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Post by Forum Ghost on Feb 19, 2002 16:13:50 GMT -5
That's right folks, our good friend Marty Rucinsky is at it again providing more of his arrogant opinions.
Yesterday he was quoted as saying, "We don't care about Canada. We don't take them as the team to beat. I don't think they're even close to being the best team in the tournament, you've seen that by the scores."
Well you can bet that Team Canada will have that clipping up on it's wall if they play the Czechs in the semis or the Gold medal game. Just like the Sabres had one of ol' Marty's quotes pinned up in their locker room in the 2nd round of the '98 playoffs. The Habs were fresh off knocking off the Penguins and were ready to face the Sabres. A day before Game 1, Rucinsky was quoted as saying that the Sabres are an "average" team who just happen to have a good goalie. Now even though that's the truth, you don't go and say that to the team that you're about to face. This prompted one of the Sabres players to say that Rucinsky's got a big nose and that somebody should knock it off his face. The final result of course was that the Habs were swept out in four, and they haven't made the playoffs since.
I just don't understand why Rucinsky always makes these kind of comments when he clearly doesn't back it up with his play.
Well, let's just hope that Team Canada remembers this on their way to the Gold medal game.
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Post by seventeen on Feb 19, 2002 20:54:53 GMT -5
Marty should be worrying about Russia first. Canada may not face the Czechs again, though I would love to have them do so. Can we play ALL the other teams, please? I want to solidly defeat each and every one of them, while saying publicly that they're all great teams and we were just lucky to be where we are.
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Post by habwest on Feb 20, 2002 4:42:22 GMT -5
What if Rucinsky's right? I'm not saying that he is, just wondering if anybody's considered it?
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Post by Boston_Habs on Feb 20, 2002 9:28:58 GMT -5
As much as we would like to think we are head and shoulders above everyone else when it comes to hockey, the fact is we are not. Canada has certainly not played like they are the team to beat, they are not the best skating team in the tournament, they don't have a hot goalie, their depth isn't as important over a short period, and their edge in physical play is somewhat neutralized by the big ice... Rucinsky is just stating the obvious. Canada is going to have to come up with some inspired hockey to run the table against tough competition, and they don't (or shouldn't) need to put up press clippings in the locker room to fire them up...fear of returning home empty handed after so much buildup should be enough motivation!
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Post by The New Guy on Feb 20, 2002 10:15:20 GMT -5
Are we the team to beat?
You better damn well believe we are. Yes - we haven't won a hockey gold medal in umpteen years, and yes, we are no long as far ahead of the rest of the world as we used to be. But lets look at the guy who said that. One of the top players on the Czech national team.
Tell me - who was the bum that Dallas benched last week again. The one they got from Montreal for Audette?
Oh - right. That was him.
Makes you think. He's awfully big with his words, but does he really compare with say... Jarome Igilna (who is our third line winger I think???). Does Roman Hamerlik stack up against Scott Niedermyer or Rob Blake? Jagr & Lemieux are on the same footing IMHO, but when you realize we have Sakic and Yzerman and... (insert the name of a Canadian Olympic Hockey player here) they start to get real weak when it comes to depth.
But that's the rub. Every team has a Jagr or a Bure or a Sundin (except Germany and Belarus) and every team has enough talent to beat any other team. There's so many factors that make a difference in a single game....
I guess what I'm getting at is yes, everyone wants to beat us, and Marty is just blowing smoke out his ass again. Sundin says it, Jagr says it, Weight says it... and all of these guys have more hockey in their pinky fingers than twelve Rucinsky's. We are the team with the most talent, we are the country that revolves around hockey, and beating us has a lot more meaning than beating Germany.
Trust me - Wayne was right. They are gunning for us, because we are the best. Maybe not head and shoulders, but we've got a couple inches. We are and will always be the team to beat, just like the Yankees in baseball, just like Notre Dame in college football... because we will always be synonymous with hockey.
Let's just hope the boys trot out their A game tonight. 4-2 over the Fins. Lemieux with one, Sakic from the slot, Smyth pots a garbage goal in a scramble and Brodeur with an empty netter. Selanne scores both for the fins.
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Post by Gord on Feb 20, 2002 19:30:23 GMT -5
Well, let's see what Marty has to say now that his team has been eliminated! Shouldn't look so far ahead, Rosie. Seeya back in Dallas.
It's especially gratifying to see those smug Czechs put in their place by a powerful Russian team. I'd love to see Canada take gold, of course, but I'm currently satisfied with the elimination of Dominik Hasek and the Czech Republic.
