When an NHL player is having the type of breakout season Okposo is having you can't justify leaving him off the squad. The only idiots doing this are Ranger fans... sorry. Ok is top 10 in scoring currently and scoring a point a game. He was fantastic at the end of the season last year and a beast in the playoffs... Anyone who says he should not get the nod are kidding themselves... period.

Look at his international numbers and his numbers at Minn... he should not have been left off and arguably should have been the 3rd or 4th forward on list.

Yandle is a whole other debacle... Burke put whoever he and the coaches wanted on the team for personal reasons and changed the rules per player to justify it. Whether it was... "Big ice.. not fast enough" ... or "Lacks experience" and/or "Too soft".."not intense" .. Constantly changing rules per player. The whole thing is very sad b/c USA actually had a chance if they put their best players on the ice.. they did not.. they left quite a few home. Added no "Role" players to leave them home either.. brutal.

Stepan has stone hands, terrible face off guy.. and is NOT someone who should be on this team.. neither is Oshie, Orpik, Wheeler, etc.

You also have 2 goalies coming off injury and the starter has been spotty this year to say the least. You have Many players who are currently or recently injured (Paul Martin has not skated in months, Orpik 2 concussions in last 2 months, both Howard and quick , Callahan has missed most of the season with injuries, Parise, etc. etc. etc. ) Clearly this was a giant mess and it's an embarassment to US hockey. Only Penguins and Ranger fans seem to think it isn't..

We Will Not Medal with this team...

Ok fine. I'm done with it.
- tomburton99

Phew. I can beat a dead horse and if say enough it's a sign

When an NHL player is having the type of breakout season Okposo is having you can't justify leaving him off the squad. The only idiots doing this are Ranger fans... sorry. Ok is top 10 in scoring currently and scoring a point a game. He was fantastic at the end of the season last year and a beast in the playoffs... Anyone who says he should not get the nod are kidding themselves... period.

Look at his international numbers and his numbers at Minn... he should not have been left off and arguably should have been the 3rd or 4th forward on list.

Yandle is a whole other debacle... Burke put whoever he and the coaches wanted on the team for personal reasons and changed the rules per player to justify it. Whether it was... "Big ice.. not fast enough" ... or "Lacks experience" and/or "Too soft".."not intense" .. Constantly changing rules per player. The whole thing is very sad b/c USA actually had a chance if they put their best players on the ice.. they did not.. they left quite a few home. Added no "Role" players to leave them home either.. brutal.

Stepan has stone hands, terrible face off guy.. and is NOT someone who should be on this team.. neither is Oshie, Orpik, Wheeler, etc.

You also have 2 goalies coming off injury and the starter has been spotty this year to say the least. You have Many players who are currently or recently injured (Paul Martin has not skated in months, Orpik 2 concussions in last 2 months, both Howard and quick , Callahan has missed most of the season with injuries, Parise, etc. etc. etc. ) Clearly this was a giant mess and it's an embarassment to US hockey. Only Penguins and Ranger fans seem to think it isn't..

We Will Not Medal with this team...
- niteislander

i think they wanted to follow a similar recipe that they did with the last team. we'll have to wait and see if it'll pay off again.

stepan benefitted from the numbers game. USA lacks centers so he got chosen. USA is stacked with RWs so okposo got screwed. i think okposo should've made the team over a guy like wheeler and oshie, but i'm not sure you can say he should've made the team over stepan based on the fact that stepan is a center and USA has only 4 or 5 centers that can be in the conversation.

you can argue that dubinsky should've been chosen over stepan for that final center spot all you want though and i'll have no quarries with that.

When an NHL player is having the type of breakout season Okposo is having you can't justify leaving him off the squad. The only idiots doing this are Ranger fans... sorry. Ok is top 10 in scoring currently and scoring a point a game. He was fantastic at the end of the season last year and a beast in the playoffs... Anyone who says he should not get the nod are kidding themselves... period.

Look at his international numbers and his numbers at Minn... he should not have been left off and arguably should have been the 3rd or 4th forward on list.

