WJC Discussion Thread

[Stoner]

WTF r u talking about?

 

If people can't find something to do during the tournament they're just not looking.

 

http://www.visitbuff...011/default.asp

That site even has a google map all set up for where stuff is.

 

Half the hotels downtown are sold out. Did u try getting into Pano's last night? O, that's right, ur miles away.

 

Don't shoot the messenger.

 

I am so sorry I didn't make it to Pano's last night. I'll try to do better in the future.

 

I see you went to the SDS school of moderating.

[SDS]

I see you went to the SDS school of moderating.

 

Moderating has nothing to do with participating in the discussion... No one was asked to be or is supposed to be Jim Lehrer here.

[repster]

2-1 good guys after one. Let's keep the foot on the gas pedal! Looks like a pretty packed house. Only some blue in the 300 level behind the nets. Not bad for weekday afternoon.

[Peter]

I am home for the holidays and am going to the USA game tonight. I was given the choice of going to the USA game or the Canada game. Although it would have been fun to see the atmosphere at one of the Canada games (I hear their fans are great), I decided that I should be loyal to the home team.

 

USA!!!

[plenzmd1]

I want Canada to lose, but that was just a BS call on Zach.

[DR HOLLIDAY]

I want Canada to lose, but that was just a BS call on Zach.

 

Agreed, it reminded me of a Mike Peca hit.......Can't wait for Kassian to play for the Sabres...... :thumbsup:

[plenzmd1]

Agreed, it reminded me of a Mike Peca hit.......Can't wait for Kassian to play for the Sabres...... :thumbsup:

Canada has just dominated this game from about the 5 minute mark on. Foligno and Kassian both having good games..

[nobody]

Now, u know this happens much more often than annually. ;)

 

 

They should wake these kids up at 3am so they can see the real downtown Buffalo.

[carpandean]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7v20LkN7z4

[darksabre]

That was a good hit. He barely got him.

[darksabre]

Is it bad that when we say "there's lots to do in buffalo" it generally means "it's easy to get hammered here!"?

[bunomatic]

Great dominant win for Canada. Incredibly balanced scoring for a team everyone said would be offensively challenged. The hit by Kassian looked clean but possibly late. I didn't see the contact with the head that the ref saw but I wasn't there. The replay will hopefully exonerate him but my understanding is that he gets an automatic game suspension for the match penalty and maybe more depending on how its viewed by the powers that be.

[inkman]

That was a good hit. He barely got him.

It was clean for sure, he is a violent young man. I can't wait until he's donning Sabres gear.

[mercury]

Mr. Etem has been receiving some heat from the crowd tonight.

[darksabre]

Mr. Etem has been receiving some heat from the crowd tonight.

 

It's loud and clear on tv, that's for sure.

 

Come on Buffalo. Do we really want to be THOSE people?

[mercury]

Come on Buffalo. Do we really want to be THOSE people?

 

Yes.

[Weave]

Just got back home from watching the Canada - Czech Repub game at HSBC. A couple observations;

 

1. The Canada fans were L-O-U-D. Especially in the 1st period. I don't think I've ever heard HSBC that loud. And yes, that includes Sabres playoff games. It was deafening at times.

 

2. I didn't see any unruly fans. Loud? Yes. Into the event? You bet. Were a few a bit intoxicated? Sure. But none were acting over the line that I saw. I wish more Sabres home crowds were that vocal and into the game.

 

3. Ho-Lee Snot can Canada put pressure on the puck and puck carrier. Every time a white uni had the puck a player with a red uni was on him in a flash. And the Canada forecheck was a thing of beauty. The Czech defenders never had a moment to breathe when the puck was in their zone. Pressure, pressure, pressure, at all times.

 

4. The officiating was down right awful and def inconsistant. The 1st period was called very tight. Too tight IMO. The 1st 2 Canada goals were on powerplays that Canada should not have had. Phantom calls IMO. Then in the 2nd period there seemed to be a reversal and the whistles didn't come out when they should have. Both goalies were run with no calls. There was an elbow to the head of a Canada player that went uncalled. And Canada got away with some questionable late hits too. It didn't appear biased to me. The calls and no-calls that were BS went both ways. And in the 3rd the officiating went just plain stupid. At one point a Czech ran interference on Foligno. The two went down and the Czech player held Foligno down. Foligno gave the kid a facewash which resulted in more holding. And Foligno responded with several crosschecks on the Czech player down on the ice. All of which was watched very closely by a ref standing less than 15' away. The ref didn't put up his arm to call a penalty until both players started to skate away and the Czech player grabbed Foligno's arm one last time. The whole thing lasted at least 10-12 seconds. It was a crazy sequence of events that wouldn't get let go even during NHL playoffs. For it to be watched and let go for that long in international play was suprising.

 

5. The Kassian hit looked pretty clean to me at real speed. What I saw was Kassian came a long way to line that kid up. I don't know if the kid saw Kassian coming but he dished the puck off and Kassian just looked very determined to finish the check he so carefully lined up. I didn't see his elbow come up and the kids head didn't seem to hit the ice. I really can't figure out how he was hurt so bad because I don't think Kassian connected with that kid's head. Oh, and to add on to the crappy officiating... Neither ref had their hand up indicating a penalty on the hit. Play went on for a short time and neither ref looked to be indicating a penalty. And after play was stopped neither ref indicated a penalty either. It wasn't until the kid was being carried off the ice that the officials started to talk about it. One official then went to the Canada bench and called for a player to go to the box. When the fans saw that #8 was skating to the box instead of Kassian (#9) they all new Kassian was being tossed and they all got a bit unruly. It struck me that the officials didn't see a penalty but felt obligated to make a call because a Czech player was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher.

 

6. Foligno and Kassian. Foligno was the more impressive of the two. He was always around the puck and seemed to always be in the play. And he hits everything. Holy cow does he like to hit. He doesn't put himslef out of position to make a hit but he won't curl away just because an opponent has passed the puck off. He made life as a Czech defensman absolutely miserable. Kassian gets ALOT of room out there. Noone in a white jersey seemed to want to mess with him. He does a nice job of anticipating plays. He backchekcs effectively. Had several stiff checks in the game. And looked very comfortable on the #1 PP unit for Canada. He is more than just a big, mean guy. He skates well and handled the puck well in traffic. Kassian seemed more comfortable with the puck than Foligno but Foligno always seemed to be around where the puck was going. These 2 guys are going to be fun to watch in blue and gold.

[rickshaw]

It was clean for sure, he is a violent young man. I can't wait until he's donning Sabres gear.

 

Just saw the hit and that is as clean as they come. He was nowhere near his head. He's a beast at this level. Nobody can get the puck of him down low. The Sabres need him.

[Eleven]

Yes.

 

I loathe to say it, but there is something to this position.

[SwampD]

I loathe to say it, but there is something to this position.

At least for this game. Then it's time to move on.

[Eleven]

At least for this game. Then it's time to move on.

 

Yep.

[bunomatic]

Bring me Kassian !

[bunomatic]

Score ?

[Stoner]

I loathe to say it, but there is something to this position.

 

Except a smart local hockey fan might realize they are cementing Buffalo's spot at 31 on the list of most desirable places to play in the NHL. These kids are future free agents, no?

[Eleven]

Except a smart local hockey fan might realize they are cementing Buffalo's spot at 31 on the list of most desirable places to play in the NHL. These kids are future free agents, no?

 

You're right. These kids--who already are drafted--are comparing Buffalo to such formidable hockey markets as Long Island, LA, Phoenix, and Atlanta. Oh, and Graz, Lund, and St. Petersburg. How can Buffalo compare?