Sorry to come into NHL. But this is the Winter Olympics and very two sided teams from North America dominating the women's hockey.
The consensus is Canada and the United States will play for the gold medal, a hunch along the lines of the sun will come up tomorrow.
There is some historical precedent for this prognostication.
Even before the beatdowns in the first two games of the tournament -- Canada edged Italy and Russia by a combined 28-0 while the Americans warmed up by dusting the Swiss (6-0) and the Germans (5-0) -- the two powers had never lost a game in any competition except, of course, to each other. Canada is 120-0-2 all-time while Team USA is a mere 59-0-2 against the plucky, slower-skating multitudes. In the two previous Olympics that played host to a women's hockey tournament -- discounting the gold-medal grudge matches that the heavyweights split -- the Americans have swamped opponents 68-4 while Canada has outscored them 85-8.
This is not competitive imbalance. This is farce.
American defenseman Angela Ruggiero couched it in the most flattering terms after a middling win against Switzerland (in which an out-of-synch U.S. outshot the Olympic debutantes, 56-9), saying the Swedes and Finns are now roughly where the Americans and Canadians were four years ago. This is a testament to the generosity of spirit of the best female defenseman in the world, and to the politic, white lie. The skill levels of these Nordic countries is perhaps closer to where the North Americans were in Nagano eight years ago, the first time women joined the Olympic hockey party. If the gap has narrowed, it is hardly detectable to the naked eye. Despite some American universities expanding their recruiting base into Europe -- the University of Minnesota-Duluth has been among the most aggressive in combing the Continent -- the worthy exposure the five rings have given to the sport has not yet lifted third-world women's hockey nations in a truly tangible way.
I will take
USA -3.5 at -125 for 5 units(L)
I did jump the gun early and this line price has moved to -118.
Sure you can get caught with the hook, it's the reasoning one would take the other side. But this is the Olympics version of hottest trend coupled with National pride. Besides Canadian women are giving up -5.5 against the FIN, money is going to FIN +5.5 at -120, and would not surprise me if the Northerners cover.
What the hell happened. I'm getting burned along with the squares.
The Olympic hockey is limited to regulation play.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Monday, February 06, 2006
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Thursday, February 02, 2006
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