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WJC: 2015 — Canada Roster Talk (Part IV)

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...a couple of thoughts (from a Jets perspective, admittedly).

I think Morrissey needs more prominence on the PP. It seems that Theodore is getting the prime PP minutes, whereas Morrissey has been much more effective. He sees the ice better, makes better passes, and is more adept at getting the puck through to the net on shots. He had a couple of terrific assists tonight - 5 points in the 3 warm-up games, I think.

Petan had a very strong game tonight and seems to have great chemistry with Point. I think they should stay together, either with Fabbri or another good winger. Petan plays a strong game in all zones, and creates a lot of chances for his linemates.

I liked Morin's game tonight. Duclair and Domi are a very nice duo. Virtanen can be a game-breaker, but probably needs to play with some more skilled linemates.

What exactly does Gauthier bring to this team? I don't think he was even strong in the face-off circle tonight. He just has no clue what to do when he has the puck on his stick.
 
I find it slightly funny that the McDavid conversation is kind of similar to the 2014 Crosby conversation. We need someone with him to finish off his great plays!
 
Three dominant games in exhibition have me feeling pretty confident. USA is still goinf to be a hell of a task.

The DRD line is dominating, Domi and Duclair can roam while Reinhart is super steady, no point in breaking them up. However, the McDavid line is in need of some tweaking. And as annoying as it is getting Virtanen forced down our throats by Nucks fans, he is a good fit with Connor. Throw Fabbri on there to try and re-ignite their previous chemistry.

Domi - Reinhart - Duclair
Fabbri - McDavid - Virtanen
Ritchie - Lazar - Petan
Crouse - Paul - Point
Gauthier

Either that or swap Petan and Virtanen to run a very heavy third line, Petan is no goal scoring slouch either.

I like the defence. Morrisey and Nurse have played really well, while Bowey really picked it up against the Swiss, hopefully he (as well as the rest of the D corps) keep it up throughout the rest of the tournament.
 
Roster above looks solid.

Gauthier is the odd man out and laughing stock now. But hope he scores a memorable goal so he'll be remembered lol.
 
Lazar looked so nervous on the ice today. He couldn't catch a pass! Hopefully he gains confidence in the coming games because the talent sure is there.

Virtanen is a real hot head haha. He has a ton of skill, he drives the net, and gets in the opponents' heads. The canucks have a good one in him.

Duclair and Domi are so much fun to watch together. Got to say it's pretty cool watching two guys I grew up playing against playing together on the same line in the world juniors.

Never understood the reinhart hype. People keep on saying he does the little things right but I don't see any particular quality that makes him stand out. Not sure what kind of role he'll develop in the NHL
 
oh....and Gauthier was beyond useless. I don't know how many times I saw him fall to the ice tonight. I won't pass judgment after one game but was not impressed at all
 
Gauthier is definitely looking like this years Gauthier. I know Canada wanted to have a checking line, but when you don't have the right personnel, you have to be able to re-evaluate.
 
Taco Fingerhat said:
Gauthier is definitely looking like this years Gauthier. I know Canada wanted to have a checking line, but when you don't have the right personnel, you have to be able to re-evaluate.
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When Dal Colle is in the NHL, it's going to look even more ridiculous that Gauthier was chosen over him.
 
Tv9924 said:
Lazar hasn't necessarily been bad, but I don't feel that he and McDavid have clicked and I think he would be more valuable to the team as the center of a checking line.

Domi-Reinhart-Duclair
Nothing to say about that, they're electrifying.
Ritchie-McDavid-Fabbri
If I'm not wrong this line played together and had chemistry in the summer. Ritchie brings the physical element and Fabbri compliments McDseed and skill.
Paul-Lazar-Virtanen
This line would go head to head against the other teams' top lines. They're big, defensively responsible, and can really shoot the puck.
Crouse-Petan-Point
This would probably be the most skilled fourth line in the tournament, and I believe they won't be a liability defensively.
Gauthier
Gauthier.
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Add me to the club that thinks this is a great lineup. Sometimes I wonder where the TC coaches get theirs from. Throwing darts at a board perhaps.
 
CrazyJoeDavola said:
Sure. Our defense is older, bigger, and more defensively solid. Nobody is questioning that. We don't have a Hanafin, DeAngelo, or Butcher, though; guys that are going to have the puck on a string and make some incredible offensive plays. Sure, those guys are pure offense and risky but what happens when we need a big goal and our fwds are struggling? I just don't see us getting one from anyone back there. The Americans won't be as solid defensively as us but there is a very good chance that their squad can outgun ever team to the gold medal.

I don't like Ritchie on our 2nd line, nor do I like Gauthier, Crouse, and Paul. If we have Virtanen in the top 9 and MDC on this team, I would definitely agree that we clearly have the better squad. All I see is our stud top line with a pretty good 2nd line. Paul and Petan are overrated, imo. That American 3rd line of Larkin, Motte, and Fasching is going to wreak havoc on us.

