IIHF WC.

[Pekka]

Umh, I don't think the teams have improved their level SIGNIFICANTLY versus the already top countries. Weaker countries have always been able to draw tight losses, sometimes winning by one goal etc. by simply playing trap, annoying 1-0-4 and so forth. Which isn't hockey anyway.

I say that tight score was due to Russia's lack of passion that should be matched with discipline. It's been only Malkin and Datsyuk who have been stepping up. Fortunately for Russia it's been enough and look at the rosters in these games, not a single real NHL star except for Malkin and Datsyuk, and Ovechkin. Other than that? There's a bunch of no ones playing and it's obvious, because it's been a very boring tournament so far on average. Only exciting players came from the Penguins and Flyers. And Ovechkin has been, IMO, boring in this tournament as well. I don't know why, but at least I like him and his style, but he seems to be day dreaming too much, not giving his all in every shift, he seems to fall quite often and all that stuff. Malkin and Datsyuk pretty much saved the tournament from being totally embarrassing by at least having few HOCKEY players.

The top countries have had exceptionally weak teams in this tournament. Most took the opportunity to break in new guys and why not, since this was the Olympic year where the real hockey was played.

I'm saying IIHF is ****, NHL is not. I'm also saying that KHL is pretty exciting as well. But as far as IIHF goes.... I mean come on. Look at the rosters people. There's no one there!

[Pekka]

Once again, IIHF proved itself an unworthy tournament.

Clearly the strongest roster didn't win. Hockey is a team game, yes, and Czech team did defend well and played disciplined, but come on, look at Russia's roster. Of course they should win 9 times out of 10.

It's not that Russia did not win, it's that IIHF sucks. Don't worry Russians, no one cares about this tournament anyways.

[Asher]

So Russia lost to the Czechs?

Man, that country can't do anything right. Come in with a stacked roster, and still ****ing lose in a tournament full of pathetic teams.

[Asher]

I just saw the "highlights" right now on TSN...man, it's so ****ing sad. The teams looked like they were floating, not even playing hockey. Awful, awful, awful.

On the GWG, Ovechkin and Federov collide then casually get up and slowly skate while the Czechs break out and just pot a weak goal.

[Serb]

Clearly the strongest roster didn't win. Hockey is a team game, yes, and Czech team did defend well and played disciplined, but come on, look at Russia's roster. Of course they should win 9 times out of 10.

Not 9 out of 10. That was our first defeat in 28 games at World Championships. We had a record series of 27 wins in a row. Nobody can win forever. We were just very unlucky tonight. And the refs
Two players won this game for Czechs and both of them are from my home city team. First is Jacub Klepish who scored at 20th second after Jagr's pass. And the second is Jaromir Jagr who is a ******* actor.
Look at this:

CAN ANY1 explain to me WhyTF our player have been sent from the ice after that classic body check?

That was absolutely clear, but the refs gave Emelin 5+20 min.

That cost us an equalizer for sure. We played 4 vs. 5 for five goddamn minutes and lost Emelin in addition to already lost Anisimov and Fedorov (both injuried during the game). We've lost three players during the game due to injuries and bad ref's decisions. Great. Just ****ing great.

F*cking refs.

[Serb]

So Russia lost to the Czechs?

Man, that country can't do anything right. Come in with a stacked roster, and still ****ing lose in a tournament full of pathetic teams.

KHL beat NHL. Half of the Czech team plays in KHL. When we had most of our team from KHL we won WC two years in a row. This year we had our NHL stars, but lost our KHL stars due to injuries (Morozov, Zaripov, Radulov are all injured and missed KHL play-offs and WC).

[Asher]

KHL beat NHL.

[Kitschum]

I'm saying IIHF is ****, NHL is not. I'm also saying that KHL is pretty exciting as well. But as far as IIHF goes.... I mean come on. Look at the rosters people. There's no one there!

And I'm saying with that attitude you might just as well not have any national team competitions at all. Be happy with the Stanley Cup and don't worry about the rest.

