Tag Archives: switzerland

No Worries. Shootout Win is Hardly the End of the Games.

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

In the end, they won. Team Canada, beat the Swiss 3-2 in a shootout in their second game of the 2010 Winter Olympics Thursday night and avoided a potentially embarrassing scenario.

Not surprisingly, for many Canadians this was a traumatic experience, but if you stop and think about it, it’s par for the course. Even when the Canadians won gold in 2002 in Salt Lake, they didn’t rip it up early in the tournament. In fact, Canada was lucky to qualify for the quarterfinals after losing 5-2 to Sweden, sneaking out a 3-2 win over Germany and tying the Czechs 3-3. Then Canada barely beat the Finns (2-1) in the quarters. However, Sweden lost 4-3 to Belarus in their quarterfinal match (the upset of the Century can happen to anybody) and Canada got a free pass (7-1) into the finals.

So on Thursday, Canada was taken to a shootout by a well-coached team with great goaltending, a team that gave the Americans a run for their money in a 3-1 loss.

Sure, on paper the Swiss team can’t match up to Canada and every number, except the one on the scoreboard, suggested they did not. Canada outshot the Swiss 46-23 and had absolute territorial control, but give the Swiss — and especially their coach — some respect. Steinbach’s Ralph Krueger, once again, did a tremendous job to convince his team to play aggressively and with abandon — especially on the penalty kill — against a better opponent. It’s what the Olympics are supposed to be (would you rather have the lopsided mess in women’s hockey?) and we should congratulate the Swiss, not rip the Canadians.

Let’s face it, Jonas Hiller, one of the best goalies in the NHL, played brilliantly, and what might have been a 10-2 blowout turned out to be a 2-2 tie. It happens. Goalies can win hockey games all by themselves.

Frankly, this just sets up the opportunity for a wonderful game on Sunday night. Canada-USA will be sensational and even though Canada is already through to the quarterfinals, this will be an important statement game against a very good opponent.

And guess what? Canada will have to watch out for Ryan Miller, the U.S. goaltender who, like Hiller, is one of the best in the game. This isn’t going to be easy.

So go get your Team Canada jersey, pop open a Coke and tune into CTV for Sunday night’s battle. I guarantee, it will be the highlight of your Olympic weekend.

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Three things rattling around in my brain…

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

I have a few more things rattling around in my cranium other than this, but after crunchy peanut butter and last night’s Power Ball numbers, these are the only things that would likely matter to anyone else…

1) NHL commissioner Gary Bettman gets more hypocritical every day. He says he wants to do whatever he can for his owners, but when one gets in serious trouble — like Jerry Moyes in Phoenix — Bettman throws him under the bus.

Here is the latest response by Jim Balsillie to a court filing by the National Hockey League:

HAMILTON, ON, May 14 /CNW/ – Jim Balsillie today issued the following statement with regard to NHL motions filed in a Phoenix bankruptcy court: 

   … “I can tell you this. I made a generous good faith offer to buy the Coyotes from Jerry Moyes, who I understand is the owner of the Coyotes. Who owns or controls the team is a distinction without a difference. The team itself is still bankrupt, voluntarily or not. The owner of the team has a fiduciary obligation towards the creditors.

       “My offer, which goes the furthest in satisfying creditors’ claims, is still the same. It’s $212 million to buy the Coyotes and bring them to the best un-served hockey market in the world in Southern Ontario. We look forward to discussing this no matter what the outcome on May 19th.

    “At the end of the day, this is about the passion Canadians feel for the game of hockey and a chance to provide those fans with the opportunity to support a seventh NHL team. That’s what this is all about, great hockey fans in a great hockey market.”

Sadly, Gary Bettman wouldn’t know a good hockey market or a good hockey fan if one tripped and fell over his throat.

Why Bettman hates Canada and, for the most part, hates the game of hockey, is a mystery.

2) Remember Jean-Sebastien Giguere? In case you don’t, he led the Anaheim Ducks to the Stanley Cup in 2007.

