Sunday, May 31, 2009

Orientate this!!!

So...as Stevie Y and Super Mario look on upon the teams they once lead to greatness, Dewey and I figured it would be a good time to put our money where our mouth is, and post who we think is going to be at this summer's orientation camp. Hockey Canada has announced the camp will be held in Calgary from August 24-28 and we think it is high-time to let our masses in on who will be there.

We've whittled down the contenders to 25 forwards, 12 defencemen (wanted 10, but Dewey started crying when I suggested cutting certain guys out), and 5 goalies...ambitious, I know.

Here goes:

Forwards:
  1. Crosby
  2. Lecavilier
  3. Gagne
  4. Iginla
  5. Doan
  6. Richards, Mike
  7. St. Louis
  8. Perry
  9. Getzlaf
  10. Thornton, Joe
  11. Marleau
  12. Carter, Jeff
  13. Lucic
  14. Staal, Eric
  15. Stamkos
  16. Nash
  17. Heatley
  18. Spezza
  19. Toews
  20. Savard, Marc
  21. Morrow
  22. Roy, Derek
  23. Briere
  24. Smyth, Ryan
  25. Staal, Jordan

Last three out: Richards, Brad; Sakic and Boyes.

Defensemen:
  1. Seabrook
  2. Green, Mike
  3. Pronger
  4. Neidermayer, Scott
  5. Phaneuf
  6. Regehr
  7. Burns, Brent
  8. Doughty
  9. Weber, Shea
  10. Bouwmeester
  11. Boyle, Dan
  12. Keith, Duncan

Last three left out: Campbell, Brian and Bieksa.
Redden... as if!!

Goaltenders:
  1. Brodeur
  2. Luongo
  3. Mason, Steve
  4. Ward, Cam
  5. Fleury

Last two left out: Turco and Price.
Osgood... you were never even a fleeting thought!!

Let the blog fodder take flight!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

My rebuttal

Easy there partner…I’m pretty sure I didn’t go as far as to say that I’d be cheering for the Americans if Marty St. Louis was on the team (although I do love that Parise, and wish he were one of ours). I mean honestly, he’s not in the immediate mix for me either, but let’s not discount the guy completely. Remember now, “heart” seems to be something in high value at the upper reaches of Canadian leadership lately (as Michaelle Jean has shown us), and the guy does have a ring.

I guess though, that I take bigger issue with your boy Dion Phaneuf being left off the roster. Did I miss something here? Is the guy actually a question mark with the 2010 team? Would Stevie Y actually do that to Pierre McGuire?

As far as the three goalies go, I would hope that all three of them could keep their egos in-check. Ward may not be the #3, but then again…he may well be.

I Remain Unimpressed

As my esteemed colleague wrote earlier today, Eric Duhatschek named his choice for 2010. It's nice to see someone respected in the hockey world name a team... (I said respected so McGuire's list is out the window).

... but he didn't do that much better...

Let's start with the goaltenders. This is probably the easiest argument to make. Right Duhatschek has Brodeur, Luongo and Ward as his guys between the pipes. I have no problem with those guys, but do you honestly think that Ward will want to go there and sit as the third guy?

HECK NO! The guy has a ring, which is more than Luongo can say. We've had a situation similar to this before where the always classy Pat Roy stepped aside and said that he wouldn't be the third guy. I'm not saying Ward is an old guy, but as the youngest of the 3 I hardly believe he will be willing to take a spot reserved for what is usually there for a young kid who can play, but will spend the entire tournament from wherever it will be that players will watch games from in 2010.

Next up is Marty, and I don't mean the goalie here...

Honestly, Martin St. Louis has got to be the most over rated player in professional hockey today. Did anyone see Canada's IIHF Gold medal match with the Russians, where every time he got the puck he just would up and blasted shots into the opposing players shins? "HEY MARTY, HE'S GOT SHIN PADS ON AND YOU'RE A SCRAWNY PUNK!! YOU WON'T HURT HIM OR PUT IT THROUGH HIM!", I yelled at him through my television multiple times throughout the game.

I'm absolutely sick of hearing how Marty will make this team. Everyone wants to talk about how much "heart" the guy has... I will tell you exactly why this means NOTHING in two simple words: Captain Planet.

Remember the old cartoon? We always made fun of little Mogli or whatever his name was. His friends had the power to control earth, to start fire, to uproot the earth and to manipulate the wind. Mogli had the power of heart, which I to this day could never understand how it fits in. If you want to take a hockey player with heart, be my guest, but I'd take a fire breathing one any day over St. Louis. I'm not sure that last sentence even made sense, but I'm more certain it did and that it was absolute genius. If you want to try and make the argument that any one guy on that team doesn't want it as much as Marty you can, it's a free country, but it's absolute garbage because there won't be one player on that team not willing to make every sacrifice necessary, and they sure as hell can find a better player than him to fill a roster spot.