Do you watch Finnish league hockey?

[Pekka]

And I'm saying with that attitude you might just as well not have any national team competitions at all. Be happy with the Stanley Cup and don't worry about the rest.

Do you watch Finnish league hockey?

I sometimes watch Finnish league. It isn't very excellent either. Not anymore. All the good players go to NHL too soon these days for it to be any good. 10 years ago they would still play a season or two after they've been asked to join the team in NA, just to be sure and ready and 100 %, to be mature enough. Now? They just don't do that anymore so the local league suffers.

I do have my home team though, of course.

Stanley Cup is the premier and the only true hockey cup there is. It's always been like that. Surely it can be challenged, but I doubt that we will see any real competition soon. It's like this: Saudi Arabia has tons of money so they can pay a billion dollars to their star players and set up a league. Sure they will get few good players from NHL and other leagues, but the true stars of the game go after the cup, the pinnacle of the sport. They've been dreaming about it since they were little kids.

There still are good international games like Olympics and World Cup. Then, IMO, the most exciting games after Stanley Cup are U20 and U18. Those are international tournaments with less skill but more passion and speed. Lots of great hockey there.

I'm after good hockey. I prefer watching completely strange teams playing each other, as long as they play good hockey, than watch my home team play bad hockey. In a really good game you don't even have to root for anyone, in fact it's difficult since the game is so good.

It doesn't make IIHF good. The good players turn it down, it means the tournament quality is down. It has nothing to do with my attitude, nor does my attitude magically spread into millionaire players' heads.

[Kitschum]

You suck, I am sorry to say. You'd watch the Saudi Arabian Hockey League in a heartbeat if that's where Crosby and Ovechkin were playing. I can't watch the Finnish League here, but I figure it's similar to the Swedish League. It's not that good, but at least there's some noise! Have you ever listened to an NHL crowd, there's supposedly 20,000 people there, but it's like a funeral or a tennis match, they're so quiet.

You have no sense if you think the European players of today grew up dreaming of the Stanley Cup (Who the Fuck is Stanley??) that you'd have to be a special kind of nerd to stay up all night watching on some satelite channel your mommy and daddy paid for, and not the World Championship that was on in decent hours and everybody could relate to. Really, it's still like that. What kind of girl are you gonna get by telling her you've won the Stanley Cup? Tell her you're a world champion and you're good to go...

[Asher]

Have you ever listened to an NHL crowd, there's supposedly 20,000 people there, but it's like a funeral or a tennis match, they're so quiet.

Huh?

Depends on the city I guess. I go home with a splitting headache every time I go to a Flames game from the noise.

[Asher]

As for the Stanley Cup, it is perhaps the most historic and legendary of all sports trophies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cup

Stanley was Lord Stanley, the 16th Earl of Derby and the sixth governor general of Canada: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederi..._Earl_of_Derby

Derby's sons became avid ice hockey players in Canada, playing in amateur leagues in Ottawa, and in consequence Lord and Lady Derby became staunch hockey fans. In 1892, Derby gave Canada a treasured national icon — the Stanley Cup. He originally donated the trophy as a challenge cup for Canada's best amateur hockey club but in 1909 it became contested by professional teams exclusively. Since 1926, only teams of the National Hockey League have competed for the trophy. This now famous cup bears Derby's name as tribute to his encouragement and love of outdoor life and sport in Canada.

Certainly far more prestigious than the IIHF world championship trophy, no?

[Kitschum]

Maybe it's my TV, but I doubt it.

[Asher]

Seriously, how could you not hear the fans when you watch the games?

Watch the Philly-Chicago finals and tell me you can't hear those crowds. They're far louder than any other crowds in sports, by virtue of the closed arena.

[Asher]

Listen to ~1:15 onwards specifically. I don't think you get a good sense of how deafening the sound is from the camera mic. But it's VERY VERY loud.

In playoff games, the players frequently can't even hear the ref's whistle from 10 feet away it's so loud.

I very much doubt any European leagues have environments like that, even the IIHF games.