Wow!!!! NOW that was a great day of hockey.
Russia played quite well. Alex Ovechkin was a difference maker, laying one of the great hits ever on Jaromir Jagr to cause a turn over that led to a big goal. Russia moves on and gets a day off and continues to be positioned well to medal at the Olympics. They want a Gold medal so they are focused. They are still in it! The pressure on these teams is immense. You can see it on each player’s face and in their eyes. This tournament means so much to these players. Well done Team Russia!
Then, Team USA played inspired clutch hockey. Chris Drury is a hero in big games. The goal tending was outstanding and the pressure on Team Canada is over whelming. “USA Go Away” won’t happen. Congratulations to Brian Burke and Ron Wilson. We are very proud of the team you constructed and are coaching.
Vancouver is stunned. Canada as a nation is in mourning. Stay classy Canadian crowds. But, Canada isn’t out of it. They can still get medal. They can still win a gold medal too. The road just got a little tougher, that is all. They have so much talent as a team. They can and will rebound. This isn’t over for them as a team. But the collective pressure on them is over the top. Pressure does unbelievable things to players. Makes them sometimes NOT perform to expectations or talent levels. The USA moves on, gets to rest up and I bet will see Russia or Canada later on in the tournament for a medal.
And then Team Sweden won again late at night 3 to 0 with Backstrom scoring a goal. They move on as well. They rest up too.
Russia, USA, and Sweden all move on and get a day off. Canada moves on too but has to play one additional game. These teams are all in it and will fight for a medal. Super Sunday was fantastic. Although why the USA vs. Canada game was on MSNBC and NOT broadcast in HD is beyond me. NBC blew it and when I next see NBC brass I will remind them of that fact you paid billions for the rights. Why NOT HD for hockey? Makes zero sense to me.
Tags: 2010 Winter Olympics, NHL, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Capitals
Here is a link to the video on NBC’s website of Ovie’s thank you note from Caps fans to Jagr!
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=b875ea87-b9b7-467b-b35f-2a95b5170f44.html
NBC couldn’t put the hockey game on HD on CNBC because that network stand for Curling, Nothing But Curling.
I watched USA - Canada on MSNBC HD.
Two things. First, I think Ovi singlehandedly squashed any idea Jager had of coming back to the NHL. Second, NBC hates hockey. They have even chosen curling over mens hockey in this olympics. Really? Curling? If they want to gain more of a US audience for ice hockey, they are the ones who can put it in a place of importance. It’s also up to the NHL to get their game in front of more eyes. I get free MLB Network, and NFL network, but would have to pay for NHL Network through Verizon FiOS. Guess what I don’t watch…
Verizon Fios carries MSNBC in HD, so some of us got to see it in HD. I believe it was just Comcast subscribers who lost out. It is mind-boggling that it wasn’t carried on NBC, though.
Cox Fairfax customers have MSNBC-HD. It was awesome. You should have said something, I’d have invited you over.
Hopefully your non-HD experience will give you the drive to get CSN to broadcast all local caps games in HD. Cox Fairfax has a HD channel waiting for CSN2HD and MASN2HD content (sharing one channel). MASN is stepping up with more HD this year, I hope CSN will next fall.
Talk to your cable company. I watched MSNBC in HD last night on FiOS. Or yell at NBC reps and look like an idiot.
Apparently some providers have MSNBC in HD. Unfortunately DirecTV has again failed me as a hockey fan by not having the content I want to watch in HD.
It was on MSNBC in HD. It might be the cable or sattelite system you are on, but the game I saw on MSNBC was hi-def.
If NBC is truly interested in growing the viewing audience for their “partner,” the NHL, then they should have shown it a little respect by airing the most pivotal AMERICAN game to it’s AMERICAN audience on it’s flagship station!
After all… won’t they be carrying the Playoffs? Wouldn’t that have increased the INTEREST in this year’s Stanley Cup viewing?
NBC is misguided and the NHL is the one suffering for it.
The game was on HD if you were a FiOS subscriber and caught the news that MSNBC HD was just added as channel 603.
Couldn’t agree more on NBC’s ridiculous decision to banish one of the premier hockey games to the low fidelity hinterlands of MSNBC. However, this sleight will seem completely inconsequential by comparison, come NHL playoff time, if the DirecTV / VS debacle isn’t rapidly resolved.
