WJC: 2016 — USA Roster Talk (Part II)

[SabresSharks]

People seem to be really mad about losing a close game.

Russia deserved the win. A bit more puck luck around the net would have been welcome.

It's pointless squawking about uninvited players and coaching decisions in a close loss that could have just as easily been a win. Winner advances games are a crap shoot compared to a best of seven series.

 

[usahockey22flyers]

That sucked.

 

[Xokkeu]

People seem to be really mad about losing a close game.

It's emotions.

 

[AmericanDream]

Completely disagree with Mcavoy

Terrible decisions, turnovers, tries to do way to much on his own and it really showed today against Russia.

He was totally out classed.

He's the #5 D on this team and he's a long way fro Belpedio - Borgen right now in his career.

He might turn out to be a solid player but he has to simplify his game and better decision making.

I think / hope that will come with maturity

sorry, we must have been watching different feeds out there. McAvoy was nowhere near #5, he played every role and played in big minutes. he made mistakes but was solid overall. I actually haven't seen these turnovers you speak of against Russia, not saying they didn't happen just will rewatch the game as Werenski was pretty bad out there and made some pretty bad turnovers from what I saw.

McAvoy looked solid again for me, but entire team looked lifeless most of the time so who knows anymore.

 

[AmericanDream]

That sucked.

yup, when you lose 2-1 and you leave Connor, Roslovic, Garland, and Tuch at home, you have some explaining to do.

I will not use it as an excuse because there was enough talent here to win, but as usual we find a way to **** it up and it wont be hard to blame Johansson with some of his selections. This crap needs to stop as I am getting tired of watching these **** shows when we out talent teams,.

 

[NTDP]

I think one of the differences is Ron Wilson and co. had a "top 6, bottom 6" in the 2010 olympics and that style works when you're playing against some of the best NHLers who don't make many mistakes, so it takes those types of teams to win. But in junior tournaments that tactic doesn't always play out, but like you said AD this team could have won this tournament, just lost a tight game. So I can't tear apart this roster completely. I thought Bjork played pretty well all tournament, but Hitchcock and Donato weren't good enough. Can't say a lot about Debrincat as he didn't play as much so I wonder if that had a factor, but he was invisible the majority of the time as well. Werenski decided to have his worst game of the tourney at the worst time. If they beat Sweden tomorrow I'll feel better, it's imperative that they come home with hardware.

 

[rockhouse15]

This team left some of its best offensive players at home in favor of smaller grinding players and came into the tournament with a top line of yet-drafted players. The fact that both loses came when we struggled to score is to put it mildly unsurprising.

 

[AmericanDream]

oh yes folks, here it is for all to gander:

Tkachuk - Matthews - Roslovic
Tuch - White - Milano
Connor - Schmaltz - Boeser
Bjork - Dvorack - MacInnis
DeBrincat

still getting bounced early....

 

[Mickey the mouse]

yup, when you lose 2-1 and you leave Connor, Roslovic, Garland, and Tuch at home, you have some explaining to do.

I will not use it as an excuse because there was enough talent here to win, but as usual we find a way to **** it up and it wont be hard to blame Johansson with some of his selections. This crap needs to stop as I am getting tired of watching these **** shows when we out talent teams,.

Is Connor, Rosovic, Garland or tuch going to kill a penality, block a shot, or even back check ?

Cmon , your beating a dead horse. They can't outplay top 6 guys period. It's over and lets move on.

This game was lost in the 1st 10 minutes when we had 4-5 chances by Mathews, White, Tkachuk, etc and DIDN'T FINISH, hit posts, crossbars, or anything else but back of net. Some Bad puck luck

Gave the Russians confidence and they capitalized.

Feel absolutely terrible for Werenski. He was the best D in tourny and probably played his worst game in 5 yrs today.

Going on to Mcavoy, he played most of his minutes in blow out games and playing while top 4 were a little banged up or just getting a breather. Watch the Canada and Sweden games, not much ice when games counted. Just needs to mature and he will be fine. He will be good next year with this experience.

It's not a knock, I really like him, just needs some seasoning which he will get at BU

 

[AmericanDream]

Is Connor, Rosovic, Garland or tuch going to kill a penality, block a shot, or even back check ?

Cmon , your beating a dead horse. They can't outplay top 6 guys period. It's over and lets move on.

This game was lost in the 1st 10 minutes when we had 4-5 chances by Mathews, White, Tkachuk, etc and DIDN'T FINISH, hit posts, crossbars, or anything else but back of net. Some Bad puck luck

Gave the Russians confidence and they capitalized.

Feel absolutely terrible for Werenski. He was the best D in tourny and probably played his worst game in 5 yrs today.

Going on to Mcavoy, he played most of his minutes in blow out games and playing while top 4 were a little banged up or just getting a breather. Watch the Canada and Sweden games, not much ice when games counted. Just needs to mature and he will be fine. He will be good next year with this experience.

It's not a knock, I really like him, just needs some seasoning which he will get at BU

sorry but I disagree with a lot that you say again.

this game was lost over 60 minutes and not in 10 minutes when we were up 1-0 which is absurd. we simply had 4th line guys on almost every line except the top, you have Connor or Roslovic here and things absolutely could be different. Roslovic can play top 6 or bottom 6 as well.

this game was won because our top guns simply didn't play great. but add a few more top guns and I doubt they all **** the bed.

again, this team should of won and had enough talent to win but didn't. I just feel that when you lose these low scoring close games you will take heat for it which Johansson deserves. we didn't score enough goals, that is why we lost. Connor, Garland, and Roslovic sat at home watching this. we didn't lose because our pk sucked or players didn't block shots. we didn't score enough and left top scorers at home. it is what it is and should be called out like many of us stated prior, bronze or not.

