Great game from the US, too many Canadians still maintain this attitude that it`s absolute failure at the Tournament if the boys don`t win or come home with a Gold. I used to be exactly that way myself when younger however, as we have seen, the US, a few years back began digging their heels in and putting together a program of player development that has clearly brought them right up to the level where they deserve to be in the conversation yearly at the WJHC`s.
Sweden/Russia/Finland seem to be solid foes as well. What I`d like to see, if possible, is a Team Canada who is coached by the same coach for a few years in a row. Thinking along the lines of creating a consistency. I didn`t see this team at any time other than the Russian game, and in spurts against the USA in the first game, playing with any fire, any consistency.
Fury will overtake the nation here now, the media will jump all over the program for not producing, questions will be asked. It gets ludicrous here and tiresome. Bottom line, this ISN`T just our game, this is a global game, playing in a short tournament in which things happen, and this nation`s record is pretty darn good, other nation`s are either catching up, or have caught up and good on them.
I could be one of those rare Canadian fans who, although not pumped about playing for Bronze, looks at this as a potentially good thing if some of the decision makers take their heads out of the sand and start asking questions about exactly what identity do they want to create for teams playing in this tournament??
Without any grey area, when this tournament started in years past, with Team Canada you knew a few things were guaranteed
A- stellar goaltending
B- bang and crashers........who received solid ice time
C- Didn`t play ticky tacky hockey, had lots of talent, but playing hard and physical on the puck at all times
D- Seemingly whomever coached, had essentially the same game plan
Blame goes where?? I don`t know, don`t care who "could" be at fault. Having some small insight to the Amateur hockey scene here with my Minor Hockey coaching background, I can tell you, there`s a ton of politics that takes place (as I am sure it does everywhere) and THAT is the problem, a few too many kids in the sandbox.
I`m proud of these kids, always am, tough tournament, incredibly impossible expectations placed on them, and when this is all said and done, they`ll take a long flight home and be hammered with questions about "what went wrong". Get over it Canada, we lost to a team who played with passion, discipline and made plays when they needed to, in other words, for this 60 minute game at least, the better team, THAT`S what went wrong.
Congrats to the USA, well earned win
they mad though (well some are very mad) http://www.sbnation.com/2013/1/3/3831186/canada-vs-usa-angry-fans-world-junior-hockey-2013