Yandle is a whole other debacle... Burke put whoever he and the coaches wanted on the team for personal reasons and changed the rules per player to justify it. Whether it was... "Big ice.. not fast enough" ... or "Lacks experience" and/or "Too soft".."not intense" .. Constantly changing rules per player. The whole thing is very sad b/c USA actually had a chance if they put their best players on the ice.. they did not.. they left quite a few home. Added no "Role" players to leave them home either.. brutal.

Stepan has stone hands, terrible face off guy.. and is NOT someone who should be on this team.. neither is Oshie, Orpik, Wheeler, etc.

You also have 2 goalies coming off injury and the starter has been spotty this year to say the least. You have Many players who are currently or recently injured (Paul Martin has not skated in months, Orpik 2 concussions in last 2 months, both Howard and quick , Callahan has missed most of the season with injuries, Parise, etc. etc. etc. ) Clearly this was a giant mess and it's an embarassment to US hockey. Only Penguins and Ranger fans seem to think it isn't..

We Will Not Medal with this team...
- niteislander

Believe it or not....the big ice actually makes it easier to trap, and less necessary that all of the players be fast. I don't know if any of you have ever seen a game in one of the Euro leagues, but....ZZZZZZ...

Phew. I can beat a dead horse and if say enough it's a sign
- Cptmjl

I said what I said about Okposo. I'll own that, but not Stepan. Now way. Keep beating.

i think they wanted to follow a similar recipe that they did with the last team. we'll have to wait and see if it'll pay off again.

stepan benefitted from the numbers game. USA lacks centers so he got chosen. USA is stacked with RWs so okposo got screwed. i think okposo should've made the team over a guy like wheeler and oshie, but i'm not sure you can say he should've made the team over stepan based on the fact that stepan is a center and USA has only 4 or 5 centers that can be in the conversation.

you can argue that dubinsky should've been chosen over stepan for that final center spot all you want though and i'll have no quarries with that.
- rangerdanger94

This I agree with. We all know on paper it's a little suspect but who knows? Hockey is a weird sport and very much a team sport especially at the tournament level. If These guys have some good chemistry and their game plan works which i'm guessing is more of a defensive strategy I'm feeling they can be a threat. Those are some big "ifs" and I can understand why a lot of people are questioning their judgment but I can see them contending for a medal. Stranger things have happened.

Believe it or not....the big ice actually makes it easier to trap, and less necessary that all of the players be fast. I don't know if any of you have ever seen a game in one of the Euro leagues, but....ZZZZZZ...
- dcb1

Yeah because on the outside or perimeter, you're miles away from where the majority of goals are scored from.

Believe it or not....the big ice actually makes it easier to trap, and less necessary that all of the players be fast. I don't know if any of you have ever seen a game in one of the Euro leagues, but....ZZZZZZ...
- dcb1

yea. people think scoring is gonna go up but it just makes it harder because that many more shots are way outside and far away from any good scoring areas.

The funniest thing about it is I'm probably the least upset about Okposo not getting picked. My priority is the islanders I could give a shat if they played an Olympic game with an NHL player ever again.
I do have an opinion on the selection process none the less
- Cptmjl

2nd bold - I agree about the Isles, even though I wouldn't mind team USA take home gold or even medal, but my team comes 1st, then my country but didn't like that some players should have been taken, but I'll watch anyway bc I love hockey.

1st bold - Even tho KO has finally been playing well, im just not a fan of his game. So I was def not surprised he didn't get picked bc his previous 5yrs he hasn't played up to the caliber he is now. My thing with him is, can he maintain this level consistently or will he be the streaky player the isles have seen. Its still early into the season with another half left, so only time will tell if he has finally figured it out to be a productive, consistent NHL player.

I said what I said about Okposo. I'll own that, but not Stepan. Now way. Keep beating.
- tomburton99

I remember you not endorsing him I think? It's hard to keep up some times. Irrelevant really my point was what it was. Just an opinion the problem I had was other posters deviating from their original point. Am I really doing this again?

