What We Have Learned

It has been an interesting two weeks with the Olympics happening over in Italy. There were plenty of stories that went on and right now, why not reminisce about the past two weeks and what will come from the Games and down the playoffs stretch.

1. From Goats to Gold: After the ever publicized Tommy Salo/Belarus debacle in the 2002 Olympics, the Swedes were hell-bent on getting back on their feet in the Olympics. After a bump in the road against the Russians, the Swedes were able to hop on the back of Henrik Lundqvist and ride their great goaltendings and offensive performances from the likes of Peter Forsberg and Daniel Alfredsson, the Swedes were able to get rid of the ghost from Olympics past.

2. North American Flop: The play of the United States and Canadians have proven that the dream teams aren't usually the best way to go. With the underachieving of players like Jarome Iginla, Mike Modano, Dany Heatley, and Bill Guerin, the push for changes in both organizations have been a little more vocal from fans and participants alike.

3. Alexander The Great: It seems that Alexander Ovechkin's stellar performance in the Olympics have help him cement his spectacular rookie season thus far. No matter which broadcast you watched, the announcers always seemed to point out his amazing play and where he was on the ice. Add that to his 5-goal performance throughout the tournament, there are some who think Ovechkin is the best player in the world right now.

4. NHLers in the Olympics: With the injuries to Dominik Hasek, Mattias Ohlund, and Joe Sakic, the debate is raging on whether or not the NHL should allow players to participate in the Olympics past the 2010 Games in Vancouver. With the grueling schedule that has been laid out for this year and the amount of injuries that have happened in the regular season, it was a surprise so many players play as much as they did. It should be interesting to see how this all develops, but I doubt we'll see NHL participants past 2010's Olympic Games.

It was another fun, festive, and freaky Olympics. Though we aren't sure where the NHL will wind up; there's a good chance that the Olympics will be just as exciting if amateurs were to play in 2014. Of course, there have been many people talking about suspending the World Junior Championships and having the junior players play in the Olympics, but that will remain to be seen. I'm sure many Junior teams would be opposed to that, but thems the breaks, I assume.

But, the best thing about the Olympics ending is that the NHL is going to go back to business. With almost every team having 25 games to play and the trade deadline around the corner, you know that it's going to get very hectic and should be an even better game to watch as there are plenty teams out there battling for the top-8 spots. It's Faaaaaaaantastic.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!