Actually, home advantage goes a bit further than just the fans being on your side. Home advantage also gives you things such as making the final line change before puck drop and who has to have their stick on the ice first. Russia was the actual home team, in terms of the actual game. They had the higher seed going into the game. They had the advantage of changing their lines according to who they wanted to match up with whomever Canada put on the ice. That can be a pretty big advantage.
If it comes down to Canada vs. US, the US will also be the home team. If Canada plays Finland, then Canada will be home team (that could be wrong, I am not positive about Canada having top seed of those who played in the first qualifying round, but I'm pretty sure they were.)
They had the higher seed (and some else you wrote there), its an advantage (might be disadvantage because it brings alot of pressure), not home advantage. To me, home advantage can be checked when crowd booes at your / opponent team. Whenever Canada got the puck all i could hear was crowd popping, and massive booing when Russia gets even close to the puck, Also, whevever Russians tried to start their own chant "Russija etc" then Canada outchanted them by "Go boys (*cough ghays*) go"
But Canada came to the match much better prepared, they lost the WC gold on their home arena already once and didnt want it to happen once again. Canada made the first move, its Russias time to respond, lets see what will happen in the future years.
It's OK. Not the most exciting sport ever, but it is watchable.
Also, I laughed at Canadians last night. They were so aggresive and kept barging into the Russians without any response. But as soon as the Russian did the same to the Canadian, he bloody flipped out.
Just for clarification, it may have sounded like booing, but it wasn't. It was "Lou" for Roberto Luongo, the goaltender.
One thing I'm wondering is, what kind of TV coverage are you all watching? Are you guys watching what I am, the NBC coverage over here, on the internet? How about you guys in Canada? Did you guys see the pregame where Roenick was interviewing and spending the afternoon with Ovechkin? These numbskulls on NBC love Ovechkin so much it is sickening. I thought Roenick was going to bend over and let Ovechkin him right there on the table.
Pfft there not Anorectic.
They are fit for the sport they do, sure to a normal person they might look it, but for their field of competition they are exactly the weight they need to be.
Like a Sumo wrestler, we may think they are big and fat, but for their sport, its the weight they need to be.
apparently there is a big brou-ha-ha after yesterday's women's hockey game... after the game was over and everyone left, the team took to the ice for beer and cigars... except that someone was still there and photos were taken, so now the IOC is pissed. it doesn't help that one of the women is underage by BC standards (she can drink in her home province though)...
Yeah, I was about to post that. The people who complain about it are sad prudes with no friends. They just won the gold medals, they should have the right to relax and celebrate without people complaining about it. Sure alcohol and cigars don't go with the old "being a good rolemodel" thing but noone thinks they chain-smoke and get wasted all the time and if they think that they're morons. Atleats the girls aren't hypocrites who say they never touch the stuff and then go do it anyway behind closed doors.
On a slightly different note, I was actually surprised how well the women play. It was great, better than women's basketball or football imo. Congrats Canada! (Also, nice touch, driving around in the zamboni )
If anyone has a problem with this (the women drinking beer and smoking cigars on the ice after the game), I invite them to come to my place so I can punch them in the face. Twice.
I for one was deeply offended. If you're not going to pull a Brandi Chastain and remove some clothing, at least have a no-holds-barred pillow fight at center ice.
Didnt expect anything else to be honest. USA is going to win the tournament, young guns, alot of experience and a huge amount of motivation to play a game well. However, anything can happen. This is like Canada vs Russia beginning, 3 goals right away.