I'll bet this is the last year Gaudreau comes for a while. Seventh leading scorer in the league and you don't even put him on a first power play that's obviously been told to stay out for the whole 2 minutes if they feel like it. Why give up 3 weeks of your off-season for that kind of disrespect?
WC: 2019 US Roster Discussion Part II
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The Zetterberg Era
Ball Hockey Sucks
Really dissapointing. Hopefully this group has the intestinal fortitude to play their best game on Thursday. Go USA! We made this harder than it has to be, but I hope we see the first Gold since the 30s. I will never give up a on a few in this bunch, time to write some history even if it's tough to this point, let's hope the boys put it together.
There won't be a ton of optimism but that is all we can hope. We can cry a bunch, but this is the group we are dancing with and they do have the talent to beat anyone. Let's hope the next three are them realizing it guys/gals.
There won't be a ton of optimism but that is all we can hope. We can cry a bunch, but this is the group we are dancing with and they do have the talent to beat anyone. Let's hope the next three are them realizing it guys/gals.
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They just don't look like a team. Not enough puck support, too many cross-ice "hope" passes, the poor d-zone coverage that's been mentioned, always making the extra pass or move that kills an o-zone chance, reluctance to just get pucks on net.
Canada played about as well today as I think they can reasonably expect. You know damn well we can play a lot better, but will we finally see their best in this tournament? Blashill's coaching is uninspired to say the least.
Huge test next game.
Canada played about as well today as I think they can reasonably expect. You know damn well we can play a lot better, but will we finally see their best in this tournament? Blashill's coaching is uninspired to say the least.
Huge test next game.
I have criticized Blashill enough but I think overall USA hockey should take a long look and think about why so many times American coaches can't get the job done. It is worrying how many times our coach has been outcoached from U18 level to men. Blashill, Hynes and Quinn are only American NHL head coaches who missed playoffs and Quinn is only who is not here. But overall coaching has been big problem in Junior tournaments aswell.
You got the point, only unsuccessful coaches and those without any team engagements are appointed. If they appointed somebody like Ramsay, current Slovakia coach and gave him contract for 3 years, this team would be elsewhere, why lean on American coaches only?
jj cale
Registered User
AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
jj cale
Registered User
The U.S had a real good turnout for nhl players/high end players this year, there really should not be a lot of complaint, You are not going to get most everyone even if every star player is available unless you are Russia and a few of the other European nations.
But as far as participation this year the U.S fared out better then most, they were looked upon as a legitimate gold medal favourite going into this thing and rightly so based on their lineup.
Yeah but they will likely fail to even reach medal rounds and next year players pool will be back to normal.
jj cale
Registered User
I think things are going to start to change on this issue going forward for the U.S teams. A lot of the players now go through the ranks playing and having success in international competitions like the W.J.C and have even played together a lot in the USNTDP, there is a lot more National pride in the U.S brand in hockey among this new generation of players and it feels like they are more willing to go represent that in tournaments like the WHC.
I think times and mindsets are changing and the participation rate going forward is going to reflect that.
I also agree with Nexon that if they fail in this tournament it is not good news for next year. If they somehow finally win this thing then i think it would be huge for USA hockey because certain players probably would change their mindset about this tournament after that. I dont really respect those guys but i am sure there is many players who always decline because they think USA hockey can't never bring gold medal winning team.
SanDogBrewin
Righteous bucks!
I'll only be disappointed if US doesn't show up and get blown out tomorrow. The team can still make amends with a win tomorrow.
William H Bonney
Registered User
That’s not good, especially Larkin loss, right after he started improving and he was among guys visibly trying the most, big loss.
William H Bonney
Registered User
I think the only positive in drawing the worst possible QF matchup is that Russia - given their roster and results - is probably the only opponent we could have faced in the QF where our team will definitely feel like an underdog, whether we would have been an actual underdog against other opponents is irrelevant.
Our team hasn't looked like a team at all and we've barely played with urgency or intensity thus far. Even worse, since it's more controllable, is our coaches haven't coached with any urgency or intensity. I don't think it's likely to change at this point, but maybe, just maybe, facing the clearest uphill challenge possible will wake them up and help facilitate a change in approach. Because if it doesn't, it wouldn't matter who we're playing because we wouldn't string together 3 wins in a row against quality opponents with what we've seen effort and tactics wise so far.
Again, I'm not hopeful, and I expect Russia to win. But can we win? Absolutely, but only if we show up to play with the type of urgency and intensity the situation deserves. I think the first 10 minutes will be telling. If you look at the big four teams in our group (Canada, Finland, Germany, Slovakia), we only started well against Finland. If we don't start well against Russia, it's probably goodnight and early. But if the team can come out of the gates fired up, let Russia know we're not going to roll over like we're so accustomed to doing in this tournament, and keep them off the board early as we didn't against Canada and Slovakia, we'll give ourselves a chance. We also probably need to score first, and early, to give ourselves some jump.