2nd bold - I agree about the Isles, even though I wouldn't mind team USA take home gold or even medal, but my team comes 1st, then my country but didn't like that some players should have been taken, but I'll watch anyway bc I love hockey.

1st bold - Even tho KO has finally been playing well, im just not a fan of his game. So I was def not surprised he didn't get picked bc his previous 5yrs he hasn't played up to the caliber he is now. My thing with him is, can he maintain this level consistently or will he be the streaky player the isles have seen. Its still early into the season with another half left, so only time will tell if he has finally figured it out to be a productive, consistent NHL player.
- Ur Not Me

I think if we had a new coach in here we'd see a lot more consistency from these guys. That's my theory.

I remember you not endorsing him I think? It's hard to keep up some times. Irrelevant really my point was what it was. Just an opinion the problem I had was other posters deviating from their original point. Am I really doing this again?
- Cptmjl

let's talk about selena gomez again

let's talk about selena gomez again
- rangerdanger94

That whole string of posts on the last page was hysterical.

When an NHL player is having the type of breakout season Okposo is having you can't justify leaving him off the squad. The only idiots doing this are Ranger fans... sorry. Ok is top 10 in scoring currently and scoring a point a game. He was fantastic at the end of the season last year and a beast in the playoffs... Anyone who says he should not get the nod are kidding themselves... period.

Look at his international numbers and his numbers at Minn... he should not have been left off and arguably should have been the 3rd or 4th forward on list.

Yandle is a whole other debacle... Burke put whoever he and the coaches wanted on the team for personal reasons and changed the rules per player to justify it. Whether it was... "Big ice.. not fast enough" ... or "Lacks experience" and/or "Too soft".."not intense" .. Constantly changing rules per player. The whole thing is very sad b/c USA actually had a chance if they put their best players on the ice.. they did not.. they left quite a few home. Added no "Role" players to leave them home either.. brutal.

Stepan has stone hands, terrible face off guy.. and is NOT someone who should be on this team.. neither is Oshie, Orpik, Wheeler, etc.

You also have 2 goalies coming off injury and the starter has been spotty this year to say the least. You have Many players who are currently or recently injured (Paul Martin has not skated in months, Orpik 2 concussions in last 2 months, both Howard and quick , Callahan has missed most of the season with injuries, Parise, etc. etc. etc. ) Clearly this was a giant mess and it's an embarassment to US hockey. Only Penguins and Ranger fans seem to think it isn't..

We Will Not Medal with this team...
- niteislander

Sorry nites, but just bc he might have figured out now to become the player he should of been doesn't merit him to be selected. He's done nothing in prior years...

I think if we had a new coach in here we'd see a lot more consistency from these guys. That's my theory.
- Cptmjl

I've wanted a professional NHL head coach since JT been drafted, it will only help develop the kids and maybe helped speed up this rebuild. Unfortunately we have clowns that run this circus....

2nd bold - I agree about the Isles, even though I wouldn't mind team USA take home gold or even medal, but my team comes 1st, then my country but didn't like that some players should have been taken, but I'll watch anyway bc I love hockey.

1st bold - Even tho KO has finally been playing well, im just not a fan of his game. So I was def not surprised he didn't get picked bc his previous 5yrs he hasn't played up to the caliber he is now. My thing with him is, can he maintain this level consistently or will he be the streaky player the isles have seen. Its still early into the season with another half left, so only time will tell if he has finally figured it out to be a productive, consistent NHL player.
- Ur Not Me

What exactly is wrong with Okposo's play the past 12 months that their is a reason to not be a fan of his game?

Yeah because on the outside or perimeter, you're miles away from where the majority of goals are scored from.
- tomburton99

There are also so many more places to dump the puck without icing it.

Much as I hated to see Okposo miss out, I'm actually happy for us....the kid is pi$$ed off...let's hope he stays that way.

