you keep saying "blaming. why?

our team is good enough to overcome one wrong selection. he will not be the reason if we don't lose. I just hope he gets sat against any of the European squads we may yet face
- hugefemale dog77

I agree

I really find this topic interesting. I think that in a way it made sense to bring to select him, however in a way it's also moronic to select him over guys like Hall, Giroux, St. Louis, Cotoure etc.

Kunitz has always been a solid player, but if you take him for a specific reason like expecting Crosby and him to produce, and he doesn't....while Canada has trouble scoring and Claude Giroux and others are sitting home.... It becomes a huge storyline.
- sbroads24

Agreed and this is exactly what's happening,

In your opinion. The rest of the world sees it differently.
- prock

The rest of the world or Prock? They won by 1 goal in 2010... Lost in 2006... These facts are not in question... Fact is People who point out that Malkin, Ovie, Datsuk, Kovy and Kane might be top 10 in the world (all non Canadian) have an arguement. Team USA, Sweden and Russia are loaded with stars and solid players.

Agreed and this is exactly what's happening,
- Yeti1181

If Crosby starts to score and they can move Kunitz down to the 4th or the press box it becomes a non-issue, but if they keep having to juggle wingers on the top line when it was supposed to be a line that already had "chemistry", then they look stupid to be honest.

I didn't say fourth line

Yes they are still used the same way as in every game in hockey, not every line is offence. You think they just go out and try and score an nobody plays defence. Just because it's the Olympics doesn't mean the theories and game plans are just thrown out the (frank)ing window nd they just do whatever thy want.
- Yeti1181

All four of Canada's lines are 1st line in all three zones! Who is on the roster that can't play in the defensive zone?

If Crosby starts to score and they can move Kunitz down to the 4th or the press box it becomes a non-issue, but if they keep having to juggle wingers on the top line when it was supposed to be a line that already had "chemistry", then they look stupid to be honest.
- sbroads24

That seem to be the reason they didn't want to split them up either as they didn't want to be wrong.

All four of Canada's lines are 1st line in all three zones! Who is on the roster that can't play in the defensive zone?
- Brianandr1

All four Canadian lines are not equal hence why they play different times and against different lines.

99% NHLers can play in the defensive zone that is a ridiculous arguement. You need different lines to play specific roles to have a complete game

The rest of the world or Prock? They won by 1 goal in 2010... Lost in 2006... These facts are not in question... Fact is People who point out that Malkin, Ovie, Datsuk, Kovy and Kane might be top 10 in the world (all non Canadian) have an arguement. Team USA, Sweden and Russia are loaded with stars and solid players.
- Brianandr1

Have you been in any of the Olympic threads? Its the rest of the worlds opinion that Kunitz doesn't belong.

The rest of the world or Prock? They won by 1 goal in 2010... Lost in 2006... These facts are not in question... Fact is People who point out that Malkin, Ovie, Datsuk, Kovy and Kane might be top 10 in the world (all non Canadian) have an arguement. Team USA, Sweden and Russia are loaded with stars and solid players.
- Brianandr1

In that instance, who would the other 4 be? would they all be Canadian?

Have you been in any of the Olympic threads? Its the rest of the worlds opinion that Kunitz doesn't belong.
- prock

Arguement from authority means nothing! The fact that majority think something means nothing as far as truth value. The guy has better regular season numbers the last 2 seasons then both Hall and Giroux. The guy has won 2 cups and has never been over matched or out of his league. If he sits in the medal round he sits, but he belongs on the team.

In that instance, who would the other 4 be? would they all be Canadian?
- Morris

Possibly...Crosby, Toews, Stamkos for sure... What about Hossa? The Sedins? Backstrom?

Arguement from authority means nothing! The fact that majority think something means nothing as far as truth value. The guy has better regular season numbers the last 2 seasons then both Hall and Giroux. The guy has won 2 cups and has never been over matched or out of his league. If he sits in the medal round he sits, but he belongs on the team.
- Brianandr1

At least you're sticking to you're guns here. You thought he deserved a spot on his own merits before the tourny and you're entitled to your opinion.

There were those who were telling us that Kunitz's main selling point was the amazing instant chemistry he had with Crosby, and it'd be those people for whom their early sputtering together would hurt the most.

Arguement from authority means nothing! The fact that majority think something means nothing as far as truth value. The guy has better regular season numbers the last 2 seasons then both Hall and Giroux. The guy has won 2 cups and has never been over matched or out of his league. If he sits in the medal round he sits, but he belongs on the team.
- Brianandr1

If he goes to the press box it proves he doesn't and they made a mistake, he was chosen to play with Sid, it's not working out, better players are at home. If he starts playing better and stays in the lineup then maybe he did.

The fact that he has played well with Perry and Getzlaf and Sidney Crosby does nothing to discount the notion that he's simply a good player riding the cotails of great players.

Possibly...Crosby, Toews, Stamkos for sure... What about Hossa? The Sedins? Backstrom?
- Brianandr1

Yeah contested list, and that didn't even include goalies (there'd be one or two in contention - no canadians) and defensemen.

I think Doughty, Weber, Pietrangelo and Keith are all better hockey players at this moment than the Sedins, Backstrom and Hossa.

I guess what I was getting at there is that if Canada makes up 30-40% of the top 10 players in the world, we're still doing the best.

