World Cup of Hockey... (post your plays/thoughts inside...)

[SportSavant]

reports here in Canada indicate that Mario is as healthy as an OX. Also, take a close look at their lineup...Lecavalier, St Louis, Richards.... these Guys played together all year & won the cup for Tampa...

Also do not forget, HOME ICE ADVANTAGE, North AMERICAN sized RINKS.


Jose Theodore R/D 5' 11" 180 09/13/76 Laval, QC Montreal Canadiens
Martin Brodeur L/G 6' 2" 210 05/06/72 Montreal, QC New Jersey Devils
Roberto Luongo L/G 6’ 3" 205 04/04/79 Montreal, QC Florida Panthers
Defence
Eric Brewer L/G 6' 3" 220 04/17/79 Kamloops, BC Edmonton Oilers
Adam Foote R/D 6' 2" 220 07/10/71 Whitby, ON Colorado Avalanche
Scott Hannan L/G 6' 1" 220 01/23/79 Richmond, BC San Jose Sharks
Ed Jovanovski L/G 6' 2" 210 06/26/76 Windsor, ON Vancouver Canucks
Scott Niedermayer L/G 6' 1" 200 08/31/73 Windsor, ON New Jersey Devils
Chris Pronger L/G 6' 6" 218 10/10/74 Dryden, ON St. Louis Blues
Wade Redden L/G 6’ 2" 212 06/12/77 Lloydminster, SK Ottawa Senators
Robyn Regehr L/G 6’ 3" 226 04/19/80 Rosthern, SK Calgary Flames
Forwards
Shane Doan R/D 6’ 2" 216 10/10/76 Halkirk, AB Phoenix Coyotes
Kris Draper L/G 5’ 10" 190 05/24/71 Toronto, ON Detroit Red Wings
Simon Gagné L/G 6' 0" 195 02/29/80 Ste-Foy, QC Philadelphia Flyers
Dany Heatley L/G 6’ 3" 215 01/21/81 Calgary, AB Atlanta Thrashers
Jarome Iginla R/D 6' 1" 208 07/01/77 Edmonton, AB Calgary Flames
Vincent Lecavalier L/G 6' 4" 215 04/21/80 Ile Bizard, QC Tampa Bay Lightning
Mario Lemieux R/D 6' 4" 230 10/05/65 Montreal, QC Pittsburgh Penguins
Kirk Maltby R/D 6’0" 200 12/22/72 Guelph, ON Detroit Red Wings
Patrick Marleau L/G 6’ 2" 220 09/15/79 Aneroid, SK San Jose Sharks
Brenden Morrow L/G 5’ 11" 210 01/16/79 Carlyle, SK Dallas Stars
Brad Richards L/G 6’ 1" 198 05/02/80 Murray Harbour, PEI Tampa Bay Lightning
Joe Sakic L/G 5' 11" 195 07/07/69 Burnaby, BC Colorado Avalanche
Ryan Smyth L/G 6' 1" 190 02/21/76 Banff, AB Edmonton Oilers
Martin St. Louis L/G 5’ 9" 185 06/18/75 Laval, QC Tampa Bay Lightning
Joe Thornton L/G 6’ 4" 223 07/02/79 St. Thomas, ON Boston Bruins

 

[WildBill]

Sorry, they don't look that great to me. Russia looks better to me with the Czechs about even with Canada. Lets see if the home crowd makes the difference because NHL sized arenas mean little as almost everyone playing is an NHLer.

 

[SportSavant]

RUSSIA?????????????

please explain, perhaps with coaching & experiance...

but certainly not players?????????????

 

[Fishhead]

The LIGHTNING contingent should be a powerful force indeed.

All potential future Hall of Famers!

GO CANADA!

 

[SportSavant]

or are you talking about a "VALUE IN ODDS" situation...

I do AGREE that RUSSIA has FVCKING TREMENDOUS VALUE @ +1600

 

[SportSavant]

the 'LIGHNING' angle us HUGE in this type of tournament...

Also a healthy MARIO is priceless....

 

[SportSavant]

wildbill,

your comments about EVERYONE playing on an NHL size surface is also INCORRECT. perhaps with CANADA & USA... but the other teams are not 100% NHL'ers....


editing my post as I just re-read the thread & realized you said "MOST" about the NHL ice surface thing.... sorry Wildbill.

 

[WildBill]

Just look over their lineup. A little thin down on fourth line, but they can put a devastating show on the first line together (Kovalev, Datsyuk, and Yashin) Depends on how physical the refs let it get too, but without a heavy physical NHL bias the Russians have a lot of great playmakers that are going to be tough to stop. At least they will be pretty to watch, especially getting to seeing "the next Lemieux" Ovechkin in his first shot at NHL level play. And a lights-out goalie in Nabokov sure doesn't hurt.

Should be a great tourney with the top teams so evenly matched it could come down to catching some breaks. Russians are a steal at +1350 with Pinny. I don't get how Sweden is favored over the Russians or the Czechs, that looks like a mistake to me. Maybe people are still burdened by the Russian's poor performances in international tourneys as of late, but the talent is certainly there to win this.

 

[SportSavant]

Bill + 1600 available on the russians... Ill let you know where as soon as I get down

 

[HateTheRiverCard]

I'll take Sweden, IMO they have they're best team ever this time around and could very well win it.

 

[SportSavant]

Here is my first lock of the WCH:

Selection 1 : Ice Hockey 2004 World Cup Will Germany Win 2004 Ice Hockey World Cup? 116) No -7500 Risking 37,500.00 to Win 500.00 USD

 

[WildBill]

Agreed, they might be 75-1 to win one game.

As for Sweden, they have a lot of offense but look a little thin defensively after their top 2 or 3 D-men. And they look too weak in goal, Salo will have to find the magic he has been missing the last few years for Sweden to win.

 

[HateTheRiverCard]

SS...LOL...With Greece winning the Euro Cup this year I don't take anything for granted anymore.

Wildbill...On paper the D may look thin but I think the D is better than most think and it is a short tourney as opposed to an 82 game season. I agree Salo needs to step up but aside from the infamous Shot that rang off his melon and into the net I think he's been pretty solid when playing international hockey.

 

[THE SHRINK]

I think Antigua or Costa Rica will win the Euro Cup...

 

[WildBill]

How about an Antigua vs. Costa Rica hockey game. Now that I would go for the pay-per-view for

 

[THE SHRINK]

WildBill,

I have seen that Costa Rican team play and my money would be on them!

 

[Fishhead]

I believe this is Team Canada's Cup to lose.

Believe they get the job done here.

 

[HateTheRiverCard]

Although it was an exhibition game tonite the US still outplayed Team Canada by a pretty good margin in a 3-1 USA Victory.

 

[sharky99]

I think this tournament will be much closer than people think, if you want to bet anyone except Canada, I think Sweden at +450 or the Czechs at +650 are a good bet. Especially with what happened to Sweden in the last Olympics, I think they step up and make a real run. GL guys

 

[trytrytry]

For sure Russia will not win or get close. They have about 5 top players skipping this and Russia hockey is in turmoil over this and other issues. Play against Russia in every early round matchup.