Olympics: Playoff Matchups

• End of Line

  

  http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic...layoff-dE.html
  
  Sweden finishes second and USA will finish first. Russia is third. Finland will get the fourth bye.
  
  Qualifier games:
  
  5th Czech vs 12th Latvia Winner plays Finland
  6th Canada vs 11th Germany Winner plays Russia
  7th Slovakia vs 10th Norway Winner plays Sweden
  8th Switzerland vs 9th Belarus Winner plays USA
  
  Quarterfinals:
  
  Czech-Latvia winner vs Finland
  Canada-Germany winner vs Russia
  Slovakia-Norway winner vs Sweden
  Switzerland-Belarus winner vs USA
  
  Semi finals:
  Czech-Latvia-Finland winner vs Switzerland-Belarus-USA winner
  Canada-Germany-Russia winner vs Slovakia-Norway-Sweden winner
  
  Bronze Medal Game:
  Czech-Latvia-Finland-Switzerland-Belarus-USA loser of semi-final game vs
  Canada-Germany-Russia-Slovakia-Norway-Sweden loser of semi-final game
  
  Gold Medal Game:
  Czech-Latvia-Finland-Switzerland-Belarus-USA bracket winner vs
  Canada-Germany-Russia-Slovakia-Norway-Sweden bracket winner
  
  
  *Canada is going to have the hardest road to get to the gold medal game*
• gorocks99

  

  That win last night was huge. Not saying the Swiss/Belarus will be an easy game, but it's as easy as you can reasonably expect in a quarterfinal Olympic game. Win that and we need to win at least one out of two to get any medal. Canada is boned, having to take on Russia in the quarterfinals in what many thought would be the gold medal match. If they lose to Ovechkin and Co., Babcock is gonna be strung up in the streets.
• OneBuckeye

  

  USA is set up perfectly for a run for the gold. With Miller in the net there is no reason they can't do it. I think it will be a Canada USA final. I just hope it isn't on freaking msnbc.
  
  On a side note Barry Melrose said the NHL won't do the next olympics in russia because NBC won't put Hockey game on prime time and they aren't geting enough national exposer therefore it doesn't benefit the NHL to let their stars play.
• gorocks99

  

  1) I hope Bettman pulls his head out of his butt and just lets the guys play.
  2) Barry Melrose is visibly downtrodden after last night, and I love it. Can't fault the guy for loving his country but he lets it ooze through every chance he gets.
• KnightXC1

  

  Melrose is a terd, which is why he couldn't coach half a season in Tampa.
  
  US is set up nicely to get to the gold medal game, not having to see Russia, Canada, or Sweden until then. If Miller continues to play as well as he did last night, the US can win this.
• chicago510

  

  The 3 most talented teams in the world (Canada, Russia, Sweden) are all in the other bracket.
  
  The USA has it set up perfectly for a run at the gold medal game. Finland/Czech winner will be tough in the semifinals, but you couldn't ask for a better draw. Russia/Canada in the quarterfinals is just ridiculous. Loser of that game will be disowned in their home country.
• dazedconfused

  

  nbc needs to pull their heads out of their asses and put these games on their network...enough of this msnbc bullshit
• End of Line

  

  NBC/Melrose/Bettman need to pull their heads out their asses.
  
  Canada will have the toughest road to the gold. Germany plays fantastic D (They held the Swedes to 2 goals), Russis (what more do I have to say), then Sweden.
• georgemc80

  I hated watching it on MSNBC....I apparently have become an HD snob....
• End of Line

  

  georgemc80 wrote: I hated watching it on MSNBC....I apparently have become an HD snob....