Call me a skeptic, but we're all pinning our chances on McDavid being a top player in this tournament. If he's not, we have an average at best 2nd line, and we won't win gold. Now if Fabbri gets moved up and we juggle the lines, I may be changing my tune. I just look out our 2nd line down and see overrated two way forwards that can't be counted on to score big goals and big times when the going gets tough.

I hope I get proven wrong, though.
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MDC is great and I wish we had him over Gauthier, but he's not the difference maker in deciding if we're a better team than the US or not. Virtanen will likely be in the top 6 by playoffs, and Canada has a ton of offensive d; Hicketts, Morrisey, and Theodore are all offensive defensemen. And Morin and Heatherington are our only defensemen that are below a PPG in the juniors. Even if McDavid isn't back to his normal self, we will have two lethal first lines, followed by great shutdown lines filled with talent in the bottom 6. Canada has looked great in every exhibition they've played in. I don't know how anyone can be so skeptical at this point. The only thing I'd be worried about is goaltending, but it could be worse as in Sweden's case. The US let in 5 goals today too.
 
Tv9924 said:
Lazar hasn't necessarily been bad, but I don't feel that he and McDavid have clicked and I think he would be more valuable to the team as the center of a checking line.

Domi-Reinhart-Duclair
Nothing to say about that, they're electrifying.
Ritchie-McDavid-Fabbri
If I'm not wrong this line played together and had chemistry in the summer. Ritchie brings the physical element and Fabbri compliments McDseed and skill.
Paul-Lazar-Virtanen
This line would go head to head against the other teams' top lines. They're big, defensively responsible, and can really shoot the puck.
Crouse-Petan-Point
This would probably be the most skilled fourth line in the tournament, and I believe they won't be a liability defensively.
Gauthier
Gauthier.
Click to expand...
It would be nice if Virtanen moved up, but I like those lines.
 
I think I saw Fabbri, McDavid and Ritchie on the same line together in the 3rd period at a couple times maybe close to the end. I don't remember Lazar on that line in the 3rd when the game was over.

Personally, I hope Groulx is looking at just like the line-up "Tv9924" posted.

Fabbri-McDavid-Ritchie
Paul-Lazar-Virtanen
Crouse-Petan-Point

As the bottom 9. I hope Groulx talks about Virtanen because I don't know if he thinks he's too risky out there, maybe doesn't like how he plays or maybe thinks if he's on the 4th line he makes it a dangerous line and wants to keep him there for that reason.

Other than that one Russian overtime goal, Canada has not let in an even strength. Sweden scored on the PP and a penalty shot, Russia scored on the PP goal in the 1st. That is a big +, defence has been stellar, we let in 2 goals against Sweden (PP) and a penalty shot. USA let in 5 goals against Sweden.

Some players on this team are just so hard to not like, Lazar always sounding confident, smiling and he's loose when he's being interviewed. Virtanen is what you always want as a player, he's hitting, playing pretty pissed off. He's in the scrums, never really seems to get anything under his skin and just plays a solid game you can expect every game. Big hits, great speed and he looks and plays like a beauty.
 
I like the forward lineup put forward by Tv9924 as well, though I would give McDavid and Lazar another game together but with someone other than Ritchie on the wing. I like the defensive cover that Lazar can bring for that line.

Honestly, it's been a while since I've seen Canada look so good in the pre-tournament. Of course that doesn't guarantee anything, but it's a positive. The scorelines are fine, but I like the way that they are playing. Each of those three games featured extended periods of dominance by Canada where the other team was just trying to hang on for 10+ minutes. If that improves as the chemistry builds, this team should be good.
 
May be in the wrong thread but does anyone know who Sweden's backup goalie was yesterday against the Americans? We only have one goalie atm and some Canadian team lent us one backup goalie. We should have thrown him into the net because seriously, it can't get any worse with Ward between the posts.
 
BigBen said:
MDC is great and I wish we had him over Gauthier, but he's not the difference maker in deciding if we're a better team than the US or not. Virtanen will likely be in the top 6 by playoffs, and Canada has a ton of offensive d; Hicketts, Morrisey, and Theodore are all offensive defensemen. And Morin and Heatherington are our only defensemen that are below a PPG in the juniors. Even if McDavid isn't back to his normal self, we will have two lethal first lines, followed by great shutdown lines filled with talent in the bottom 6. Canada has looked great in every exhibition they've played in. I don't know how anyone can be so skeptical at this point. The only thing I'd be worried about is goaltending, but it could be worse as in Sweden's case. The US let in 5 goals today too.
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It isn't skepticism, but enlightened concern. Unless there is a major hiccup the road to gold will travel through both Canada and the U.S. On paper and after the short pre-tournament games, it appears that the U.S. is loaded with elite skaters both at forward and on the defence. While there are many great players on Canada, there are holes on the roster with several players who will be hard pressed to match the speed and skill that the U.S. will be able to employ against the team. Players like Heatherington and Gauthier will be exploited and ineffective respectively against such speed and relentless pressure. I agree with an earlier poster's comment about Reinhart, he's far from an elite skater and will be overmatched against the speed and tempo he will be facing against the Americans. The same can be said for Paul. And while Crouse will be a star in the NHL and will be a dominant player (if he plays) in next year's WJC, his lack of strength will limit his effectiveness this year. And let's not even talk about our goaltending. No doubt Canada has assembled its strongest team in several years, but there's no shame in acknowledging that the excellent U.S. team may have less holes and be more dynamic. No shame or skepticism at all.
 
