I’ll just do the observations section for these, but I didn’t see anything that resembled a medal-winning team there. One of my biggest complaints about the Olympics is these guys get all of one practice together before they have to sit back, relax, and strap it down (just full of Hawk-isms today, pitchers and catchers must be reporting soon). It sure looked like a bunch of guys who never played with each other before. Sloppy sloppy sloppy.
-First, who impressed? Both Johnsons were very good, and Miller made the saves he had to. Although when those chances are falling to Russian, Canadians, and Swedes, they’ll be much tougher saves. Backes and Kesler were also very good.
-In local interest, Patrick Kane looked as if he couldn’t give a fuck, which is weird from someone who has openly talked about embracing the chance to shine on a world stage. He also showed all the interest in backchecking that I do in a colonoscopy. And he wasn’t the only forward with that affliction. But it’s only one game.
-Is Ron Wilson drunk? Langenbrunner on the power play? Drury on the power play?
-If the ice sucks now, what’s it going to look like next week? Or do they switch to water polo? I can’t believe they’re cramming all the games into one venue. I know the Pacific Garage is used for figure skating, but surely they could have built something else. I mean, if you’re going over budget anyway, then go FUCKING OVER BUDGET.
-The US struggled to get the puck through a trap. Not that we know what that looks like around here or anything.
-The US gets another scrimmage Thursday against Norway, and they’ll need it because if they try some of that crap against Canada they’ll give up 12.
-Anyway, continue the rest of the discussion here.