  I think we all have.
• gorocks99

  

  I got the game in HD, I guess most don't get MSNBCHD?
• Strapping Young Lad

  

  I'll admit Betteman has a point with the '14 Olympics. If a great game like last night's is going to be buried and not the highlight of the night, then teams are not going to want to risk their million dollar investments. Hockey's a brutal sport and I know owners and coaches wre holdong their breath when the US was blocking those shots last night.
  
  everyone involved in NHL including the networks needs to get their heads out of their asses. You'd think NBC would want last night's game to be available to the casual fan because it may help their ratings when they show NHL games on the weekends and the Finals. Figure skating is not converting anyone and it's not on again until another four years. That game last night could have improved NBC's ratings when they play NHL games this season.
  
  I really cannot believe that you can't watch the entire Stanley Cup finals on NBC.
• gorocks99

  

  They need to allow media timeouts - NBC would be willing to put it in primetime if they knew there would be time for commercials. Problem is, with the tight schedule, they usually need to get three games in in a day -- which means, as it stands now, about 4 hours of real time for each game. Add in media timeouts and we're talking 5-6 hours each .. that's games/prep from 10am-1am. Pretty brutal.
• Gobuckeyes1

  gorocks99 wrote: They need to allow media timeouts - NBC would be willing to put it in primetime if they knew there would be time for commercials. Problem is, with the tight schedule, they usually need to get three games in in a day -- which means, as it stands now, about 4 hours of real time for each game. Add in media timeouts and we're talking 5-6 hours each .. that's games/prep from 10am-1am. Pretty brutal.

  I could maybe go for 1 media timeout at the 10:00 mark of each period, but part of what makes Olympic hockey so exciting is the non-stop action. Add another 45 minutes-1 hour to the length of the game in TV timeouts would kill the energy. Just like what happens in the last 5 minutes of an NBA game.
  
  NBC just needs to suck it up and show the damn games. Play your commercials during intermissions and maybe try to squeeze a couple in during timeouts on the ice.
  

  Russia/Canada in the quarterfinals is just ridiculous. Loser of that game will be disowned in their home country.

  Yeah...there are going to be some seriously pissed of people SOMEWHERE after that game...
• KnightXC1

  

  NBC has no control over the TV timeout at the Olympics since the Olympics do not operate around a set TV schedule. The only breaks are the short ones at certain points of the period and that's it. Not sure what the Nielson rating ended up being for the hockey game but I would bet it was higher than ice dancing.
• End of Line

  

  8.2 Million Watch USA vs. Canada Hockey on MSNBC
  
  http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/02/22...on-msnbc/42655
  
  
  Can you imagine the numbers it would've pulled in if it was on NBC???
• namod65

  

  I have MSNBC in HD. And I just have the standard HD service from TW in Columbus. Hockey doesn't pull the ratings that some of the other olympic sports do which is why its never on NBC. It's almost as bad as soccer popularity wise in the USA.
• End of Line

  

  namod65 wrote: I have MSNBC in HD. And I just have the standard HD service from TW in Columbus. Hockey doesn't pull the ratings that some of the other olympic sports do which is why its never on NBC. It's almost as bad as soccer popularity wise in the USA.

  Idk about that one.
• Strapping Young Lad

  

  So are te Qualifier games all today???
  
  When does the quarterfinal round begin??? When will the US be on????
• End of Line

  

  All of the qualification games are today.
  
  USA plays at 3pm on NBC wed.
• gorocks99

  

  Belarus/Switzerland tied at 2 in the 2nd. Come on, lets see an OT game, wear those guys out!
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  Ugh, 3pm tomorrow. SOB. My work doesn't allow me to stream online, may step out early lol. Stupid Olympic schedule.
  
  I'm hoping Belarus can pull one out. I'd rather the US face them than Hiller and the Swiss.
• gorocks99

  

  Overtime, 2-2 tied. C'mon Belarus
  
  Although, their goalie must be standing on his head, he has 35 saves on 37 shots so far.
• Strapping Young Lad

  

  How do they play overtimes once the quarterfinal rounds start??? I know now it 10 min then shootout. I hope that's not how they do in the tourney....
• Strapping Young Lad

  

  tripping!!! tough call there in OT....