Nov 15, 2009 8:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I never thought about that. You might be right.
I just think Canada is an offensive beast… very well rounded, very talented. But Russia’s is better. I think the only way you can shut down a team with the big guns like Russia is to play some really rough Pronger-like D. I don’t think he’ll make It. Green’s style is too loose canon like (and I mean that in a good way).
I love the way he plays though. Don’t get me wrong. Green’s hip check is the best in the league. Anytime I get into a facebook argument with people who say hockey isn’t a real sport I just post a youtube link to his check on Fedetenko (sp?) after he lost his stick. When he’s in the crazy zone,the opposing team player sometimes stand up wondering what time zone they’re in…. but it’s just too easy to imagine him “abandoning his post” and rushing into the offensive zone and getting poke checked and bam… 3-1.
by Brainumbc on Nov 15, 2009 9:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Green’s hip check is the best in the league.
Keith Ballard would like a word.
And on behalf of Keith Ballard I’d like to tell Brian Burke to remove his head from his colon.
If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...
by Fehr and Balanced on Nov 15, 2009 9:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Doughty also throws a mean hip check.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Nov 16, 2009 1:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
my personal favorite green hip check.
by Natty Bumppo on Nov 16, 2009 2:38 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ahhh yes I totally forgot about THAT one. The ol’ Mike Green Merry Go Round.
by Brainumbc on Nov 16, 2009 8:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Best? I dunno, but it sure is a thing of beauty when he does throw it. Problem is, he doesn’t throw it nearly enough.
by RedBirdie on Nov 16, 2009 10:06 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Amen to that. I haven’t seen Green decimate anyone in forever.
by Brainumbc on Nov 16, 2009 10:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
he got a good one in a couple weeks ago, although I could see it coming from halfway across the ice. Literally. He skated backwards with his ass sticking out, and the guy still didn’t see it coming. It was strange.
by RedBirdie on Nov 16, 2009 11:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yea.. if you youtube any of Green’s monster hits, they all seem like that don’t they? It’s like there’s a giant puck-magnet in his sphincter. He just squats over and lets his bum to the rest.
by Brainumbc on Nov 16, 2009 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
A phrase to never hear again – Puck-magnet in his sphincter.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Nov 16, 2009 4:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Better stay away from MY posts then.
by Brainumbc on Nov 16, 2009 5:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Obviously, it’s going to be Germany and Italy this year.
Oh wait, wrong sport. Damn it. Although, I will be wearing my Black, Red, and Gold come winter.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Nov 16, 2009 7:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think I figured out where Crosby learned to play hockey:
by Brainumbc on Nov 16, 2009 8:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I no longer have any reason to break out my little German flag and try and convince myself that Germany’s goalie will backstop them to Olympic glory. Sad.
by RedBirdie on Nov 16, 2009 10:08 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
There’s sadness on that end for German soccer as well, but I digress.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Nov 16, 2009 5:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I guess try picturing the Richards/Booth incident earlier. If they were playing the same game in the Olympics and playing for different teams, but Booth and Richards were both Flyers… don’t you think Richards would have gone for a stick check?
I’m not saying it’s going to make a huge difference.. but think there’s always going to be something in the back of people’s minds.
And by the way… I know I should do more research before asking because the answer is probably out there.. but is the KHL also pulling its players out of the games in 2014?
by Brainumbc on Nov 15, 2009 5:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think they think that far ahead (the KHL). Would Richards try to take Timmonen’s head off? Interesting question. I don’t know.
If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...
by Fehr and Balanced on Nov 15, 2009 5:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
We can only hope.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Nov 16, 2009 7:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
To answer your last question — for one, the KHL almost certainly would not keep its players from playing in an Olympics on Russian soil. That said, I doubt the NHL will pull its players out either, as you seem to be assuming. The league is talking it up now, in my mind, even though they know they can’t realistically make it happen. It’s simply too popular.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Nov 15, 2009 6:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I asked Green about it before the season, FWIW:
Me: If you make the Canadian Team and you’re in Vancouver and you’ve got Ovi lined up, do you take a shot at him?
Green: Sure. It’s the Olympics – you’re playing for your country. No, I’m not going to try to injure him, but I’ll be playing my hardest.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Nov 15, 2009 5:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Oh yes, and they also think they can stand up for themselves. Talk is cheap.
"And next year it will be ours."
by Ovechwin on Nov 15, 2009 5:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. I’m actually routing for Russia and not the USA.I feel like a traitor.
I’m just really curious as to how Ovi is going to play when his line is up against another country’s line that contains Backstrom, Jurchina, or Green. I’m willing to bet that whichever two teams play in the finals…both are going to have a member of the Caps. It will be interesting to see how they treat each other.
by Brainumbc on Nov 15, 2009 8:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Well I’m sure Ovechkin has already played against some of his Washington teammates, during the last Olympics (maybe not), but almost surely during the World Champs Russia won 2 years ago. I remember, and I looked it up to make sure, Greenie was on that team.
I’m sure Ovie wouldn’t think for a split second that because it was Green he wouldn’t hit. I mean we’ve seen the way he plays, he injured Gonchar last year and they’re supposed to be good friends, although it’s true I’ve never seen him take out Kovalchuk, they’re best pals.
No matter what everyone says, I think Olympic gold is more important to Russians than the Stanley Cup, so if Ovie was to compromise his chance for a Stanley Cup to increase his chance at Gold, he would’nt think twice. Canadians though might be another story. Stanley Cup is probably more important to them.
And finally, if anything, you’re actyually more likely to see less hitting a month or so before the Olympics between fellow countrymen. It wouldn’t go well at all in Russia if OV or anyone else was to injure Gonchar, Malkin, Markov, or anyone else just before the Olympics.
I’m actually more concerned about the Caps locker room if there is some scrap during the Olympics. For that reason, I prefer Green to not take part, and Nicky and Russia not to meet in knock-out stages.
and finally, Russia’s the favorite, but it’s one game knock-out, for all we know, we could have a Slovakia-Finland final, with Russia, Canada and Sweden out in the quarters…
by benjik on Nov 17, 2009 5:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I hear the Vatican has a good team this year too
by Brainumbc on Nov 17, 2009 10:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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