Faxes from Uncle Dale

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  • Wear The Grudge Like A Crown: Olympic Quarterfinal Wrap

    Wear The Grudge Like A Crown: Olympic Quarterfinal Wrap

    Everything pretty much went to script, and now the Olympics gets the treat of having what are probably the two leading international rivalries in its semifinal. Should make for quite the morning on Friday. Let’s run through the action.

    Sweden 5 – Slovenia 0: Took the Swedes longer than I thought and Slovenia actually had a couple chances here or there. Sweden will take heart that they finally got Daniel Sedin off the schneid, but I don’t know if that’s a long term pattern. He hasn’t been all that noticeable the rest of the time. This Swedish defense is playing too well at the moment, and that’s with Alex Edler and his elbows back. By the way, did you notice in their Kronwall hit montage that he left his feet in like 80% of them? Of course you did. But with him on the third pairing and Hjalmarsson and Oduya looking at their best, it really has become an impenetrable force. I do love how they include Johan Franzen on the “Key Injury” list for Sweden, even though Mule hasn’t been useful in at least three years.

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  • Pigs in Zen: Productive Weekend

    Pigs in Zen: Productive Weekend

    The IceHogs faced a three games in three days set this past weekend to wrap up week 20 of the AHL schedule. For that reason alone, it was a big weekend for Rockford as the team has the most games played in the Western Conference, so they needed to pick up as many points as possible. To add to the enormity of the weekend, all three games came against Midwest Division opponents.

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  • Olympic Hockey Open Thread

    The Finns are taking it to the home nation with 7 minutes left. USA and Canada play later today (not against each other.. obviously). Our website is back up and running. This is your place to talk games and hopefully laugh at the Ruskies.

  • Swiss Miss: Second Round Wrap And Quarterfinal Preview

    Swiss Miss: Second Round Wrap And Quarterfinal Preview

    We finally have the quarters set, and it finally feels like the tournament is really starting. We’re going to get some games that could be a thing, especially Russia-Finland. The Czechs and Yanks could be a better game than at first blush, and of course it’ll never happen but we’d all laugh forever if Canada somehow found a way to lose to Latvia. Though Ted Nolan would probably be never allowed in the country again. Which wouldn’t make it any harder than it’s been for him to get and keep a head coaching job, really.

    So what went down? Slovenia ghosted past Austria and I’m really not sure that should have happened. But Slovenia has been a very spiky team this tourney, and even though Austria has the slightly better pedigree they just haven’t looked like anything resembling a threat. I guess you can’t handicap things by counting up the NHLers like you do with ex-Cubs in the World Series. Anze Kopitar had himself a night.

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  • Olympic Second Round Preview And Thread

    Actual knockouts begin today. Spears shall be shaken,  shields will be splintered and all that. Most eyes will be on the Russians to see if they can get their act together a bit.

    2am – Slovenia v. Austria: The Slovenians were a little more stout than we all thought they would be, beating Slovakia and hanging with the Russians for a couple periods before getting clowned by Phil Kessel. Austria is the only team to make Canada look dominant, and also got clubbed by Finland but did beat Norway. Austria has the tourney’s leading scorer in Michael Grabner and a couple other weapons, so you’d think they’d find a way. But Slovenia has apparently used their first ever appearance as inspiration and I get the feeling they’re going to find a way to sneak this.

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  • Atop The Sugar Pile – Olympic Preliminary Round Edition

    Atop The Sugar Pile – Olympic Preliminary Round Edition

    Day off from the tournament today, so it seems like a good time to apply our semi-regular status update.

    The Dizzying Highs

    Phil Kessel – I haven’t watched every Olympic game, so I could be ignoring some others, but what I have seen there doesn’t seem to be a more dynamic offensive player than Kessel at this tournament. I’m one of those who turned around on Kessel. I used to laugh at him like everyone else and thought he was basically playing the game as a billionaire would if he were able to buy himself into a game, completely on his own planet. But last year and especially this one, Kessel has been mindlessly entertaining to watch. Lambert’s right, how is he getting no Hart discussion whatsoever? We’re so busy trying to point out the statistical morass that the Leafs are that I think Kessel gets washed away in the current. He shouldn’t.

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  • Morning Links 2/17/14

    Morning Links 2/17/14

    Let the real fun begin: PD

    Each of whom have only 2 few playoff goals than he does: SI

    Scoring 2x as many goals in one shootout as you have in your playoff career would be: PHT

    Pirri waits for his chance: ESPN Chicago

    Kaner’s really detailed profile page: Sochi

  • Sochi Day 4 Roundup

    Sochi Day 4 Roundup

    More stuff happened this morning, and now everyone is imbued with patriotism.

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  • Sochi Day 3 Roundup

    Sochi Day 3 Roundup

    Another day, another round of games that are over by lunchtime here stateside.

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  • Morning Links 2.14.14

    Morning Links 2.14.14

    Domination: USA Hockey

    Almost Perfect: ESPN

    Rusty Canucks: TSN

    Valiant effort by Kopi’s crew: SI

    Way to keep the fire warm, Wayne: Sportsnet.Ca