Giguere is still in Anaheim, but he doesn’t play much anymore. the hero in Anaheim is now Jonas Hiller, a guy who already has three rings — for the championship of the Swiss League, in 2002, 2005 and 2007. He’s also won two Spengler Cups with Davos.

Of course, if the Ducks win Game 7 against Detroit tonight, he just could win another ring this year. Along with a Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

Or, he could lose and join Roberto Luongo and Simeon Varlamov in 2009 post-season infamy.

It should be a great game tonight. 

3) Finally, in the CFL, the league announced four rule changes that were suggested by the fans in an online poll:

          a) The league’s board of governors approved moving the kickoff back 10 yards to the 25-yard line following a safety.

          b) Allowing coaches to use “wildcat” formations that would move the quarterback around, instead of requiring him to stand behind or under centre.

          c) Requiring a team that makes a field goal to kick off rather than give the receiving the team the option of taking the ball at its 35-yard-line.

         d) Giving a team a third instant replay challenge if its first two are successful.

I have no problem with any of those rules changes. I guess I’m just like a lot of fans. I didn’t think the quarterback was stuck behind centre anyway, didn’t care if a team kicked from the 35 or 25 after a safety and didn’t realize that taking the ball at the 35 or kicking off mattered that much.

My rule change remains the same: If a CFL team uses a Canadian (non-import) as its No. 3 quarterback, it can use an extra import in the starting line-up. At some point, we must — in our own league — make it worth the coaches’ while to develop Canadian  quarterbacks, just like they develop U.S. college rookies.

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Euro 2008: Taylor’s picks. My Sport Select money is on Germany and Spain with a nod to Portugal and maybe even Russia.

Posted on June 7, 2008 by Scott Taylor| Comments Off

I was thinking back through the history of this European Nations Football Championship (known from now on as Euro ’08) and it has never ceased to amaze me how often the unexpected happens.

 

In fact, nobody expected the Netherlands in ’88 and I can’t remember even one person hinting to me that Denmark might win in ’92. The Czechs won in ’96 and although they had a terrific team, I don’t think anyone went into the tournament ready to bet the farm on them beating England, France, Italy or Germany. And how about 2004 when Greece won it all? There always seems to be some craziness in the Euro that makes picking an eventual champion such a crap shoot.

 

Nonetheless…

 

Let’s take a look at the 16 teams, divided into four groups and see if we can’t pick two quarterfinalists from each.

 

Group A: You have to love Portugal for one reason: Cristiano Ronaldo. He can score and with Portugal’s back seven, not many will score against this team. I’m going with the Czechs as my No. 2 team although the experts really like Turkey.

 

Group B: Germany is the clear favourite here and unless they fall asleep should go through unbeaten. Croatia is favoured to come out of the group at No. 2 and I must admit I don’t see enough from Poland and Austria to argue that suggestion. 

 

Group C: The Netherlands is the best team, perhaps even the best team in the event, but they have a whole crew of guys who don’t like each other and a defence that would rather attack than defend. Italy is without Cannavaro and Totti and I’m not sure they can overcome that. France is my No. 2 team. Romania, as good as they are, won’t win a game in the toughest grouping of the four.

 

Group D: Any team with Xavi, Torres and Villa have enough scoring ability to win the entire event. I’m always a big fan of the Russians and this year, they might be the dark horse pick. Greece, as wonderful as the ’04 story was, just don’t have enough talent and the Swedes could upset Russia to reach the quarters. Although I don’t believe it.

 

On the top of the draw, I like Germany to beat Portugal in one semifinal and Spain to take out France in the other semi. I think Germany brings the best all-around team to the event, but I sure like Spain.

 

We’ll take Germany as our winner and if our other predictions don’t come to pass, look out for Russia as the surprise.

 

And, hey, don’t forget to listen to 92-CITI-FM in Winnipeg every afternoon, Monday-through-Friday, at 4:15 p.m. as Joe Aiello and I bring you all the excitement of Euro ’08 on our daily “River City Sports Euro ’08 Report.” 

 

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