2014-15 IIHF World Junior Championship Discussion Thread

[LaxSabre]

Game Recap - United States Defeats Germany 5-2 in Pre-World Juniors Tournament Game - USAHockey.com - Sunday, December 21.

Kingston, Ontario - The United States used goals from five different players on the way to a 5-2 victory over Germany here tonight.
The game was played in preparation for the upcoming 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships.

J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Illinois/University of Michigan) raced down the left wing, cut to the net and slipped the puck past German netminder Ilya Sharipov at 14:45 of the first period for the game's opening goal.

Then with just 56 seconds left in the period, Tyler Motte (St. Clair, Michigan/University of Michigan) converted a nice centering pass from Hudson Fasching (Apple Valley, Minnesota/University of Minnesota) from the top of the crease to make it 2-0 for the United States after 20 minutes.

Thatcher Demko (San Diego, California/Boston College) played the first half of the game in goal and stopped all fourteen shots he faced.
Alex Nedeljkovic (Parma, Ohio/Plymouth Whalers) made six saves on eight shots in the second half of play.

Rest Of The Game Recap - Game Summary-Boxscore - http://worldjuniors.usahockey.com/news_article/show/459488?referrer_id=701370

 

[LaxSabre]

Five Different Goal Scores Pace Canada To Pre-World Juniors Win - 5-2 Over Sweden - HockeyCanada.ca - Sunday, December 21.

Ottawa, Ontario - Five different players found the back of the net for Canada’s National Junior Team on Sunday as it topped Sweden 5-2 in its second game on the RBC Road to the World Juniors.

Canada got goals from each member of its top line - Max Domi (Toronto, Ontario/London-OHL), Anthony Duclair (Laval, Que bec/NY Rangers-NHL) and Sam Reinhart (West Vancouver, British Columbia/Kootenay-WHL). Defenceman Josh Morrissey (Calgary, Alberta/Kelowna-WHL) and Shea Theodore (Aldergrove, British Columbia/Seattle-WHL) also scored.

Joe Hicketts (Kamloops, British Columbia/Victoria-WHL) had two assists. Domi and Duclair each added a helper. Eric Comrie (Edmonton, Alberta/Tri-City-WHL) stopped 17 of 19 shots for the win. Gustav Forsling on the power play and William Nylander on a penalty shot scored for Sweden while Samuel Ward made 28 saves in net for the loss.

Rest Of The Game Recap - Game Summary/Boxscore - http://stats.hockeycanada.ca/game/show/9014231?subseason=165445&referrer=1245171&referrer=1245171

 

[sjci]

@SabresProspects
Reinhart and McDavid will each wear an "A" for Team Canada. Sens prospect Curtis Lazar gets the "C".

 

[Paxon]

@SabresProspects
Reinhart and McDavid will each wear an "A" for Team Canada. Sens prospect Curtis Lazar gets the "C".

From the outside looking in those were the best choices.

 

[LaxSabre]

@mikemorrealeNHL - Connor McDavid makes successful return to the ice for CAN on Sunday vs SWE -
McDavid/Eichel Update - http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=35133

Defenseman Michael Downing released from @usahockey selection camp. Team now has 8 D, 15 F, 3 G.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=35147&navid=nhl:topheads

@HockeyCanada - Curtis Lazar will serve as captain for Canada at #WJC2015 - Connor McDavid and Sam Reinhart alternate captains -
http://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/curtis-lazar-named-captain-of-canadas-national-junior-team

 

[joshjull]

From the outside looking in those were the best choices.

Was hearing a lot of talk Lazar would get the "C" particularly with his resume to this point.

 

[1972]

So much politics with some of these teams, it sucks to see.

 

[Paxon]

According to the Swedish roster thread, Johansson has been injured and a replacement has been brought in.

 

[LaxSabre]

@chrismpeters - United States Broadcast team for NHL Network's WJC coverage is Steve Mears on play-by-play, Dan Bylsma on color and Dave Starman will be rinkside.

@RSandersonWHTK - 28 #2015WJC games on NHL Network (United States) including all of Team USA's games and those ones (Team USA) will be streamed on NHL.com too.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=744492&navid=nhl:topheads

 

[LaxSabre]

According to the Swedish roster thread, Johansson has been injured and a replacement has been brought in.

@RSandersonWHTK - #Sabres prospect G Jonas Johansson (Brynäs) unable to play for Sweden at #2015WJC due to injury.
Replaced by Fredrik Bergvik (Frölundas).

@SabresProspects - More bad news for Johansson as he is unable to play in WJC. He was curiously missing from Brynas J20 games leading up to SWE camp.

