WC: 2015 — Team USA

[William H Bonney]

What were your impressions on the defense pairings today ?

They seem fine although I wish Richards would give Jones a consistent partner instead of rotating between Reilly/Gardiner. Reilly's played well so far and I think he's earned the consistent shift with Jones at this point. Connor Murphy has been a great anchor on the third pairing and Moore/Gardiner should be rotating shifts with Murphy instead.

How did Jones and Krug look in particular ?

They've been our best d-men. I wish Jones was pushing the pace more offensively but I'm not sure if he's holding back by design or not. I'm sure he'll start to turn it up more.

Our other top d-man, Faulk, has struggled mightily to start the tournament. Careless, unforced turnovers and fighting the puck. Hopefully he gets going here soon because we'll need him to be better.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Yah Faulk and Gardiner looked pretty shaky yesterday.

Have to be sharper Monday.

 

[BladesofSTEELwFIRE]

WHY aren't Backes & Shattenkirk playing for Team USA?? You'd think they'd finally want to win something especially after that last Olympic disaster!

 

[William H Bonney]

WHY aren't Backes & Shattenkirk playing for Team USA?? You'd think they'd finally want to win something especially after that last Olympic disaster!

Shattenkirk isn't fully healed from his injury and Backes' wife is about to give birth.

 

[BladesofSTEELwFIRE]

Shattenkirk isn't fully healed from his injury and Backes' wife is about to give birth.

That's the reason? So every player that has a wife about to birth can't play? This is only a 2 week tourney. You would think his mom and mother-in-law could help out when he's gone.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I didn't see much of the last game, but he looked good today. Limited minutes ES, and pretty much exclusively defensive type stuff, as his line is the checking line. Looked really fast and really smart. Played regular PK minutes. Didn't seem to lose many battles, despite not even being 19 yet. Had a couple of flashes of offense, but you can tell he's really got defense on the brain for this tournament.

When you think about it, it's pretty impressive how good he is at the defensive end of the game at his age. and, like I said, those wheels. He looked like a Darren Helm in this sort of role.

I had a pretty garbled feed, but I'm pretty sure he was at center. Didn't seem to take a ton of faceoffs that I saw.

Has much better positional understanding than Helm already. His puck support is great both offensively and defensively. He uses that speed to augment his game, but he doesn't overrun plays with it or throw the team structure out of whack. Something Helm still struggles with to this day at times. Larkin is a fairly elite thinker of the game, it stands out anytime I watch him. You have to assume he will get better, but already there is such solid foundation to his game and a distribution of his skill set to be making the right play a staggering amount of the time for a guy that isn't 19 yet.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

That's the reason? So every player that has a wife about to birth can't play? This is only a 2 week tourney. You would think his mom and mother-in-law could help out when he's gone.

You wouldn't think that in the grand scheme of things this tournament doesn't mean that much. Of the excuses (mind you some didn't have any just a no) Backes' ranks up there as one of the best reasons to not be around for this.

 

[William H Bonney]

That's the reason? So every player that has a wife about to birth can't play? This is only a 2 week tourney. You would think his mom and mother-in-law could help out when he's gone.

What? There is no issue with Backes wanting to be around for the birth of his child. He wouldn't even think about accepting an invite and rightfully so. The birth of his child is much more important than a second-rate hockey tournament.

There are plenty of American players to take issue with for turning down this tournament without reason but Backes isn't one of them.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

That's the reason? So every player that has a wife about to birth can't play? This is only a 2 week tourney. You would think his mom and mother-in-law could help out when he's gone.

Live in the basement do you?

 

[ZeroPT*]

That's the reason? So every player that has a wife about to birth can't play? This is only a 2 week tourney. You would think his mom and mother-in-law could help out when he's gone.

This can't be serious?

Witnessing the birth of your own flesh and blood>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>meaningless tournament

 

[Finnpin]

Hopefully Moses can continue the tournament. Tollefsen is assassin.

 

[ndd17]

Hopefully Moses can continue the tournament. Tollefsen is assassin.

I hope so too. Flipping Tollefsen...

 

[Gargyn]

That's the reason? So every player that has a wife about to birth can't play? This is only a 2 week tourney. You would think his mom and mother-in-law could help out when he's gone.

What are you, 12? Most men, at least men who love their wives and are excited about having a child, wouldn't miss that experience. Especially for a tournament that means very little. Had this been the playoffs where his employer pays him millions of dollars to play, it might be different.

 

[BladesofSTEELwFIRE]

What are you, 12? Most men, at least men who love their wives and are excited about having a child, wouldn'can't ss that experience. Especially for a tournament thacousin s very little. Had this been the playoffs where his employer pays him millions of dollars to play, it might be different.

YOU sound like the 12 year old. Have you heard of something called WORK? Many times with professionals they have work commitments so they can't be sitting at home twiddling their thumbs. I have a cousin who is a plastic surgeon and guess what? His dad way away for a few days on work when he was born and he turned out just fine!

I'm not talking about being gone for 6 months or a year! It's just a COUPLE WEEKS! His mother and in-laws could've easily covered for him!

