WC: 2015 — Team Canada II

[glue]

Man more i think about it..its so frustrating to think Canada is likely to go out again likely in the semis this time (cause I think our offence may be too much for Belarus or Slovakia) cause yet again our goaltending sucks..we'll need to play a very tight defensive game to makeup for Smith's shortcomings

 

[MiamiHockey]

Things starting to shape up here with just one more day left of round robin..

Most likely QF matchups in my opinion - my prediction of the winners in bold:

(1) Canada vs (4) Belarus
(2) Sweden vs (3) Finland
(3) Czech vs (2) Russia
(4) Swiss vs (1) USA

Not totally sure what the semi-final matchups would be based on above scenarios:

Canada vs Russia ?? or Canada vs Finland

From the IIHF Website:

** Semi-final pairings: Winner 1A-4B vs Winner 2B-3A **

Meaning Canada would play the winner of Russia vs. Czech Republic.

I'm not sure why people are losing their minds here and thinking that Canada is likely to lose the SF game. Canada's healthy scratches would be 2nd line players on any other team in the tournament.

 

[glue]

From the IIHF Website:

** Semi-final pairings: Winner 1A-4B vs Winner 2B-3A **

Meaning Canada would play the winner of Russia vs. Czech Republic.

I'm not sure why people are losing their minds here and thinking that Canada is likely to lose the SF game. Canada's healthy scratches would be 2nd line players on any other team in the tournament.

Thanks for that.

With regards to your other point, I don't think anyone is denying the offensive powerhouse that Canada has and ultimately that may push us over the top, but they've sent offensively far superior rosters in the past...only to lose due to not gelling well enough, poor goaltending (often the biggest factor), avg defence and I know someone else said this, but a general lack of will compared to how they play in the Olympics. This year I would say compared to the last 5 years we do seem to have a slightly better defence and seem to be gelling fairly well. But in a one game elimination tournament solid defence and stellar goaltending generally trumps high powered offence.

 

[garbageteam]

In Custance's recent ESPN Insider article, Nill says they won't be adding anyone else to the team.

Ugh IF montreal loses tomorrow night and IF Subban and Price actually want to come, there is absolutely no reason to not let them join the team. Unless they've pre-contacted these players and they said they weren't interested even if they are eliminated. With Smith in net it'd be a huge boon to add either of these to bolster up the back for the semis and final.

 

[Brainiac]

Ugh IF montreal loses tomorrow night and IF Subban and Price actually want to come, there is absolutely no reason to not let them join the team. Unless they've pre-contacted these players and they said they weren't interested even if they are eliminated. With Smith in net it'd be a huge boon to add either of these to bolster up the back for the semis and final.

Habs fan here, so I obviously don't want to see that happen.

But if you add Price and Subban to that team... ouch!

 

[xxxx]

Things starting to shape up here with just one more day left of round robin..

Most likely QF matchups in my opinion - my prediction of the winners in bold:

(1) Canada vs (4) Belarus
(2) Sweden vs (3) Finland
(3) Czech vs (2) Russia
(4) Swiss vs (1) USA

Not totally sure what the semi-final matchups would be based on above scenarios:

Canada vs Russia ?? or Canada vs Finland

Canada - Russia

 

[MiamiHockey]

Thanks for that.

With regards to your other point, I don't think anyone is denying the offensive powerhouse that Canada has and ultimately that may push us over the top, but they've sent offensively far superior rosters in the past...only to lose due to not gelling well enough, poor goaltending (often the biggest factor), avg defence and I know someone else said this, but a general lack of will compared to how they play in the Olympics. This year I would say compared to the last 5 years we do seem to have a slightly better defence and seem to be gelling fairly well. But in a one game elimination tournament solid defence and stellar goaltending generally trumps high powered offence.

Canada has not sent a team with as high-powered an offence as this year's in recent memory, if ever.

In a single-elimination tournament, a goalie can steal a game, yes, and the only team at the WHC with a clearly better goalie than Smith is Finland with Rinne. But, for all the fretting over Canada's Def, you're not going to find a deeper Def corps at the WHC than Canada has. We're just accustomed to having guys like Doughty and Weber dominate on the back end, so the current Def corps seem weak in comparison.

At the end of the day if it's a close game it's could come down to a bounce here or there ... but Canada is likely to pepper the opposing team with 40-50 shots, so their goalie will have to stand on his head to steal the game.

 

[Risgun]

Any ideas how the team will be matched tomorrow? Do you think the fourth line will see a good amount of ice time?

 

[MiamiHockey]

Any ideas how the team will be matched tomorrow? Do you think the fourth line will see a good amount of ice time?

I think he'll roll four lines, as he did vs. France, but that the top two units will have all of the PP time, and the bottom two units will have all of the PK time. This game will be treated as a tune-up for the QF, but he'll want to keep his top guys fresh and his bottom guys engaged.

 

[tony d]

Right now though you have to wonder if adding a player or players would hurt the team's chemistry. Even though if Price was added if Montreal gets eliminated Canada would become even stronger.

 

[JackSlater]

I'm happy with this tournament from a Canadian perspective already. We've gotten to try out some players who aren't in the upper tier of Canadians and see how they perform, and they've all looked pretty good. The level of competition has been low, but at least players have looked comfortable, which is informative. In 2013 for instance, Hall looked uncomfortable even against the weak teams. These games have made me look at some players (Hall, Eberle, O'Reilly) as much more viable options. Even Burns is more intriguing now given the unique package he brings. Other players like Couturier, Ekblad and Barrie look promising for future tournaments after they have developed more. I don't think Seguin and MacKinnon are completely healthy, but they've both been fine as well.