 

[B U F F A L O]

@RSandersonWHTK - #Sabres prospect G Jonas Johansson (Brynäs) unable to play for Sweden at #2015WJC due to injury. Replaced by Fredrik Bergvik (Frölundas).

That sucks. Had to change my pick for the WJC pool.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Ten world juniors to watch not named McDavid

The spotlight will be on Connor McDavid at the World Junior Championship. But here are 10 other players to watch in the tournament:

 

[LaxSabre]

@RSandersonWHTK - #Sabres prospect G Jonas Johansson (Brynäs) unable to play for Sweden at #2015WJC due to injury.
Replaced by Fredrik Bergvik (Frölundas).

@SabresProspects - More bad news for Johansson as he is unable to play in WJC. He was curiously missing from Brynas J20 games leading up to SWE camp.

Prospects Update - World Juniors - Johansson Out! - Kris Baker @SabresProspects - SabresProspects.com -
http://www.sabresprospects.com/2014/12/johansson-out-for-world-junior-tourney.html

 

[LaxSabre]

World Juniors Notebook - United States - Monday, December 22 - USAHockey.com

The pool of candidates vying to make the final 2015 United States National Junior Team roster was trimmed by one with the release of defenseman Mike Downing.
The final roster can include 20 forwards and defensemen and up to three goaltenders.

The United States will skate for approximately an hour this morning here in preparation for its final pre-tournament game tomorrow night against Sweden.
Game time is 7:00 pm ET and the contest will be streamed LIVE by FASTHockey.com

Practice combinations for today - Forwards - Bracco-Eichel-Tuch. Milano-Matthews-Schmaltz. Motte-Larkin-Fasching. Wood-Compher-Hayden.
De Leo-Cassels-Louis. Defense - Butcher-Carlo. Hanifin-McCoshen. Werenski-DeAngelo. Extra - Collins.

Defensemen Steven Santini, who was part of the United States camp in Boston but has not been with the team in Kingston as of yet, will re-join the group late tonight.
He is expected to be cleared to play by doctors later today after a wrist injury has sidelined him since October 25.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

@SabresProspects

SWE tweeters saying 2015 draft prospect Oliver Kylington will miss WJC due to injury. In that '15 D cluster w/ Werenski, after Hanifin

 

[stokes84]

@SabresProspects

SWE tweeters saying 2015 draft prospect Oliver Kylington will miss WJC due to injury. In that '15 D cluster w/ Werenski, after Hanifin

Ouch. This was a great chance to showcase what he had against players closer to his age.

 

[LaxSabre]

@usahockey -

Jack Eichel named captain of 2015 United States National Junior Team. Will Butcher and John Hayden selected alternate captains. #USAWJC

 

[ZeroPT*]

@usahockey -

Jack Eichel named captain of 2015 United States National Junior Team. Will Butcher and John Hayden selected alternate captains. #USAWJC

That's disappointing. Compher is a vet

 

[Beerz]

That's disappointing. Compher is a vet

Computer wasn't on the team last year.. Eichel was.

 

[stokes84]

Computer wasn't on the team last year.. Eichel was.

Injury. A lot of people considered him to be the front runner for captain last year before he got hurt. This team is crazy good and he's been pushed down the depth chart because of it. He doesn't appear to be someone they are going to lean on at all.

 

[ZeroPT*]

Computer wasn't on the team last year.. Eichel was.

He would've had he not broken his hand blocking a shot though.

 

[ZeroPT*]

Injury. A lot of people considered him to be the front runner for captain last year before he got hurt. This team is crazy good and he's been pushed down the depth chart because of it. He doesn't appear to be someone they are going to lean on at all.

I wouldn't say that. He and Fasching are veterans. Players that have a history with USAH. They'll both likely have top 9 roles and be relied on in difficult situations.
If they're protecting a slim lead in the knockout rounds with like a minute to do they won't put Milano out there.

 

[Paxon]

 

[B U F F A L O]

Wow, thats harsh. Certainly had to be one of their better players, they couldve made him sit out a period or a game in the group stages for that...

 

[joshjull]

Injury. A lot of people considered him to be the front runner for captain last year before he got hurt. This team is crazy good and he's been pushed down the depth chart because of it. He doesn't appear to be someone they are going to lean on at all.

Because he wasn't named captain he is apparently dead to them? Thats seems a tad melodramatic don't you think ?


As for who they will lean on. In tournaments like this it's usually the hot hand or what ever player fits the situation best. Defensively I'm sure Compher will get his ice time. Offensively it all depends on how he is playing.


Iirc leading up to the tournament the talk was Compher was going to center the checking line.