 

[William H Bonney]

YOU sound like the 12 year old. Have you heard of something called WORK? Many times with professionals they have work commitments so they can't be sitting at home twiddling their thumbs. I have a cousin who is a plastic surgeon and guess what? His dad way away for a few days on work when he was born and he turned out just fine!

I'm not talking about being gone for 6 months or a year! It's just a COUPLE WEEKS! His mother and in-laws could've easily covered for him!

The IIHF tournament is not a work commitment. David Backes does not have a contract with USA Hockey. He has a contract with the St. Louis Blues and that contract does not require him to participate in the World Championships. So there goes your terrible hypothetical.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Haven't seen anything on Twitter on Moses injury.

Anyone have an update for tomorrow's game ?

 

[William H Bonney]

Haven't seen anything on Twitter on Moses injury.

Anyone have an update for tomorrow's game ?

I saw a couple of tweets earlier today that he's been cleared to play but I'm not sure how reliable those accounts are as they're not household reporters.

 

[Savard18]

hahaha....you know, one day we should try and figure out a way to get the "few" of us USA posters together somewhere, maybe during the World Cup for a weekend...I mean I think you are high balling on the 8 so I am sure we could figure something out.. actually came up with 10 posters who are always on for USA tournaments

Xokkeu
AD
Rabid
Bonney
usahockey22flyers
Cagney
orangeandblack
sandogbrewin
magic school bus
PaulieVegas - usually chimes in around this time -plus if he is in Vegas like Bonney - we know our destination! plus a few other So Cal posters here so looks like some traveling might be needed!!

and no offense if I am forgetting anyone as just off the top of my head these are the guys that post in USA Hockey tournament threads more than others...so don't get bent out of shape if you didn't make the team always the JV squad for ya

There's more of US around than you'd think. Hell, I was watching and texting two of my boys during the sledgeWC today. I'm the most attentive of the bunch, any tournament featuring USA hockey I watch as do quite a few friends/old teamates. It's great to read some love for that 2010 WJC team. Possibly my favorite team of all time. USA fans are around. Just not all of us post here. I never do msg board stuff, the only reason I came here was my city getting an OHL team. We're around and we couldn't be more dissapointed in the USA roster. Seriously. After the disgrace we've been at the Olympics (since 1980 but mostly post 94 and I'm addressing the 2014 team here) every dude from that team should want to show up and put on a USA jersey and win for redemption. I get the injuries, family, contract bit but it's ridiculous. Come learn how to win in intl tourneys boys because you sure as hell can't seem to figure it out during the Olympics. If I was a Byfuglien, Yandle, Ryan, ect I'd be playing WC just to show up Poile and USAHockey mgt. I could go on about the 2014 roster and GM for days. We all know Poile is Canadian right? I gaurentee. I coulda GM'ed the 2014 team to Zero medals. No need to get a Canadian who can't GM an NHL team past the first round. That's more venom than I intended to spew. Not usually this angry. The USA fans are around here in Michigan too and were watching and cheering, just dissapointed in the roster.

 

[Savard18]

Oh and I've not watched him much NHL or pre NHL and I'm glad he showed but I will always remember Justin Faulk as the guy who couldn't make the USA line up until he turned the puck over for Canada's only goal to eliminate us. I could never figure out how he made it and not Byfuglien, Yandle, Niskanen, Goligoski.....ect? I may have missed a guy or two.

 

[Savard18]

That's the reason? So every player that has a wife about to birth can't play? This is only a 2 week tourney. You would think his mom and mother-in-law could help out when he's gone.

We shouldn't really be in a position to NEED Backes. Given, he may still be a top 12-15 American but he can dis this tourney for the birth of his child. Hell, dis it jus to care of your pregnant wife. It's important but it isn't the Olympics or Cup final.

 

[Mattb124]

YOU sound like the 12 year old. Have you heard of something called WORK? Many times with professionals they have work commitments so they can't be sitting at home twiddling their thumbs. I have a cousin who is a plastic surgeon and guess what? His dad way away for a few days on work when he was born and he turned out just fine!

I'm not talking about being gone for 6 months or a year! It's just a COUPLE WEEKS! His mother and in-laws could've easily covered for him!

1. NHL players often miss games around the birth of their kids - as they should. The NHL gets it, get on board.

2. The Blues (who Backes works for) are not in this tournament.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Let's move on from this topic about who didn't show up any why, its not offering anything new or going anywhere.

 

[Bosse Berglund]

Let's move on from this topic about who didn't show up any why, its not offering anything new or going anywhere.

"Forward Stefan Matteau (Chicago, Ill./Albany) has returned to the U.S. after suffering an injury in the team's exhibition game against Austria on Tuesday (April 28)."


Will they replace Matteau ?

That´s the question, will they?

 

[AmericanDream]

That´s the question, will they?

agreed, still need to discuss this as another forward would be huge

 

[tigervixxxen]

agreed, still need to discuss this as another forward would be huge

Ok, let me be specific, no more bickering about who chose to stay home for whatever reason. Obviously if there is actual news about someone possibly joining the team there is nothing wrong with that.