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Pgust said:
May be in the wrong thread but does anyone know who Sweden's backup goalie was yesterday against the Americans? We only have one goalie atm and some Canadian team lent us one backup goalie. We should have thrown him into the net because seriously, it can't get any worse with Ward between the posts.
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Jack Ondrovic who plays Jr A for the Powassan Voodoos in Ontario. He's a draft pick of the North Bay Battalion in the OHL (same team as Nick Paul).
 
ChesterNimitz said:
It isn't skepticism, but enlightened concern. Unless there is a major hiccup the road to gold will travel through both Canada and the U.S. On paper and after the short pre-tournament games, it appears that the U.S. is loaded with elite skaters both at forward and on the defence. While there are many great players on Canada, there are holes on the roster with several players who will be hard placed to match the speed and skill that the U.S. will be able to employ against the team. Players like Heatherington and Gauthier will be exploited and ineffective respectively against such speed and relentless pressure. I agree with an earlier poster's comment about Reinhart, he's far from an elite skater and will be overmatched against the speed and tempo he will be facing against the Americans. The same can be said for Paul. And while Crouse will be a star in the NHL and will be a dominant player (if he plays) in next year's WJC, his lack of strength will limit his effectiveness this year. And let's not even talk about our goaltending. No doubt Canada has assembled its strongest team in several years, but there's no shame in acknowledging that the excellent U.S. team may have less holes and be more dynamic. No shame or skepticism at all.
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I just hope Canada can make a game of it when they meet the American behemoth. I have nightmares of Canada's second line centre, the 19 year old second overall pick form the draft, trying to keep up with the American team.
 
I wouldn't change anything. Why, when everything works? There were some doubts expressed about Petan and that 3rd line before the SWI game (to change his line-mates) And they looked great at the game. Ritchie is ok with McDavid, he scored a goal, and his physical presence there is something I like. Not to mention that they need at least another game to gel together, it's quite a new line and McDavid just played his second game after a month. Crouse-Gauthier-Virtanen could be dangerous line, just wait a bit. Their time will come. And mainly, they don't need to score goals everytime. It's a team game.
 
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ChesterNimitz said:
It isn't skepticism, but enlightened concern. Unless there is a major hiccup the road to gold will travel through both Canada and the U.S. On paper and after the short pre-tournament games, it appears that the U.S. is loaded with elite skaters both at forward and on the defence. While there are many great players on Canada, there are holes on the roster with several players who will be hard pressed to match the speed and skill that the U.S. will be able to employ against the team. Players like Heatherington and Gauthier will be exploited and ineffective respectively against such speed and relentless pressure. I agree with an earlier poster's comment about Reinhart, he's far from an elite skater and will be overmatched against the speed and tempo he will be facing against the Americans. The same can be said for Paul. And while Crouse will be a star in the NHL and will be a dominant player (if he plays) in next year's WJC, his lack of strength will limit his effectiveness this year. And let's not even talk about our goaltending. No doubt Canada has assembled its strongest team in several years, but there's no shame in acknowledging that the excellent U.S. team may have less holes and be more dynamic. No shame or skepticism at all.
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I couldn't sleep last night thinking about Crouse and his lack of strength. The guys underweight, weak and a real *****. In short a pushover. I could take him.
 
The thing that still boggles my mind...is that they purposefully set about building a "checking line" for this tournament...that they don't actually use to match with opposing top lines.

What's the point? In the Reinhart/McDavid lines are going to be your go-to matchup units...why bring Gauthier? In hopes that he can play a first up PK shift after not seeing the ice for the last 10 minutes of the period? It's just goofy. Even though Gauthier is a strong PKer, it's going to be extremely difficult for even the best of them to step off the bench after playing so few shifts and immediately go up against the very best offensive players the other team has to offer...with a man advantage.

Best way to salvage it is just to sit him and roll 4 lines you actually like...which isn't too different from the minutes Gauthier is actually getting at this point. You don't want to play him more just to keep his useless self "in the game" more for the PK shifts...So something like:

Domi-Reinhart-Duclair
Ritchie-McDavid-Lazar
Virtanen-Fabbri-Point
Petan-Paul-Crouse
*goat.
 
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