In closing, I don't think there's any player that I want less to see on Team Canada than Martin St. Louis. I made this comment to Matty last night and added, "If he's on the team, I'm cheering for the Americans". A bit harsh to say the least, but I'm 90% ready to do just that...

Duhatschek takes a crack

In is apparent running commentary on the selection of the 2010 Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey Team, respected hockey commentator, Eric Duhatschek, took a crack at selecting his Olympic team as it stands right now.

His team is as follows:

Forward (LW-C-RW)
Crosby-Staal-Iginla
Heatley-Getzlaf-Nash
Richards-Toews-Carter
Doan-Lecavalier-St. Louis
Thornton

Defence
Pronger-Niedermayer
Keith-Weber
Regehr-Bouwmeester
Green

Goaltender
Brodeur
Ward
Luongo

I'll let my partner-in-crime, one Mr. Dewey, take the first stab at Duhatschek's team...as I've heard from a little bird that he may offer some contention with the respected hockey commentators picks.

Here's the link to Duhatschek's story:
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/hockey/news/newsid=11053.html#men+behind+mask?cid=wgtsn

Friday, May 15, 2009

What About Bob?

Bob here, of course, meaning "Robert", and Robert, of course, meaning the hopes and man-crush of every Canucks fan in Roberto Luongo.

Luongo played in arguably the biggest game of his career on Monday night with the Canucks, laying a giant egg in a 4 goal, 9 shot third period.

Now I'm just sayin' here that Luongo has never been part of a team that has really wowed anyone. Partly because he played most of his years in Florida with a team that was, well, awful. However, he's now had his shot in the playoffs.

When he was traded to the Canucks he was supposed to be the missing link that would get them over that hump, also affectionately known as "Dan Cloutier", that would bring them to the promised land. Of course, this hasn't happened yet, and really, I don't think much more of the current Vancouver team than I do the Florida team he played with. I figured it was the same situation, he's a good goalie on a terrible team.

Now what I'm just sayin' is that he was supposed to be the star of this team. I'm not saying he's not a great goalie, because his stats are impressive, but he doesn't seem to have the mental makeup of a big game goalie. Of course there will be no bigger games than those coming in February 2010 in the city in which he currently plays.

If you'd asked me before this season who the goalies for 2010 would be, I would have said, without even having to think about it: Luongo, Brodeur, Price. But as it stands now, Marty spent a big chunk of the season injured, and at 37 he's no spring chicken anymore, there's no guarantee that he can stand up to the toll of as many games as he plays over the course of a season. He didn't seem himself in the first round although losing to a firey Carolina team who last night disposed of the number one seeded Bruins of Boston is nothing to be to concerned about. Roberto, as I say, doesn't seem to have that big game mentality, and apparently Price forgot how to play goalie in the NHL (we'll get to him another time) so right now this goaltending situation is way up in the air.

Who starts? Just sayin' Cam Ward has been more than impressive in these first two rounds, and he's won a cup, a cup he won in a game 7, so you know he can play in big games. Has he usurped Luongo's spot on the team? Does it make sense?

So if you were, today, to ask me "What about Bob?", I would simply have no answer.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Green means go...home

First of all...Dewey, I concur, a McGuire-less/Miller-less Olympic broadcast would be a gold medal in itself for all Canadians.

Secondly...I pose the question, "Do we need Mike Green on our Olympic Team?" 31 goals and 73 points in 68 games would suggest that he is a lock (+24 to boot). However, the guy has been nothing if not ordinary for the Capitals thus far in the playoffs and at times looks terrible containing and defending some of the games elites in Sid, Geno and the gang.

I suggest that with the likes of Weber and Phaneuf just to name two big shots, Canada is well-stacked in the area of offensively able D-men.

Green, for my mind, is at best the 7th guy on the blue line and really only used in PP situations...but even then will they need him with the guys I've mentioned above...not to further mention the ability of many of the potential forwards on the team to play the point with the man advantage.

I'm not saying he's a "no go" for certain. He'll certainly be at the camp...he'll almost definitely be on the taxi squad at least...but on the 7-man defensive unit...we shall have to wait and see. I mean...he's no McCabe (not nearly that terrible) but we all know what kind of decision that turned out to be in '06.

Finally, Go Bruins!!

One Paragraph on Our Friend Pierre

Apparently Pierre McGuire is on the short list to become the next GM of the Minnesota Wild. As staunchly opposed as we are here to Pierre McGuire, this would mean that he would have no part of the play-by-play broadcast of the gold medal game. Maybe he would even bring Gord Miller along to be assistant GM. That being said, we can think of no better man for the job, Minnesota, you're making the right choice!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

I Love Lucic

I have a problem.

