Hockey!

[PhiI C]

For those of you who are hockey fans and are upset with the hockey strike ESPN is showing the Junior World Championship games right now on ESPN2 and will continue this week. As I write this the USA is leading the Russians 2 to 1 in their first game. The USA won the gold last year and are trying for a repeat. Enjoy!

[bullfrog_alumni_02]

YAY Go America!! bring home the gold!:clap:

[PhiI C]

The second quarter has just started and the score is tied at 3 all. No matter who wins this is not an elimination or gold medal game. The three favored teams are USA, Russia and Canada. The USA won it last year and are returning 8 players from last year including the top goalie. I am surprised he has given up three points so far. I think they play 3 20min quarters even though I am not sure. The Russians top player is great and he has been drafted by Minnesota but of course did not play in Pro Hockey because of the strike or whatever it is.

[PhiI C]

I was right. There are three 20 minute quarters. At the end of the second quarter the USA led 5 to 4. In the last quarter the Russians had several chances and really put it to the USA but the goalie in the third quarter was magnificient and made several plays that saved the same and the USA wins the opening against the Russians 5 to 4. There are ten teams in these games divided into a division of 5 teams each. The top three teams advance to a playoffs with the top two teams getting an important bye. Then there semis with four teams and then of course the finals. Lots of hockey left the next two weeks so this is a big break for hockey fans who have had to suffer with no pro hockey. The next game will be televised Monday at 8 P.M. on ESPN2 when the USA plays Switzerland. Canada is in the other division. Enjoy!

[Phil C]

Don't forget the game tonight on ESPN2 at 8!

[jason]

Originally posted by PhiI C
I was right. There are three 20 minute quarters. WRONG they play three 20 minute periods...

[PhiI C]

Originally posted by jason
WRONG they play three 20 minute periods...

The GodFather humbly stands corrected! :D

[bullfrog_alumni_02]

good catch jason...and phil is only human, means he's fowlable like all the rest of us, just a little bit less...:D

[PhiI C]

Originally posted by bullfrog_alumni_02
good catch jason...and phil is only human, means he's fowlable like all the rest of us, just a little bit less...:D

He may have caught me another time Bullfrog when I once referred to baseball extra innings as overtime. :)

[PhiI C]

About another hour till the game starts! :)

[PhiI C]

USA wins game two by beating Switzerland 6 to 4. A strange game though. Going into the last (third period) the USA led 2 to 0 but in about the first minute and a half the Swizz scored 2 goals to tie it up at 2 to 2 and right after their second goal with the third quarter only 2min25sec old the USA took the lead again 3 to 2 and in the next 2 1/2 minutes got two more goals another and led 5 to 2 then the Swizz got 2 more to cut the lead to 5 to 4 and right after that the USA scored the final point of the game to lead 6 to 4. All 8 goals of the third quarter were scored in the first six and one half minutes. A great win for the USA! This will probably cinch at least a playoff spot for the USA. What they do is there are 10 teams and each divided into 5 teams in a division. The five teams play each other and the top three advance to the medal round with the top team in each division getting a bye and letting Nos. 2 and Nos. 3 play an elimination game. This will leave four teams for the semis and the winners will play in the final. The disadvantage is that even though USA has great talent they have not had as much time as the other teams have in playing together and practicing together. Hopefully, though with two games played, the team will keep winning and getting better and better as the tournament goes along like last year when they won all six games they played and took home the gold. Remember these players are the best young players from each country and are good indeed even though all are 20 years old or younger. Next game is Wednesday night on ESPN2 at 8:30 P.M.against Belarius (spelling?). If USA wins they will for sure cinch a playoff birth and have a great chance to get an important bye. We will see! Enjoy!