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Post by Simey on Feb 25, 2010 1:40:05 GMT -5
Yeah, saw Finland-Czech Republic and have been watching Slovakia-Sweden from 2nd period on - sounds like the first period was a waste of space anyway. Sweden have finally been forced to stop being boring! Slovakia scored twice 37 seconds apart. Sweden then scored twice....37 seconds apart! Nice to see Slovakia not lose heart, and score again. Good stuff. C'mon you Slovaks!
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Post by Simey on Feb 25, 2010 2:23:04 GMT -5
Slovakia 4 - Sweden 3 Wow - even though it was 3-2 to Slovakia at the end of the second period that is still a shock final result. I think if the gold medal was awarded to the team in the tournament that played with the most heart and lifted themselves to being as good as they could possibly be, I reckon the Slovaks would have it. Whether they will be as much of a challenge to Canada as Sweden should have been, who knows. But a well deserved result that they really gave their all for. Right, must get a few hours sleep before work. Though trying to sleep in the aftermath of drama like that could be tricky.
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Post by jan on Feb 25, 2010 4:05:01 GMT -5
No! The Czech Republic is out! I didn't watch it, but I've heard our performance was terrible, so it's perhaps OK that we've lost. You just can't win if you don't score. But or goal-keeper (Vokoun) was great. Yes! And double yes for Slovakia! The 4:3 result gives me other 7 points (5 for the victory and 2 for the 4 goals). So now, with the previous 33 points, I have nice 40 points in total! Still fighting! I told you the Slovaks were great! ;D OK, Slovakia against Canada, they can't win, but I hope they'll score some goals to give me a few more points. I'm very happy that Canada defeated Russia, and I'm even more happy that the difference was so big. USA - Finland is quite open, but I think that Finland will win. PS The Czech olympic team has now 2 gold medals and 3 bronze ones - it's been a big success so far for us, although the hockey team is out. 2 of our 5 medals are from cross-country skiing, and other 3 (2 gold and 1 bronze) were won by a single girl in skating - she's from my hometown, so it's just great!
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Post by Simey on Feb 25, 2010 16:38:26 GMT -5
I told you the Slovaks were great! ;D You did indeed, and it is true! Gold medal for passion goes to them! Wow - I do hope you're right. I was thinking more along the lines of the USA have been one of two form teams (alongside Slovakia) throughout the tournament and Finland have yet to show me anything special at all, but I do hope you're right! ;D What home town is this? A hockey star! A three-times Olympic medalist! The water must be good there! Wait! What's her name? I think I know who you mean. I think I've seen some of her races. She is very good.
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Post by Black Cat on Feb 25, 2010 17:24:10 GMT -5
Martina Sablikova, who does look a little bit more like a hermaphrodite (sorry Jan!). She beated Canadian Clara Hughes, the only person to have won multiples medals in both the Summer and Winter games. She's taking her retirement after the current skating season.
This Saturday, a skier from where I live will compete. As a journalist, I will have to cover the big gathering the people are planning to watch the race. It should be interesting.
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Post by Simey on Feb 25, 2010 18:22:08 GMT -5
And so, sadly, interest ends for two of our players. Thankfully, four of us are represented by a single chosen team each in the semi-finals - Jan could so easily still have had two teams at this stage, and me none. It was a battle between Miller and Hiller when the USA took on Switzerland. The two goalies had a terrific game, US net-minder Ryan Miller making eighteen saves to shut-out the Swiss, whilst Switzerland's Jonas Hiller stopped a whopping forty-two shots. The sheer weight of shots on goal from the US team did tell though, with Hiller letting the puck past him four times. The USA only scored two goals however: the puck crossed the goal line one tenth of a second after the end of the second period, so was a no-goal; and on another occasion a delayed penalty call frustrated what looked to be a goal for the USA. After a tight match, ETB's USA make him 9 points, whilst Doomy's Switzerland get him nothing. Surely, however, Doomy would see his Russians save the day? They did not. Indeed, they made Doomy our first casualty of the knock-out stages in being demolished by Canada. The Canadian forwards bulldozed the Russian defence, whilst their own defence nullified the effectiveness even of such a great as Alex Ovechkin. Russia's goalie was replaced in the second period having let four goals get past him in the first, whilst Roberto Luongo, still between the pipes for Canada having been favoured over Martin Brodeur for the previous match, had another good game, making twenty-five saves. The Canadians trounced the Russians 7-3. Canada hoard 8 points for BC, allowing Russia only the left-overs of 2 points to give Doomy as the final addition to his score. Finland's victory over the Czech Republic was an unimpressive affair, the two goalies the only real stand out players. The Finns improved on their dismal performance against Sweden, but still looked lost when on the Power-Play and too indecisive in general. The Czech Republic played reasonably for a good portion of the match, but when even the great Jaromir