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Post by Cranky on Feb 20, 2002 20:09:42 GMT -5
I just got this great cookbook, "Cooking with Hannibal". Some really terrific recipies. I wonder if Rosie would do lunch, I'll bring the Chianti and two cans of fava beans...........  I think I'm going to call it "Silence of the Rosie"...................................bwahahhahhahahahaah  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There, I feel better after a good laugh.............justice is sweet! ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by seventeen on Feb 20, 2002 21:24:25 GMT -5
I warned Marty, but what does he do? Ignores sage advice. Of course, I might have given him Thymely advice, to help out with his dinner with HA. Instead he ends up embarrassed, oregono his face. Uccchhh, forget I said that.
The Czechs appeared to outplay the Russkies, though, outshooting them 41-27. Both goalies played well, but Khabibulin was slighly more wallish than Dom. The groans coming from central/northern Europe are growing. Hate to read the epitaphs tomorrow.
Hope we come out like Kevin Martin tonight instead of like Kelly Law.
Our father who art in Salt Lake City....
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Post by habmeister on Feb 21, 2002 0:40:13 GMT -5
thank god we traded that pomposs a$$hole away from our team. wonder what he thinks now that he's spending his last few days at the olympics watching the skeleton runs and trying to scrape up enough money to buy figure skating tickets from a scalper.
what a jerk.
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Post by Andrew on Feb 21, 2002 1:29:06 GMT -5
Laff.. say what you want Rosie, but if you were Canadian, I can think of at least 30 forwards I'd pick before you. I might actually listen to what you have to say if you weren't a lazy floater. Please leave the trash talk to someone who can back it up.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Feb 21, 2002 15:33:15 GMT -5
While it is true that the old geezers who played for Canada in 1952, our last gold medal are older than I am, (if that is possible), they've forgotten more about hockey than Rucinsky will ever learn. I've said every year since then that Canada will win, Fran Huck, Father Bauer, Gretzky and on. They are not expected to win this year and so it will be the year they finally win. The European players display more personal skills and they subordinate themselves to the system and team better than we do. We play dump and chase and do it with more emotion and desire than they do. We certainly play with a lot more desire than Rucinsky does. We waisted a lot of ice time on him. I used to think he would only play for his national team and never for the Hab's, but watching him now, he has no heart whatsoever.
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Post by habwest on Feb 21, 2002 16:36:31 GMT -5
Gretzky was right the other teams are gunning for us?? Um, well, I suppose they are if they're playing us, but then, isn't that the idea, to beat the other guy?
Outside of that I'm not sure what "gunning for us" is supposed to mean. That they'd rather play Canada than the Germans or Belarus(ouch)? I kinda doubt that one. That they're going out
of their way to get us? But how do you do that in a structured tournament. OK, pardner, I'sa comin' to get ya, meet me at dawn in front of the saloon. That "they" all want to beat us? Well, gee, what a revalation! Quick, get it on CNN before we're scooped. Maybe "they" want to "get" the Russians too. And the Yanks. Or maybe just anybody that's between them and a gold, or any, medal.
Gretzky's a big whiner. The best that can be construed from his comments is that it was a rather lame attempt to rile up the troops. Other than that it's just plain silly. Remember this isn't figure skating, goals decide and there are NHL refs who let the teams play a pretty "robust" NHL style of game and are about as honest as you're going to get. Oh, I forgot, management's whining about that too now.
The boys seem to be gradually getting their game together. They had the luxury, as did all teams but Belarus and Germany of course, of a relatively meaningless 3 preliminary games, then played Finland rather than Russia or the Czech Republic or the US or the Swedes and now have Belarus who they ought to beat having been forewarned by the Swedes. That amounts to one really tough game that counts on the way to a gold medal. Outta be doable, dontcha think.
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Post by MPLABBE on Feb 23, 2002 17:38:58 GMT -5
OH,what is it fun to see Rucinsky and the damn Czechs lose by(how ironic?) 1-0! ;D
I can think of a 100 Canadian players I would put on an olympic team before 'Rosie'(I think the nickname suits the player well ;D ;D).Heck,that doesn't even include those 20 girls who have more grit and intensity in their pinkies than this overated,overpaid and lazy bum.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Feb 25, 2002 23:58:45 GMT -5
Maybe we need to dress Rucinsky in a Burka and send him to a Cuban jail with a jar of vaseline.
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Post by MPLABBE on Feb 26, 2002 16:26:14 GMT -5
Maybe we need to dress Rucinsky in a Burka and send him to a Cuban jail with a jar of vaseline. ;D |
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Post by MPLABBE on Feb 26, 2002 16:34:48 GMT -5
Man,I think we hate Rucinsky more than the fans in Dallas(and they have every reason to hate him!)
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