Monday, May 09, 2005
I Know This Much is True
"IS CANADA FIT TO WIN?" asks the headline in today's National Post.
Judging by yesterday's 3-3 comeback tie against Finland, I'd have to say I don't feel too confident about Team Canada's probability of triumph this year.
Although Canada's natural skill level has helped them pile up goals with few problems (especially Rick Nash, who tallied another Jehovah's Witness Special yesterday), Canada's defensive woes continue to haunt them like an image of a naked Condaleeza Rice *double shudder*
As Tom Benjamin so appositely describes Canada's defensives struggles...:
- - -
A tip of the cap and a blown kiss (Jagr style) to my friends south of the border in USA. The Amerikans beat up on the evil Swedes 5-1, with Slovak-American Yan Stastny getting one of the goals.
The Slovaks had plenty of target practice on Martin "Baby Food" Gerber, but could get 'only' a 3-1 victory over the land of overpriced watches. The lines of Hossa-Demitra-Gaborik and Satan-Stumpel-Palffy can really wreak havoc when coach Frantisek Hossa lets them play 'their' style. Jan Lasak returned to the goal for Slovakia, and *should* stay there the rest of the tournament.
In the 4th game of the day, Czechia lost to Russia 2-1 thanks to a 3rd period goal by speedy enigma Alexander Semin. The Czechs outshot the Russkies by almost a 2-1 margin, but only Jagr's line seems to be producing points these days. The Czechs have an amazing 4 Goals Against in 5 games, but only showed some offensive cohesion in their bombing of Slovakia.
Say what you want about the petulant Jaromir Jagr, he really is playing his heart out in this tournament. Despite a broken finger, Jagr has 5 points in 4 games and is showing the heart and leadership his coaches have been trying to coax out of him for years. Sure, David Vyborny is the team captain, but it's Jagr who's really counted on to lead the Czechs on the ice.
Judging by yesterday's 3-3 comeback tie against Finland, I'd have to say I don't feel too confident about Team Canada's probability of triumph this year.
Although Canada's natural skill level has helped them pile up goals with few problems (especially Rick Nash, who tallied another Jehovah's Witness Special yesterday), Canada's defensive woes continue to haunt them like an image of a naked Condaleeza Rice *double shudder*
As Tom Benjamin so appositely describes Canada's defensives struggles...:
In the last five games we have seen the pattern when the puck is advanced into the Canadian half of the ice. Someone misses his guy which causes another defender to shift, then another and suddenly we see a Chinese fire drill out there.I've never seen a Chinese fire drill before, but I'll take his word for it...
- - -
A tip of the cap and a blown kiss (Jagr style) to my friends south of the border in USA. The Amerikans beat up on the evil Swedes 5-1, with Slovak-American Yan Stastny getting one of the goals.
The Slovaks had plenty of target practice on Martin "Baby Food" Gerber, but could get 'only' a 3-1 victory over the land of overpriced watches. The lines of Hossa-Demitra-Gaborik and Satan-Stumpel-Palffy can really wreak havoc when coach Frantisek Hossa lets them play 'their' style. Jan Lasak returned to the goal for Slovakia, and *should* stay there the rest of the tournament.
In the 4th game of the day, Czechia lost to Russia 2-1 thanks to a 3rd period goal by speedy enigma Alexander Semin. The Czechs outshot the Russkies by almost a 2-1 margin, but only Jagr's line seems to be producing points these days. The Czechs have an amazing 4 Goals Against in 5 games, but only showed some offensive cohesion in their bombing of Slovakia.
Say what you want about the petulant Jaromir Jagr, he really is playing his heart out in this tournament. Despite a broken finger, Jagr has 5 points in 4 games and is showing the heart and leadership his coaches have been trying to coax out of him for years. Sure, David Vyborny is the team captain, but it's Jagr who's really counted on to lead the Czechs on the ice.
