Kukla's Korner Hockey
Next entry: David Booth’s Return Is Uncertain
Previous entry: Hockey Talk On A Sunday Morning
Team USA Conspiracy Theory
by Paul on 01/03/10 at 08:59 AM ET
Comments (5)
from Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette,
• Gionta is being excluded for having missed 21 games with a broken foot from Nov. 14 through Boxing Day, no matter his ice generalship, two-way excellence and dressing-room leadership. And no matter Burke’s Friday claim that, “We tried to pick a team based on the body of work rather than how a (player) is playing now. We tried not to penalize players off to a slow start.”
• Gomez remains at home because Team USA assistant coach John Tortorella, head coach of the Rangers, had little time for the Anchorage native who played 21 games under him in New York last season.
• Burke would choose a Canadien over his dead body simply for his having been nearly booed out of the Bell Centre last June at the NHL entry draft. A Size XL ego who is loved or loathed with no grey area beyond his snowy scalp, Burke immediately claimed that he didn’t take the podium abuse personally. But ...
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Team+USA,
Comments
Gionta isn’t going because Burke wanted size and grit. We’ll see how well that works for Burke and Team USA…
Gomez isn’t going because he didn’t deserve to, and nobody thinks a Team USA without him is any weaker.
Posted by Primis on 01/03/10 at 12:47 PM ET
Smells like a whole lot of sour grapes from here. Both MTL players were borderline, and the logic of taking a player like Callahan (and even Drury) seems pretty clear. Is Gionta going to be effective in a 4th-line/checking line/penalty killing role, or is Callahan?
And honestly, Buffalo fans might have a bigger beef than MTL ones. Gaustad, Connolly, and Pominville all could fit in and fit roles, as good, if not better, than Gomez and Gionta.
Posted by nosferatu from oh on 01/03/10 at 01:56 PM ET
Primis: and you think Drury and Callahan have grit? cmon. These guys have been brutal all year. I’d take Gionta because he can score and I’d take Gomez only because he has chemistry with Gionta. Hes not worth his salary but hes way better than Drury.
Posted by bcrt on 01/03/10 at 03:56 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Video-Shane Lehman, Always A Hockey Player
Making Peace At The Winter Classic
You Have A 2 1/2 Hour Window To Do What You Do
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker
Make extra cash while playing online poker. Rakeback is free and comes with rake races.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
As a Rangers fan and someone who was happy to see Gomez go, I still think they’d be far better served had they picked Gomez and Gionta over Drury and Callahan.
Posted by bcrt on 01/03/10 at 10:25 AM ET