GDT: 2022 World Juniors Championship Part Deux

[My3Sons]

Duran Duran to the box for being one of the Wild Boys

 

[Devs3cups]

Duran Duran to the box for being one of the Wild Boys

 

[My3Sons]

This US team is plucky and feisty. A lot of fun to watch.

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

Leafs have something with Knies.

 

[Devs3cups]

Luke is so slick lol

 

[Emperoreddy]

I haven't logged on here in awhile, but I felt the need to comment on how impressed I've been with the defense pairing of Luke Hughes and Brock Faber. To me, they've been the two best defensemen in the WJC thus far and their styles couldn't compliment each other more perfectly.

Faber is consistently overlooked -- I think he's the #3 defense prospect outside the NHL right now behind only Jiricek and Nemec. He's unbelievable without the puck -- at a Jake Sanderson-like level, even -- and he's far better with the puck than most realize.

As for Luke Hughes, well the kid just blows me away. His combination of skating, passing and puckhandling are the best we've seen out of the NHL Draft since probably Cale Makar. His ceiling is so high it's remarkable, and every indication is he's going to get pretty close to it.

Fourth best. Luke is the best defensive prospect outside the NHL followed by Nemec and Jirieck. Though I think Edvinsson is better then Jirieck

 

[Guttersniped]

Wouldn't say I gave excuses, I just don't like judging prospects negatively at 18 on small sample sizes hehe. I like Jiricek, but I did say he wasn't at his best. He has a pretty unique skillset, let's see if he can pull it all together.

He hasn't been "at his best" for a while now. That's what I'm referring to. When will he be "at his best"?

Jiricek got injured in late December and had knee surgery.

He came back in May and played few games with his National team before playing 5 games in the WC later that month.

That isn’t that long ago. He also tested positive for COVID right before this tournament and he missed Czechia’s camp while quarantining. Jiricek only joined his team a few days before their first game on 8/9.

He’s had a rough tournament, with zero points and some memorable goals against, and if we had drafted him this board would be on Suicide Watch.

Still his injury obviously did derail his draft season and I would wait until next season to judge the guy.

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

Ugh scary hit on Luke.

 

[Guttersniped]

So when does Matt Coronato force Calgary to trade him to the Rangers?

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

Total domination by USA.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

us is really owning Edvinsson lol

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

Horrendous goal by the USA goalie.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

that's a pretty awful goal

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

Wow a bad goal and a dumb penalty and just like that Sweden is only down 1.

 

[Bone Density]

Oh boy.

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

Whew. Should have never been that close.

 

[Devs3cups]

Pretty solid game by Luke. Gets a key assist to kickstart the first goal.

 

[Devs3cups]

Luke led the US in ice-time once again:

1. Luke Hughes: 15:55
2. Brock Faber: 14:14
3. Tyler Kleven: 13:36

 

[Xirik]

I know people aren't going to like it because everyone wants to hate everyone on the Rangers, but Edvinsson really reminds me of Jacob Trouba in a lot of ways.

So Edvinsson has very sharp elbows.

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

Luke led the US in ice-time once again:

1. Luke Hughes: 15:55
2. Brock Faber: 14:14
3. Tyler Kleven: 13:36

Nice. I thought it felt like he wasn’t out there quite as much as the last few games, and that ice time reflects that.

 

[Devs3cups]

Luke now has 6 points (1G 5A) in 4 games. Leads all D-men in the tournament.

Nice. I thought it felt like he wasn’t out there quite as much as the last few games, and that ice time reflects that.

Yeah, the first 2 games he got over 20 mins. US ice-time is more spread out across the board since last game.

 

[Hisch13r]

Luke now has 6 points (1G 5A) in 4 games. Leads all D-men in the tournament.


Yeah, the first 2 games he got over 20 mins. US ice-time is more spread out across the board since last game.

That must have been ice time through 2 periods. No one is leading a team with 15 minutes. Probably felt like he wasn’t out there much tonight because it’s not like anything really happened positively or negatively when he was out there. Very quiet game

 

[Emperoreddy]

Luke logging all that ice time on the top pairing and keeping things low event on the defensive side might be better news then all the points.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Harsh

 

[Guttersniped]

Whew. Should have never been that close.

The US team goalies aren’t very good.

The guy who played tonight is a 5’11” undrafted (he’s been eligible since 2021) USHL goalie with meh stats who is going to be a Freshman at Colorado College next season.

And he’s their best goalie, it gets worse from there.

After the 1st period the US dominated the game in terms of possession, and their defense does help make up for their weakness at goal, but they were flat out lucky in the 1st. Before the US started rolling Sweden got their chances, they just couldn’t cash in on them.

I don’t see Canada having the same problem finishing if given the same opportunities and it looks like they have the best goaltending at the tournament.