Our team hasn't looked like a team at all and we've barely played with urgency or intensity thus far. Even worse, since it's more controllable, is our coaches haven't coached with any urgency or intensity. I don't think it's likely to change at this point, but maybe, just maybe, facing the clearest uphill challenge possible will wake them up and help facilitate a change in approach. Because if it doesn't, it wouldn't matter who we're playing because we wouldn't string together 3 wins in a row against quality opponents with what we've seen effort and tactics wise so far.
Again, I'm not hopeful, and I expect Russia to win. But can we win? Absolutely, but only if we show up to play with the type of urgency and intensity the situation deserves. I think the first 10 minutes will be telling. If you look at the big four teams in our group (Canada, Finland, Germany, Slovakia), we only started well against Finland. If we don't start well against Russia, it's probably goodnight and early. But if the team can come out of the gates fired up, let Russia know we're not going to roll over like we're so accustomed to doing in this tournament, and keep them off the board early as we didn't against Canada and Slovakia, we'll give ourselves a chance. We also probably need to score first, and early, to give ourselves some jump.
William H Bonney
Registered User
I agree that Blashill's handling of the PP units hasn't been great but Gaudreau also needs to look in the mirror too because thus far this is two straight WC appearances from him where at best he's been disappointing and at worst a no show. He's an elite player and his game is tailor made for the big ice. He should be a lot better than he has been the last two years regardless of whether he deserves another minute or so of PP time a game.
William H Bonney
Registered User
I don't think the issue is a guy like Blashill is an "unsuccessful" coach or that just because your regular team isn't in the NHL playoffs you're inherently unsuccessful. But unless Blashill turns this tournament around, it's a perfectly fair argument to say he's been a failure as a coach in this tournament and has been an unsuccessful international tournament coach. It doesn't mean he's a bad NHL coach, but it would make him a bad and unsuccessful coach here.
In his first year as coach in 2017, we had a pretty good roster, took first in a group after beating Russia and Sweden and then choked in the QFs against a bad Team Finland. In 2018, we took bronze. And in 2019, we're looking unlikely to even play for a medal with a team that's near our best ever on paper. If we end up with a bronze medal and two QF exits with three of our better rosters in a long time, it's a monumental failure - for USAH, Blashill, and the players.
I think the ultimate problem with our approach to selecting a coach is that USAH and the coaches we end up choosing don't appreciate the different challenges that come with the international ice. I think for the most part they're smart enough hockey minds to figure it out, but they're too stubborn to think the way they've always approached things on NHL ice will translate just fine to the international ice because they know best. Blashill has been no different. I remember an interview with him before this tournament started (I think it was on NHL Network) and when asked about the bigger ice, he acknowledged some minor differences but said it didn't change his approach at all. How is that possible?
That's not to say coaching is our only challenge. We don't prepare for this tournament whereas all the other teams (sans Canada) spend many weeks if not more than a month in training camp and playing exhibitions, which is the biggest issue and a monumental advantage European teams will always have over us. Our roster quality on paper varies drastically year to year, which makes years like this feel more necessary to get a result than it should, especially when it feels like this was "the year" or bust for so many involved. And even on a good year for acceptances like this one we're still reeling from some monumental declined invites. We can't solve all those issues over night, and some (extended training camp and exhibitions) we'll never solve. But those issues make it even more imperative that we don't further hamper our chances by approaching this tournament as if it's the same as the NHL, and yet we continually do that by choosing coaches with that very approach.
If I was USAH, I'd rely less on the smorgasbord of NHL GMs on their advisory board and instead rely on some advisors and consultants familiar with the big ice, whether they're American or not, to help choose a coach. You interview potential coaches interested in the job with a heavy focus on the plan for playing on the big ice. If their plan is to play the same way they would on the NHL ice, you move on.
We don't have a bad coach behind the bench every year in that they're not good coaches in the NHL but we certainly don't have a good coach behind the bench on international ice most years. That certainly can and should change.
Right now Team USA is a perfect example of why building a hockey team is an art form. We all think we could do it better than some NHL GMs, but the reality is that it is a fickle sport and an emotional sport. You need the right parts and the right personalities.
What we do know is that USA brought too many guys who are unwilling to play an unglamorous style in order to win. Kane, JVR, Gaudreau, Keller, Hughes - thats five forwards who are not going to bother the opposition on the forecheck or the corners. Even if you spread them throughout the lineup, you will still be guaranteed to have two of them on one line.
In a tournament that is a source of national pride for everyone else, its no wonder that the USA cannot win puck battles because they also have to deal with the fact that half their forwards are easy to play against when they dont have the puck.
What we do know is that USA brought too many guys who are unwilling to play an unglamorous style in order to win. Kane, JVR, Gaudreau, Keller, Hughes - thats five forwards who are not going to bother the opposition on the forecheck or the corners. Even if you spread them throughout the lineup, you will still be guaranteed to have two of them on one line.
In a tournament that is a source of national pride for everyone else, its no wonder that the USA cannot win puck battles because they also have to deal with the fact that half their forwards are easy to play against when they dont have the puck.
Skjei-Martinez
This lineup construction put me off my morning coffee. That's saying something.
AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
yeah, some of that I just don't get...does Blashill know that Werenski -Hanifin were a pair prior????
AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
I said my prayers, and am hoping for the best, but for the first time I am coming into this game with very little hope..
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