Is there anything the NHL can do to get this moving?
We have our suspicions that you put out a hit on Jagr yesterday. I think there may be a nice little bonus check waiting for OV when he returns. That hit was NASTY!
I don’t know if you noticed, but it broke Jagr’s visor. I took a photo of the visor on my iPhone.
PS: I LOVED THE HIT, and I’m sure you did too
You must have loved to see Ovechkin crush Jagr.
Just think of the deep symbolism behind the hit from the Washington Capitals perspective. The man who single-handedly saved the franchise destroying the man who almost single-handedly ruined the franchise.
A great sight to see.
So, does Ovechkin’s big hit on Jagr make you feel a little good? Makes me feel great! Wish Flash could have played with Russia!
I didn’t write this; someone else posted it on the IRC. Please don’t delete it, Ted.
LOL Canada!
Our joke of a home-land!
Huge epic fail in all thy sons command.
With no real heart we criticize,
The refs, the rules and league!
Shots far and wide, LOL Canada,
We stink on ice for thee.
God, understand, this wasn’t s’posed to be!
LOL Canada, the Yanks won five to three.
LOL Canada, we stink on ice for thee.
Verizon FIOS had the hockey yesterday in HD on my MSNBC channel…seems like you need to hit up your cable provider, not NBC, on that issue!
Backstrom showed once again he is a world class player at a very young age (1 goal & 2 assists). I hope we are able to sign him long term. He could get a very high salary on the open market. I love Ovie but, in my opinion, Nick is the heart and soul of our team.
I was so happy to see that Jaromir Jagr had a chance to meet Alex Ovechkin.
Teddy “ONE OF THE GREAT HITS EVER” is a perfect description that put Jaromir Jager on the seat of his pants. Ovie knocked him down like a feather and never looked back! It was a great game!
Ted, I watched the game in HD. Verizon FiOS just added MSNBC HD to their line up! Dave
Don Cherry must be unconsolable after sunday nights game.Ovie and the russians look real strong.Still anyone of 4 teams can win it all,why not USA.
Hi Ted,
The game was actually in HD, channel 818 on Comcast is MSNBC HD. But I agree, hopefully the rest of the US tournament games will be on network television (NBC). How can the biggest hockey game our country has seen in years be on a 24 hour news channel?? Keep up the great work with the Caps!
I get MSNBC HD in Philly. Sounds like a better question for your cable/satellite/whatever provider.
Ted, I bet that hit on Jagr got you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside! After all, he did basically steal like $70 mil from you!!!
Thank you OV. What a GREAT moment!
The real question isn’t whether or not folks can get MSNBC or CNBC in HD, the real question is why aren’t the hockey games on the main NBC channel?
So, Team USA wins a terrific game, and Don Cherry is crushed - how beautiful is that? Canada is a wonderful country, but some of their fans are sooo arrogant about hockey! Not the ones who actually played at a high level, to be fair, but some of their fans remind me of Yankee fans. I don’t envy Luongo tomorrow vs. Russia, if they even win today.
Ted, great post, but how about a little love for our boy Flash though - he made a noticeable difference out there, and was one of Czech’s best players, IMO [along with Krecji and Plekanec [and yeah Jagr too]]. But man oh man is Ovie fierce.
Ted,
Secretly, I bet that hit on Jagr felt good for you…I felt all those years of disappointment just release after Ovi crushed him!
you have to be paying extra for the MSNBC HD channel.
So was USA-Canada game still less loud then a Caps-Atl game Ted?
I think it would be a crime for that hit to not end up on a poster…seriously…can you make it happen?
I think it’s a crime that Capitals fans–and I use that term in the context of ‘bandwagon fans who can’t name a Cap BEFORE Ovie arrived–are allowed to reproduce & aren’t spayed or neutered, like free roaming dogs are..actually if the pound would just put you all down, that’d rock too.
To all you lame Cap/Ovie/Team Russia fans, realize that the true “Red Army” in Vancouver has a maple leaf on their chests
Fantastic posting, thanks a lot!
I have spent a few weeks researching Fios Internet and the cable provider and satellite offers. Is there anyone out there consider that old school cable could potentially be better than Verizon Fios internet? Is just seems that there is not even a comparison between the two based on the direct network speed and TV funtionality for viewing.