Jagr was letting a golden scoring opportunity go begging as the puck slipped under his stick, they must have known that things were not going their way. When Finland finally opened the scoring in the third period - having played over two hours of hockey without a goal - the Czechs lost discipline and didn't look likely to push the match beyond regulation time. My underperfoming Finland manage somehow to still be in the competition, and give me 9 points to boot, which is nice. The Czech Republic go out without making any more points for Jan. And so surely Jan's interest was about to end. Despite their ranking, Slovakia had been the better of his two teams from the outset, but when they came up against Sweden there was obviously going to be only one winner: the team in yellow and blue. The Swedes had been making their way quietly but ominously through the tournament, never doing any more than necessary, but making it clear that there was a lot more under the bonnet should it be needed. The spirit demonstrated by the Slovakians prior to this match showed that they would undoubtedly go down in a blaze of glory. But go down they surely would. The first period was described by at least one commentator as 'like watching paint dry', and offered up no goals. The second period was - to understate matters - different. On a Power-Play the Slovaks scored and, buoyed by having finally cracked the Swedish defence, scored again thirty-seven seconds later. An incredible upset was suddenly in prospect, but surely the Swedes would pull themselves out of second gear and demonstrate what they were really capable of. They did. Within a few minutes they too had scored twice in thirty-seven seconds. Many an underdog team would have been fatally deflated by such a swift and decisive riposte, but the Slovaks' belief seemed not to waver for even a second. Forty-eight seconds before the end of the second period they scored again. The Swedish response at the beginning of the third period was peculiar, the squad going back to the tidy, controlling play which had seen them through their earlier matches and which seemed to assume that sooner or later the lesser team would slip up and that they would be able to take easy advantage. Nine minutes in they were served notice that Slovakia were not about to gift their opponents a victory through mistakes: they scored again. Finally, 2-4 behind, Sweden upped their game decisively and played scorching hockey until the end of the match. Within thirty- eight seconds of the Slovaks goal, Sweden had scored. A one goal advantage was nothing against a Swedish team finally roused into action and for the rest of the match the Slovaks were clinging on against a battery of offensives from the Scandinavians. Sheer heart won the day, the Slovaks still nipping over the Swedish blue line whenever they could despite the desperate need to deny Sweden another goal. Jaroslav Halak in goal for Slovakia faced twenty-nine shots in the match, and only three went in. Henrik Lundqvist in front of Sweden's net faced only fourteen, such was the ability of his defence to break down plays, but four got past him. Sweden showed real passion only in fits and starts, and when they finally became properly fired up it was too late. Slovakia's passion for the match, and probably for simply doing themselves proud in the Olympic quarter-finals, was palpable throughout, and made them deserving 4-3 victors. Sweden grab AS a final 2 points on their way out. Jan's incredible Slovaks net him 7 points and move on to the semi-finals. An important Current Standings for us, as this is the final round in which we all had opportunities to score: Black Cat: 41 points Jan: 40 points Aguila Saber: 36 points EvilTB: 34 points Doomy: 33 points Simey: 32 pointsSo that's how we finish the even portion of the competition. Only four of us go forward with the promise of more points, though I'm a little concerned that if Finland don't get their act together, I could still come last even with two matches to play! Apologies if that final match report was a little long, but it was a thrill to watch and I have to admit having been firmly on the Slovaks' side, so I enjoyed it very much. Please understand that I'm not anti-Swedish - not at all! - but there are rather too many Red Wings on the Swedish side for my liking.
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Post by Doomy on Feb 25, 2010 19:14:25 GMT -5
I told you I know nothing about hockey. Looks like your team gave you a birthday present, BC.
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Post by jan on Feb 26, 2010 4:29:20 GMT -5
Wow again, Simey, a beautiful post! What home town is this? A hockey star! A three-times Olympic medalist! The water must be good there! It might be slightly difficult for you to read the town's name: Žďár nad Sázavou (or incorrectly Zdar nad Sazavou, if the Czech characters are not displayed properly on your computer). Martina Sablikova, who does look a little bit more like a hermaphrodite. Yes, she does. She isn't a hermaphrodite, but she looks so. But be happy that you didn't hear her (or her mother) talking - she's definitely not the smartest girl on the Olympics. Actually, it looks like the God used everything on her skating abilities and ommited her intelectual capabilities. But never mind, she's still quite nice. OK. So the semifinals are today. Czechs are sad that their team is out, but on the other hand, most of us are really happy that Russians are out as well - this makes me feel comfortable, and I'm just looking forward to watching good hockey! I think it's going to be Finland - Canada final.