A problem I'm not too keen to admit. See, I am almost as opposed to the Boston Bruins as I am Pierre McGuire. Actually, that's harsh, as I hate McGuire more than anything, but I DO hate pretty much every sports team in the New England area. Pats, Red Sox, Celtics, those smug bastards who are the Revolution and of coursethe Bruins, but this problem is growing far too much for me to deny anymore.

I love Lucic.

Milan Lucic that is.

I remember the first time I saw Lucic play was in the Memorial Cup (aside: how hard is it to listen to Peter Loubardias call a game?) a few years back. Loved the kid then, he had that intensity that I love to see in young players. He hit, he scored, he was then drafted by the Bruins not long after. I still didn't know much about the kid. Being too lazy to look any information up on him, and of course not wanting to listen to Pierre McGuire on draft day (I watch it muted, never understood the whole "Claude Giroux" thing until about a year later, still didn't laugh) I went along, blind to the fact that this kid is a joy to watch play, and he's not too bad at it either.

Now to say Lucic deserves to be on Team Canada in 2010 is a little more than a stretch, no matter how strong my man crush may be. He doesn't fit in on the team as a scorer. I don't know he's as good as any of the guys I'd have on my checking line above him. But Team Canada seems to have a history of bringing role players. I don't know that Team Canada NEEDS the role that Lucic brings, and the kid is still maturing and isn't above taking bad penalties. I would absolutely LOVE to see Milan get the call to at least attend the first camp this summer (our lists coming soon), just to see how he reacts in this situation.

Lucic plays a tough game that I love. I know I'd definitely have him on my team, but would I have him on my Team Canada? I can't say he's quite there yet, but I'd love to give him a shot...

Friday, May 8, 2009

While we're on the topic...

While we're on the topic of Mcguire bashing, Luke my friend, let me just say that I'm 100% certain that you will not...I repeat WILL NOT see me dancin around the kitchen, head-shavin, screamin WHAMMO...and DOUBLE DION, while using my dexterity, courage, vision and leadership to keep my ACTIVE STICK in the passing lanes.

Back to the task at hand...what about Eric Staal lately. I have to admit that, until a day or two ago, I did not have him on my team. But seriously, the Bruins...my beloved Bruins, and Chara especially are running around mad trying to contain him. He's giving such sorry excuses for hockey players like Jussi Jokinen and Sergei Samsonov all the time and daylight they need on the ice to pass for NHLers in the eyes of most experts.

Gotta say proudly that this may be my first disagreement with Mr. Mcguire...and that as it stands now, Staal is definitely on the team

Monday, May 4, 2009

Take Your Team and...

So a couple of months ago, someone's friend (definitely not mine), Pierre McGuire unveiled his choices for the 2010 team that we are trying to predict here... The picks are as follows...

Goaltenders
Brodeur
Luongo
Price

Defence Pairings
Bouwmeester - Niedermayer
Phaneuf - Weber
Burns - Green
Boyle

Forward Lines
Crosby – Lecavalier - Iginla
Heatley – Getzlaf - Nash
Carter – Thornton - Gagne
Morrow – Richards - Doan
Savard

Here at canadatwentyten we are nothing if not completely opposed to Pierre McGuire (don't even get us started on having to listen to him and Gord Miller while we enjoy the 2010 games), and our team will hopefully look nothing like his*. If it does, Matt has assured me he will shave his head and walk around like in idiot in order to honor the "great Pierre-ino", who obviously we want to be.

I don't really want to see him have to do this, but way to take one for the team buddy! We all appreciate your enthusiasm.

*"nothing like his" being used in the sense here that we don't want to be anything like McGuire, there is nothing wrong with the skills of any of the great Canadian boys on the team, we just really don't like Pierre...

Friday, May 1, 2009

Speaking of...

Speaking of Game One Between MY beloved Bruins and the Cardiac Canes...what a beeeeeauty goal by Michael "how are ya top shelf?" Ryder. Oh and by the way, he's not on my Olympic Team.

Glad to be aboard Dewey...I'm sure my Twenty Ten team will beat your Twenty Ten team anyday.

About this blog...

Since September 2008 my roomate and I have shared a house in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We both are adamant sports fans and the topic of conversation that continues to come up is "who will be on Team Canada for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver?"

This blog will detail our thoughts on the team, and we will continue to update our team as much as possible until the roster is announced (and surely will continue to comment afterwards).

So as we sit here enjoying game one between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins, we hope you'll enjoy reading and agreeing (or disagreeing) with our thoughts.