Sorry nites, but just bc he might have figured out now to become the player he should of been doesn't merit him to be selected. He's done nothing in prior years...
- Ur Not Me

He was on a nice trajectory before the shoulder injury. Remember, there were some whispers (mostly on Long Island, granted) about him having an outside chance to make the last Olympic team. He put up 52 points that year (after a decent rookie season the year before), but more than that, was an absolute bull. Then he got the shoulder injury just before the next season and had been wildly inconsistent since then. He had the 24g, 45pt season in '11-12, but that was mostly a late meaningless surge when a lot of the players all of a sudden looked like world beaters.

The end of last season, into the playoffs, and this season so far is the most consistent he's looked since that season before the injury. It's the Okposo we thought we were going to see in the 10-11 season after the really nice 09-10 season.

http://philthethrill.ytmnd.com/

Much as I hated to see Okposo miss out, I'm actually happy for us....the kid is pi$$ed off...let's hope he stays that way.
- dcb1

yep

What exactly is wrong with Okposo's play the past 12 months that their is a reason to not be a fan of his game?
- Dan Petriw

U going back the last 12 months or maybe the last 15 games at end of last season, into the playoffs and finally starting this season properly.

My reasoning is that KO has been here for 6+ years, #1 pick, high expectations.
The type of player he should be has not been there until.......now.
The past years he's been nonexistent, lazy, and the only player I've seen trip over the blueline consistently. His work ethic prior seemed like he didn't care about hockey or the Isles. Grant it, even tho the Isles are a mess, but a players job is to perform or compete to the best of their abilities. He's shown neither in the past.
Now he finally worked out w/JT in off-season and seems to pay off, geez I guess the lightbulb finally went on in his head. Come next season, he will enter his last year of contract, so I take it as he's only putting effort now bc he's looking for his next payday.
1 thing I will say positive about KO is that when he plays angry/mad or with an edge, he becomes that player I like. So maybe he needs that attitude for his game, something like a Chris Stewart.....

Sorry nites, but just bc he might have figured out now to become the player he should of been doesn't merit him to be selected. He's done nothing in prior years...
- Ur Not Me

That would be fine if the game was 2 years ago. He is playing like a beast this year and he should be going there since the game is being played in a couple of months not a couple of years ago.

U going back the last 12 months or maybe the last 15 games at end of last season, into the playoffs and finally starting this season properly.

My reasoning is that KO has been here for 6+ years, #1 pick, high expectations.
The type of player he should be has not been there until.......now.
The past years he's been nonexistent, lazy, and the only player I've seen trip over the blueline consistently. His work ethic prior seemed like he didn't care about hockey or the Isles. Grant it, even tho the Isles are a mess, but a players job is to perform or compete to the best of their abilities. He's shown neither in the past.
Now he finally worked out w/JT in off-season and seems to pay off, geez I guess the lightbulb finally went on in his head. Come next season, he will enter his last year of contract, so I take it as he's only putting effort now bc he's looking for his next payday.
1 thing I will say positive about KO is that when he plays angry/mad or with an edge, he becomes that player I like. So maybe he needs that attitude for his game, something like a Chris Stewart.....
- Ur Not Me

I'd still rathe see him in a line with Nielsen and grabber or bailey. Maybe not as much now with the way the team has been playing but a month ago or even two I have zero idea why capuank didn't revisit this?

U going back the last 12 months or maybe the last 15 games at end of last season, into the playoffs and finally starting this season properly.

My reasoning is that KO has been here for 6+ years, #1 pick, high expectations.
The type of player he should be has not been there until.......now.
The past years he's been nonexistent, lazy, and the only player I've seen trip over the blueline consistently. His work ethic prior seemed like he didn't care about hockey or the Isles. Grant it, even tho the Isles are a mess, but a players job is to perform or compete to the best of their abilities. He's shown neither in the past.
Now he finally worked out w/JT in off-season and seems to pay off, geez I guess the lightbulb finally went on in his head. Come next season, he will enter his last year of contract, so I take it as he's only putting effort now bc he's looking for his next payday.
1 thing I will say positive about KO is that when he plays angry/mad or with an edge, he becomes that player I like. So maybe he needs that attitude for his game, something like a Chris Stewart.....
- Ur Not Me

or he is still just 25 yrs old and only hitting his prime now