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Post by jan on Feb 27, 2010 3:59:48 GMT -5
OK, so my confidence in Finland was somehow... erm... disproportional... (USA - Finland 6:1). But Slovaks were fighting well and their loss with Canada was only close (2:3). This result gives me 1 more point (for 2 Slovak goals), so I have 41 points in total now. I really liked the Slovak game and I believe they are able to defeat Finland in the last match and get the bronze. We'll see it today! Yay, it seems that Europe is playing second league! USA - Canada final! I believe Canadians will win.
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Post by jan on Feb 28, 2010 4:36:36 GMT -5
And - that's the end for me! Slovakia - Finland 3:5! Slovaks lost, but they were damn close (leading 3:1 after the second third). So - congratulations to Simey for his victory and for the bronze medal! Slovaks gave me last 2 points (for scoring 3 goals), so my final score is 43 points!
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Post by Black Cat on Feb 28, 2010 17:58:10 GMT -5
Here's a Black Cat celebrating! Attachments:
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Post by jan on Mar 2, 2010 11:01:36 GMT -5
Ummm... any final results for all of us? The only two things I know is that I have 43 points and that Black Cat is (probably) the winner, isn't he?
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Post by Doomy on Mar 2, 2010 11:11:41 GMT -5
I'm fairly sure I didn't win, anyway.
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Post by Simey on Mar 2, 2010 17:50:52 GMT -5
Apologies for not being around to round this off properly. Busy few days, including watching the final in the middle of the night Sunday/Monday (unable to watch it live ) before a 6.30 a.m. start at work - been spending a lot of time being knackered and am constantly unsure of what day it is. Anyway, the two semi-final winners were fairly predictable, though the scoreline between the USA and Finland was not. All the American goals came within the first thirteen minutes, and the only further goal was a Finnish one late on. What a match it could and should have been had Finnish goalie Kiprusoff - the Finns' only stand-out player previously - not made a mistake that allowed the flood gates to open for ten minutes early on. A shame that, but that's the way things go sometimes. Slovakia showed their terrific spirit yet again as they gave Canada a nervous third period in negating a possible shut-out and pushing the scoreline close. Finland finally played a decent match to win the bronze medal. By this time, of course, I was fully on the Slovaks' side - team of the tournament for me - but I'll take the points. Finals can too often be disappointing matches after exciting tournaments, but Canada vs. USA was not. Yes, there could have been more goals, but it was good stuff. The USA pulling level in the dying seconds of regulation time was thrilling in retrospect, though given that I was then worried that Canada's victory on home soil (well, ice) would be cruelly snatched away, I imagine that in Canada the tension was so total as to be resistant to even the sharpest knife. I expect the Earth momentarily spun a little quicker as millions of Canadians exhaled in relief at Sidney Crosby's match-winning overtime goal. I have to say, good on Canada for the whole event, and for topping the medals table - FOURTEEN GOLDS! - so decidedly that second-placed Germany wasn't even close. It sounds as though most Canadians would have foregone being at the top for ensuring they won the men's hockey, but they achieved both feats, and that's terrific. Okay, here are our Final Standings:Black Cat: 60 points EvilTB: 49 points Jan: 43 points Simey: 41 points Aguila Saber: 36 points Doomy: 33 pointsCongratulations to BC! Choosing Canada wasn't seeming like such a good call for a couple of days in the middle there, but they came good in fine style. Well done, ETB! The USA were the form team right the way through, so were a better choice than seemed likely at the start. And well done also to Jan! His pairing put more of a team effort into earning him points, though it was a little unexpected who made him the most. The Gold and Silver medal winning teams got their backers into our Gold and Silver positions. The Bronze medal winning team, er....didn't. Two major surprises are that Sweden and Russia didn't achieve more. Given that my choice was between Finland and Russia, it seemed like a gamble at the time to back the Finns, but even though Finland weren't great, I'm glad I did, because Russia and Latvia would have been a horrendous combination! What a lot of people would point out as another surprise, Jan actually called well in advance of the tournament: Slovakia being a considerable force to be reckoned with. They were exciting, they played with great heart, they put it all out there on the ice - great stuff. And in terms of our game, they rather surprisingly did a lot more than the Czech Republic to get Jan his Bronze placing. Anyway, well done all - thanks for taking part. I hope the non-hockey fans have been prompted to take at least a quick look at the game on the TV! ;D If I might be so bold as to ask BC: could you tell us what it was like for you watching the final, and how it feels for you and other Canadians for Canada to have won it in Canada? I'll leave you with our winners: [glow=yellow,2,300]Gold Medal: Black Cat[/glow] [glow=white,2,300]Silver Medal: EvilTB[/glow] [glow=orange,2,300]Bronze Medal: Jan[/glow]
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Post by Doomy on Mar 2, 2010 18:17:07 GMT -5
Last? LAST!?!
I hereby declare shenanigans, demand the Winter Olympics be deemed null and void until a point entirely of my choosing, and urge that all competitions be restarted fom the beginning.
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