CALGARY -- Steve Yzerman still remembers what it was like in Nagano in 1998, the
first Olympics with NHL players and an example of Canadian failure on the
bigger, international-sized ice surface.
Paul Coffey Penguins Jersey . The
time-honoured strategy of dumping the puck in and forechecking didnt work. "You
can spend a lot of time skating places and getting there just a second late,
taking yourself out of the play," said Yzerman, now Canadas general manager. "It
is a different game." It was a different game at the 2006 Olympics in Turin,
too, when Canada finished seventh thanks to a lack of offence and speed and the
wrong mix of talent for the 200-by-100-foot rink. San Jose Sharks defenceman
Dan Boyle watched from the stands as his teammates struggled. "It was tough to
watch, it was frustrating," Boyle said. "Even though every player on that team
deserved to be there and was great, sometimes you need certain things and thats
where different guys come into play. I just thought we lacked some things."
Eight years removed from that debacle and four years after winning Olympic gold
in Vancouver on NHL-sized 200-by-85-foot ice, Hockey Canada is determined to
learn from what went wrong without abandoning its style. "One of the critical
things is to continue to play the Canadian game and not adjust to some of the
spaces that suddenly arise," coaching consultant and former Edmonton Oilers
coach Ralph Krueger said. "But you need to make sure that you dont change your
game or make too many adjustments that will weaken what makes Canada strong."
What makes Canada strong, Yzerman and the coaching staff hope, is speed and
agility. Perhaps thats part of what the 2006 group was lacking. Judging by the
comments of those in charge of making up the 2014 roster, it doesnt sound like
thatll be a problem this time around, even if its at the expense of some players
who won gold four years ago. "The biggest lesson is foot speed, for all players.
You have to be able to skate and you have to be able to move the puck," Oilers
president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe said. "The team will be made up of
players who can skate, think and move the puck. There could be a number of
changes form the gold medal team in Vancouver." From the standpoint of piecing
the team together, Canada learned from its folly in Turin that bringing back the
majority of a team that just won gold -- in that case the 2004 world
championship -- doesnt always work. Turnover is to be expected because Yzerman
wants a team built for big ice. Of course its not as simple as picking 22
burners. "Were not just going to take the 14 fastest forwards and the eight
fastest defencemen," Yzerman said. "Hockey sense is probably the most important
aspect a guy can have, particularly playing at a really high level, playing with
good players around you." If it were all about speed, Taylor Hall of the Oilers,
Marty St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh
Penguins would be locks. "I think Id be a great player on big ice," Hall said.
"Ive always felt that the big ice would certainly be good for my kind of game.
Hopefully they see that, too. I think theyre going to really determine their
team on what its like to play on big ice." Boyle, who played in Sweden during
the 2004-05 lockout, knows its about more than just racing up and down the ice.
"Youve got to be able to skate, but your angles are a little bit different," he
said. "Whether youre a forward or defenceman I think the angling out there is a
little bit different." Thats where hockey sense comes in. Because of the high
cost of insurance, coach Mike Babcock had to get creative, putting players
through ball-hockey walkthroughs on a boarded-up international-sized rink at
Canada Olympic Park. What that exercise allowed players to see was the amount of
space theyll have to work with. But assistant coach Ken Hitchcock also wants
players not to feel like the bigger ice gives them room to play slower. "I think
the sucker play is you have more space, you have more time, so the tendency is
to take more time," the St. Louis Blues coach said. "Its the big mistake. When
we play well as Canadians, we play fast defensively and even faster offensively.
Its the sucker play if you make that mistake on big ice, you end up being slow
and you get covered over quickly, defensively." Having experience on big ice
could be valuable, especially for defencemen. Marc Methot of the Ottawa Senators
represented Canada at the world championships in 2012 and 10 players from the
2013 team are at camp. "The games completely different," Methot said. "Showing
that you can keep up and defend properly on that big ice surface is huge. Its an
advantage I have, and Im hoping that itll help me out." Of course its no
prerequisite that players have a wealth of experience on the big ice. The key is
more about having players who are willing to adjust after playing the first part
of the NHL season on smaller rinks. Like Gene Hackman in "Hoosiers," Hitchcock
could use a tape measure from end to end and show that its still a 200-foot
rink. "The commitment to play at both ends of the rink is critical," he said. "I
think weve learned over time that there are so many good teams with so many good
players and, especially over there, they know how to play on that ice. I think
having players that can play that 200-foot game is more important than the
position they happen to play."
Henri Richard Canadiens Jersey .
Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with
more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive
into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden
State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped
a two-game skid.
Tom Wilson Capitals Jersey . Brett Kulak and
Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing
bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services.
http:///...Mike-Gartner-Jersey/
.com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields
catch.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Will Bruin scored in the 76th minute to lift the
Houston Dynamo to a 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution on Saturday night.
Bruins goal was his eighth of the season and second in two games, and moved
Houston (12-10-8) into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Saer Sene gave
New England (11-11-8) the lead in the 65th minute, sending a hard shot off the
right wing to the far top leeft corner of the net.
Henrik Lundqvist Rangers Jersey. Houston
nearly took the lead on Giles Barnes header in the 23rd, and again Bruins shot
by Bruin went just left of the post in the 83rd. New England, 3-1-1 in its last
five at home, nearly took the lead in the first half on a curling drive by Chris
Tierney after a free kick in the 39th minute, and again in the 89th minute on a
bicycle kick from Juan Agudelo.
Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic
Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jersey ' ' '