Arguement from authority means nothing! The fact that majority think something means nothing as far as truth value. The guy has better regular season numbers the last 2 seasons then both Hall and Giroux. The guy has won 2 cups and has never been over matched or out of his league. If he sits in the medal round he sits, but he belongs on the team.
- Brianandr1

I suppose you're entitled to your opinion. just know that you might be coming off abit biased.

while I could care less who's on the team.

I got no love for jeff carter, or Patrick sharp or martin st.louis, or claude Giroux, or eric staal or tyler seguin or rick nash etc etc
but theyre all better than chris kunitz

as an Edmonton fan do I think taylor hall deserved to be there ahead of kunitz?? without a doubt.
but I also think there are a number of players who should've been ahead of him.

and what we know as of today is that he's struggling mightily. both in the spot he was chosen for and out of it.

I really don't think it's a coincidence that almost all fans outside of Pittsburgh think kunitz doesn't belong on the team

If he goes to the press box it proves he doesn't and they made a mistake, he was chosen to play with Sid, it's not working out, better players are at home. If he starts playing better and stays in the lineup then maybe he did.

The fact that he has played well with Perry and Getzlaf and Sidney Crosby does nothing to discount the notion that he's simply a good player riding the cotails of great players.
- sbroads24

Come to think about it, why not try him with Getzlaf-Perry? get him off your best players' wing but still try to make good on that chemistry.

Then again, It's not as if Canada is short of options.

Yeah contested list, and that didn't even include goalies (there'd be one or two in contention - no canadians) and defensemen.

I think Doughty, Weber, Pietrangelo and Keith are all better hockey players at this moment than the Sedins, Backstrom and Hossa.

I guess what I was getting at there is that if Canada makes up 30-40% of the top 10 players in the world, we're still doing the best.
- Morris

No debate on any of this, my list only included forwards... d men, goalies ....
Chara, Weber, Suter, Karlson, Doughty probably the top 5... but very debateable

Come to think about it, why not try him with Getzlaf-Perry? get him off your best players' wing but still try to make good on that chemistry.

Then again, It's not as if Canada is short of options.
- Morris

because we have better players better suited for those spots

I suppose you're entitled to your opinion. just know that you might be coming off abit biased.

while I could care less who's on the team.

I got no love for jeff carter, or Patrick sharp or martin st.louis, or claude Giroux, or eric staal or tyler seguin or rick nash etc etc
but theyre all better than chris kunitz

as an Edmonton fan do I think taylor hall deserved to be there ahead of kunitz?? without a doubt.
but I also think there are a number of players who should've been ahead of him.

and what we know as of today is that he's struggling mightily. both in the spot he was chosen for and out of it.

I really don't think it's a coincidence that almost all fans outside of Pittsburgh think kunitz doesn't belong on the team
- hugefemale dog77

Hall is a better player then Kunitz by a wide margin, i ll give you that. I ll also give you that I might be biased... but the stats don't lie top5/10 in every offensive category for 2 seasons. You could also make the arguement that Sharp is a product of Teows, Hossa and Kane... and therefore Hall could have made it over him. Could make a similar arguements for Marleau.

Hall is a better player then Kunitz by a wide margin, i ll give you that. I ll also give you that I might be biased... but the stats don't lie top5/10 in every offensive category for 2 seasons. You could also make the arguement that Sharp is a product of Teows, Hossa and Kane... and therefore Hall could have made it over him. Could make a similar arguements for Marleau.
- Brianandr1

I would make similar arguments concerning sharp vs hall.

however, I think sharp plays a better two way game than either of kunitz or hall and that's why he was selected.
sharp was also near the bottom of my list of players selected.
as was marleau and carter.

I didn't have too much issue with marleau as he's such a brilliant skater and well suited for the big ice.

as far as kunitz I understood why they selected him, but im a pretty firm believer in this whole "chemistry" thing being a mistake. at least in the case of one who probably wouldn't have made the team if he wasn't partnered with a lock.

seabrook (which was corrected this time after the 2010 mistake)
kunitz
heatley

I hate traditional thinking. try something new

Lmaoo this article is a joke...yes he's the best player in the world but the pressure is getting to him...other players with the same or less ice time have played better and produced more (Tavares, Bergeron, carter) saying he needs more ice time and never admitting anything to be his fault is a joke...

The rest of the world or Prock? They won by 1 goal in 2010... Lost in 2006... These facts are not in question... Fact is People who point out that Malkin, Ovie, Datsuk, Kovy and Kane might be top 10 in the world (all non Canadian) have an arguement. Team USA, Sweden and Russia are loaded with stars and solid players.
- Brianandr1

ummm..........you forget Kessel

Why is it so hard to play with Crosby? Why haven't any of the other players been able to mesh with him like the other lines seem to be able to?

Why is it so hard to play with Crosby? Why haven't any of the other players been able to mesh with him like the other lines seem to be able to?
- AncasterPens

maybe it's overstated. at least in comparison to the rest of the players.
it's not like the rest of the forwards are exactly lighting it up.
outside of carter's hat trick against mighty Austria, most of our scoring has been coming from the backend.

Ill admit it is strange, but if he were playing badly that would be one thing. he's just not on a torrid scoring pace

maybe it's overstated. at least in comparison to the rest of the players.
it's not like the rest of the forwards are exactly lighting it up.
outside of carter's hat trick against mighty Austria, most of our scoring has been coming from the backend.

Ill admit it is strange, but if he were playing badly that would be one thing. he's just not on a torrid scoring pace
- hugefemale dog77