 

[james bond]

I don't have a problem with a top 6 bottom 6. Where I see the problem to this point is who was picked in particular for the bottom 6. Ryan MacInnis and Scott Eansor were two guys who were out of their element.
MacInnis- Didn't seem to be able to keep up. What may have worked at the OHL level didn't work here.
Eansor- For those who don't know, he was considered because he was able to keep Nic Petan and co in check (kind of) while playing in the US division in those Portland-Seattle games. He just doesn't seem like the same guy this year, perhaps a bit of an aberration.
One player that could of been an upgrade on BOTH players in a bottom 6 role was Domenic Turgeon. He has better hockey sense, better skater, and better on draws than the aforementioned. He is also leader of his team and has probably been the most adaptable from Mike Johnson to Jamie Kompon. Their seems to be much more to his game than point totals would indicate. By bringing him in that would of allowed room for one more skill player, take your pick, The Terminator, Keller... I get the feeling that US division of the dub must be poorly scouted.
That alone changes the complexion of the game if not tournament. The way I see it every time that 4th line was on the ice they lost momentum. I think Turgeon would have won quite few of those draws and had puck possession thus saving energy. Wilson seemed to want to overplay the top line and the legs got burned, thus losing their definitive edge.
Wilson managed Lake Placid and I didn't, just saying.

 

[cagney]

Another year, same story. No need to discuss who isn't there as the players who were always going to be expected to carry the load couldn't today. Russian teams routinely do this to US teams at the junior level so obviously there needs to be more consideration given to how to get a win against them. I don't have an answer. Too frustrated to think about it more right now.

 

[Rob]

Was there any reason given for Garland not being selected for the team?

If he were Canadian and wasn't selected for our team fans would have been flipping out before the tournament even started.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

US can second guess a couple of players ... Every team can.

It was a hockey game .. two teams battled to a 1 goal game. That's it that's all

 

[Pure Laine]

**** you Wilson.

What a clown.

 

[Plural]

Nice job. Now that's a bit of egg on your face there bud.

 

[Dropkick Murphy]

I saw 2,5 half periods of game, missed the first 10 minutes. What I saw was Russia completely dictating flow and pace of the game, even though puck possession was quite even. This game was somewhat similar to other semi, one team outplaying other gradually and coming from one down to win by one. Better coaching is quite often the difference maker, maybe USA players missed some good shots, but generally they were not getting enough those good shots.

I have to admire Russia's tactic, it was completely killing Wilson's game plan. Although I have to admit that based on this match putting words Wilson and game plan in same sentence is bit of over optimistic.

 

[whitetape]

So before the game Wilson says he doesn't know anything about the Russian team. After the game he says the Russians "surprised" the US with its speed.
Sorry, that is not good coaching, not in this day and age of videos, etc. The NHL team that hires him is doomed to a year or two of mediocrity.

 

[agent082]

So before the game Wilson says he doesn't know anything about the Russian team. After the game he says the Russians "surprised" the US with its speed.
Sorry, that is not good coaching, not in this day and age of videos, etc. The NHL team that hires him is doomed to a year or two of mediocrity.

Yeah. You can't give that kind of advantage to the other teams.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Nice job. Now that's a bit of egg on your face there bud.

Why would he say this!? What was he thinking lol

 

[orangeandblack]

The game was lost in the first 10 minutes when we didn't put them away. We were buzzing in the first then gave them life. A few unlucky bounces, plus I think the TOI is really catching up to our top 4 D.

These "snubs" wouldn't matter and only one player, Kyle Connor, isn't completely overrated. Don't see how Roslovic or Tuch make this team any better. Tuch is being completely overrated. Garland is not a guy you want on the ice in a tight game.

 

[Joe Zanussi]

I find it hard to believe we cant find guys who have top 6 talent but are willing to play like bottom 6 players to make the team. Sports history is full of guys who checked their ego at the door, adjusted their game, and played a new role for the betterment of the team. With the amount of good players we're generating nowadays, I have to think those guys are out there.

 

[Montecristo]

Lot of people lumped Donato in with Hitchcock and eansor when mentioning the players who didn't deserve to be there over garland, roslovoc, tuch and Connor. Now that the tourney is over if say with confidence donato outplayed both Hitchcock and eansor. He also was better than debrincat and boeser. Boeser really didn't impress me as a touted sniper. He had oppurtunities in good areas to shoot the puck and he couldn't bury his chances. Debrincat shouldn't have been there, it should have been garland for that role. Donato probably had the best "snipe" of the tourney for usa when he went top shelf coming down the right wing on the rush in the round robin.
Overall for forwards I was least impressed with boeser for what I thought he would be able to bring to the table and 2nd would be debrincat. For the best scorer in the ohl he really seemed to lag behind the play when he wasn't injured or suspended

 

[Whileee]

I find it hard to believe we cant find guys who have top 6 talent but are willing to play like bottom 6 players to make the team. Sports history is full of guys who checked their ego at the door, adjusted their game, and played a new role for the betterment of the team. With the amount of good players we're generating nowadays, I have to think those guys are out there.

Agree with this. The best international teams have top-end players who end up playing lesser roles on fantastic rosters. The notion that you can take lesser players for the lesser roles and compete with the best teams is a bit out-dated. Those players usually just disappoint, whereas top talent players can often end up playing crucial "bottom 6" roles in big games.

 

[Pi]

Why would he say this!? What was he thinking lol

We tolerated him for a good 4-5 years. I don't think anyone except Leaf fans can have that kind of patience.

The guy was one of the most arrogant coach ever for having won a whole lot of 2nd place ribbons.