It's nice if Canada wins, but even if they don't this tournament has been a success in my eyes. We've gotten to see how some potentially valuable players look on the bigger ice and how well they can play with each other, while getting young players some experience in prominent roles. This should help going forward.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

I always feel a bit for the goaltending - but Smith has been pretty bad. Especially on weak goals. His puck control is unreal though.

I just think it is easy for these goalies to get out of games that are blowouts or lopsided. I am in no way sounding arrogant - but I think the fact that Canada is so dominant it plays on their psych.

It's like they need to get a bunch of touches early on to get into the game. We notice it every year it seems - look at the opposing goalies and think, jeeesh this no name guy is standing on his head and one odd man rush, or flick from the point is let it!

 

[Moncherry]

Canada must have took Mike Smith as their starting goalie as an attempt to make it fair for the other teams.

 

[xxxx]

I've got this information that this tournament serves as a some type of qualification for canadian World Cup roster. It makes sense. In that case we might see another quite strong roster next year as it is the last WHC before the World Cup.

 

[Nakawick]

I've got this information that this tournament serves as a some type of qualification for canadian World Cup roster. It makes sense. In that case we might see another quite strong roster next year as it is the last WHC before the World Cup.

There will be a few on the young guns team, playing for Canada (and the US) in this tournament who will likely play at least one of Canada or the US at the world cup. I would love a true best on best world cup with a max of 8 teams, but I may not watch Betmans gimmick out of protest.

 

[go canucks go*]

Come on down Carey Price!

 

[illpucks]

If Price and Subban come, they might as well open up a spot in the QF for Canada Team B. And the world could enjoy a Canada Team A vs Canada Team B final.

At this point, that would be the best matchup. None of these teams are even close. Crosby is a healthy scratch and the team puts up 10 goals. LOL.

Subban and Price. LOL. This tournament is shaping up to be more lopsided than the Olympics.

 

[garbageteam]

If Price and Subban come, they might as well open up a spot in the QF for Canada Team B. And the world could enjoy a Canada Team A vs Canada Team B final.

At this point, that would be the best matchup. None of these teams are even close. Crosby is a healthy scratch and the team puts up 10 goals. LOL.

Subban and Price. LOL. This tournament is shaping up to be more lopsided than the Olympics.

I'm all for a balanced tournament but Canada hasn't medaled at this thing for six years and hasn't seen gold in eight. I think it's about time we just rock this thing and cruise to a medal we deserve. also, even though it more or less means nothing, it does look really stupid that Canada is ranked #4th in the world because of how bad of a performance they've put into the WHC for the past half a decade when they cruised to Olympic gold last year.

So yeah, I would like Price and Subban to get the invitation now, and if one of them joins I feel much more comfortable about our chances of Gold. Only takes one single elimination game of poor puck luck and Mike Smith being Mike Smith to take this team out of contention. The remaining teams aren't total pushovers.

 

[1Gold Standard]

Come on down Carey Price!

too late to fly anybody else in just to play an elimination game, especially a goaltender. If TC were going to add anybody, they should have added Brodie a few days ago after the Flames were ousted. He would have had a few days + a game to get adjusted. Go with what you have now.

 

[kooma 13]

Am i the only who thinks that canada will fail to gold?

 

[1Gold Standard]

Am i the only who thinks that canada will fail to gold?

bad penalty at the wrong time (think Getzlaf kneeing penalty v Slovakia 2012) + some bad puck luck + Mike Smith's goaltending, sure, the 1/4 final curse could get extended. Although, If we lose to Belarus, then Hockey Canada should just stop sending NHLers to this tournament altogether. just do a Spengler Cup type of team with all players playing in Europe. 1 more 1/4 final loss and I'm never watching this tournament again.

But I still think it's too late to bring in goaltender like Price. Let's just hope our offense can continue to rack up goals at 6 or 7 per. Team Canada is perhaps theeeeeeeeeeeeee most offensively skilled team this tournament has seen in recent memory....

 

[Macman]

Am i the only who thinks that canada will fail to gold?

No. This tournament is following the usual pattern. Russia or the Czechs will put it together long enough to beat Canada when it counts. I have little faith in Smith in goal and the ease with which Canada is scoring now will disappear when the better teams clog up the neutral zone and around the front of the net. Hopefully Hockey Canada brings in Price for the semis but I know that's not going to happen. They don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

 

[Canuckistani]

Am i the only who thinks that canada will fail to gold?

No, I don't think they will either. Only this time it'll be a semifinal collapse instead of in a quarterfinal.

They'll run into a hot goaltender, or they'll take a dumb penalty, or the offense will sputter.

But at least guys like Eberle, Hall, Giroux, and MacKinnon were able to get experience for 2018.

 

[1Gold Standard]

No, I don't think they will either. Only this time it'll be a semifinal collapse instead of in a quarterfinal.

They'll run into a hot goaltender, or they'll take a dumb penalty, or the offense will sputter.

But at least guys like Eberle, Hall, Giroux, and MacKinnon were able to get experience for 2018.

Are all likely scenarios for the Olympics as well (Nagano/Torino) So I really hate the 'it's experience' argument and the 'let's put all our eggs in the Olympics basket' approach.

But what can you do.. Mike Smith is Mike Smith. Let's hope the offense can overcome all of Mike Smith's gaffs and the opposition's hot goaltending + avoid those dumbass penalties.

 

[tony d]

Yeah, don't think Price will come over. Question is Smith good enough to lead this team to Gold? I really don't think he is and I figure we'll lose the gold medal game.