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Flyers’ Snider slams Olympics, Giroux snub


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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/flyers-snider-slams-olympics-giroux-snub/

PHILADELPHIA — Steve Mason and the Flyers are playing their best hockey of the season heading into the Olympic break.

It’s a break team chariman Ed Snider would love to abolish.

Mason stopped 38 shots, and Mark Streit and Michael Raffl scored goals, leading the Philadelphia Flyers past the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Thursday night.

Mason blanked Detroit 5-0 on Jan. 28 and stopped the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 on Feb. 1. He was only 2:50 away from his fourth shutout of the season, and third in five games, when Nathan MacKinnon beat him for his 21st goal of the season. Mason stopped his first 33 shots.

Mason, who signed a three-year extension last month, has been the key reason the Flyers have been able to hang around in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

With one game left before the break, the Flyers’ recent spurt could stall because of the Olympics.

"I hate them," said Snider, the Flyers founder.

He added: "It’s ridiculous, the whole thing is ridiculous. I don’t care if it was in Philadelphia, I wouldn’t want to break up the league. I think it’s ridiculous to take three weeks off, or however long it is, in the middle of the season. It screws up everything. .. How can anybody be happy breaking up their season. No other league does it, why should we? There’s no benefit to us whatsoever. If anything, I can only see negatives."

Reminded the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup finals during the last Olympics in 2010, Snider laughed.

"Maybe I like them," he said. "I forget about that."

Claude Giroux, who scored an empty-netter with 20 seconds left, has plenty of time to rest during the break. He was snubbed Thursday by Hockey Canada when Martin St. Louis was picked as an injury replacement for his Tampa Bay teammate Steven Stamkos.

Steve Yzerman, the Canadians’ executive director and Tampa Bay’s general manager, chose St. Louis over Giroux and Pittsburgh’s James Neal.

"It’s a farce," Snider said. "He’s one of the best players in the game. It’s ridiculous. He’s better than half the guys on that team.

"Anybody that thinks that Claude Giroux doesn’t belong on the Canadian team, they don’t know anything about hockey as far as I’m concerned. It’s politics, to a certain degree. He had to pick his own guy. His own guy is good, but Claude is better."

...as much of a douche Snider is, hard not to argue with what he said. Giroux not on the team over numerous questionable guys in comparison to Claude makes zero sense. It is unfair and although I agree St. Louis deserved to go, Giroux should've made the team on the first cut. Strong words and I wonder how Giroux feels :/

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Giroux should have definitely been on the team, he should have gone first cut over the likes of Benn,Bergeron, Carter, Kunitz.

What the golden boy wants, he gets. Kunitz over Giroux.

If Claude Giroux was better at hockey, he'd be in that team. I personally would rather have Benn, Bergeron, Carter and Kunitz over him. They all have particular roles to play. I've seen question marks over Giroux's compatability with the larger ice, and his compatability with teammates. He's a square peg in a round hole, so his non-selection is just fine by me.
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Whatever, Snider is a petty old shoool conservative. Choosing the Olympic team is like choosing which strain of herb you like better. It's all personal preference when the detail is that fine.

Stop whining you fracking baby. He probably fogot about this conversation 2 minutes later anyway. :)

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I think his comments have more to do with how Giroux's contract looks when he can't make team Canada. Holmgren's moves being questioned already, so this doesn't help.

As good as Giroux is, he is overpaid. Should be more in the 7-7.5 mil range.

That said, I'd love him on my team!

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The assumption that Crosby didn't want Giroux on the team because Crosby doesn't like Giroux is entirely unfounded. Maybe he doesn't like Giroux, but I doubt that'd be enough of a reason for Crosby to say that he doesn't want Giroux on the team.

What's more, even if Crosby didn't want Giroux on the team, he's too politically conscious to think that telling TC management that he doesn't want G on the team.

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I agree with this...

although I enjoy watching team Canada play, The Olympics are all negatives for the NHL.

-the disruption of the season

-longer and more cramped season increasing fatigue/ risk of injury

-Star players playing their hearts out in a big revenue tournament to fill the pockets of IOC/host city while the NHL/players don't see a dime

- Major risk of injury to superstar players (which could have dire consequences for their team)

-Star players coming back tired/ playing a longer season while their direct competitors are rested

Is there any benefit to the NHL that will come close to offsetting all those negatives?? Personally I suspect/ hope this Is the last Olympic with NHL players

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How is Giroux overrated? Isn't he top 5 in point totals in the past 3 seasons? The word overrated is thrown around so much on CDC.

He's treated as one of the best players in the game, but he's really just a below point a game player. He had one 90 point season and he's automatically compared to Crosby lol. Crosby gets 90 points in his sleep.

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How is Giroux overrated? Isn't he top 5 in point totals in the past 3 seasons? The word overrated is thrown around so much on CDC.

He's not overrated. That poster is just wrong. Giroux just had a bad start to the season but is now almost a point per game. He is single handedly responsible for turning around the Flyers season. That is remarkable.

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