4 Nations Cup Discussion - Canada Wins

[Zybalto]

Imagine if he was a maple leaf?!

... ..and it looks like Connor got promoted to the top 6 for practice today with Brady still hurting. Imagine if Cooper did that?

Leafs and Canadian fans are vicious...especially to ourselves.

 

[Metroid]

... ..and it looks like Connor got promoted to the top 6 for practice today with Brady still hurting. Imagine if Cooper did that?

Leafs and Canadian fans are vicious...especially to ourselves.

Most of it stems from frustration and or insecurities. We all want the same thing at the end of the day with our leaf players. Some just handle it differently. I do hope and expect Matthews and rest of USA lays a goose egg on Thursday, but itll be a double edged sword on HFLeafs .

Only thing I'll be cheering for is Canada to demolish the USA Thurs... Marchand with a big night , just cuz it's in Boston... Or a nice 1-0 last min goal win with him getting the winner.

Then I go back to hating him lol.

 

[ULF_55]

To me, the biggest problem with this Matthews focus on being a matchup center is it’s an abdication of being an impact player for the US, leading with offense, being the straw that stirs the drink. Someone else is doing that job and those guys are division rivals.

We don’t have another guy on the Leafs who is going to be the star centerman in the playoffs, to do all the emotional uplift, so Matthews can play the role of quiet captain and defensive conscience.

He seems to be always fighting something.

If he isn't the impact star centerman in the playoffs, doing the emotional uplift, Leafs need to acquire one or change the team's dynamic.

Over the past 5 years, he is PPG in the playoffs.
Highest on the Leafs, ahead of Nylander, who is 17th.

Matthew Tkachuk is 1.05 PPG
Connor McDavid 1.77
Leon Draisaitl 1.51
Nathan MacKinnon 1.35
...

He is tied for 13th. PPG during this period.
In these top 15, he is 10th. +/- (for what that's worth).


With this being said, I think the Leafs need to supplement their team

 

[Stephen]

He seems to be always fighting something.

If he isn't the impact star centerman in the playoffs, doing the emotional uplift, Leafs need to acquire one or change the team's dynamic.

Over the past 5 years, he is PPG in the playoffs.
Highest on the Leafs, ahead of Nylander, who is 17th.

Matthew Tkachuk is 1.05 PPG
Connor McDavid 1.77
Leon Draisaitl 1.51
Nathan MacKinnon 1.35
...

He is tied for 13th. PPG during this period.
In these top 15, he is 10th. +/- (for what that's worth).


With this being said, I think the Leafs need to supplement their team


View attachment 979219

Matthews is a flawed but irreplaceable part… however if the Americans win based on a smash mouth brand of hockey and its guys like Tkachuk Bros, Miller leading the way up front with skating length defenders on the back, Matthews playing his quiet two way game, inconsistent offense, maybe that’s a cue as to what the Leafs need to build around him… it’s not going to be skill and smurfs. It’s going to be a motley crew protecting him. And obviously we can’t get Matthew or Brady Tkachuk but stylistically that’s the way you go. You build a murderers row around him and protect him. But we won’t win with a skill and finesse game cause he can’t pull through in big moments.

 

[Nineteen67]

Matthews is a flawed but irreplaceable part… however if the Americans win based on a smash mouth brand of hockey and its guys like Tkachuk Bros, Miller leading the way up front with skating length defenders on the back, Matthews playing his quiet two way game, inconsistent offense, maybe that’s a cue as to what the Leafs need to build around him… it’s not going to be skill and smurfs. It’s going to be a motley crew protecting him. And obviously we can’t get Matthew or Brady Tkachuk but stylistically that’s the way you go. You build a murderers row around him and protect him. But we won’t win with a skill and finesse game cause he can’t pull through in big moments.

That’s what Knies should be able to do. Need to add as many skilled big guys as they can.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Yeah that doesn't really help your case at all you know that right? So as the Finns were closing in on the scoreboard Marner was playing even less time???

Except for one shift where they spent almost a minute without getting the puck out until the Finns scored. After that he never saw the ice.

 

[notDatsyuk]

He seems to be always fighting something.

If he isn't the impact star centerman in the playoffs, doing the emotional uplift, Leafs need to acquire one or change the team's dynamic.

Over the past 5 years, he is PPG in the playoffs.
Highest on the Leafs, ahead of Nylander, who is 17th.

Matthew Tkachuk is 1.05 PPG
Connor McDavid 1.77
Leon Draisaitl 1.51
Nathan MacKinnon 1.35
...

He is tied for 13th. PPG during this period.
In these top 15, he is 10th. +/- (for what that's worth).


With this being said, I think the Leafs need to supplement their team


View attachment 979219

And of the top 30 only Kadri (12th) has less ice time per game than Nylander.

If you look at 4 years instead of 5 Willy and Matty are tied for 13th with 0.97 ppg.

 

[ACC1224]

Practice over?

 

[Fogelhund]

Spoke with Quinn Hughes’ agent Pat Brisson who said it was a very difficult decision for his client, that Hughes really, really wanted to join Team USA. But reality is he still isn’t medically cleared. And likely wasn’t going to play unless Team USA had another D injury or illness. So a tough decision but decision has been made he won’t join Team USA.

Team USA has been informed Quinn Hughes is not travelling here to Boston to join the team. Wasn’t medically cleared. Sounds like Team USA looking at bringing in a couple of other players just as insurance, because of illness going around.

Hearing Team USA has invited D Brett Pesce and C Tage Thompson to travel to Boston as insurance for potential illness / injury replacements ahead of clash versus Canada.USA would need to drop below roster minimum thresholds for either to enter lineup.

 

[Zybalto]

Dom at the athletics numbers have these players as the top 3 in the tournament:

Werenski
Crosby
McDavid

 

[Aashir]

Dom at the athletics numbers have these players as the top 3 in the tournament:

Werenski
Crosby
McDavid

I am surprised that Hellybuyck isn't in the top 3, dude's been lights out and a big reason USA won against Canada with multiple key stops

Throughout the tournament I found Crosby to have high highs (3 point game against Sweden, 2 points against Finland) and low lows (GWG turnover against USA, outmuscled more than I expected, and just looked behind on some plays).

Werenski has been a stud and Mcdavid has been using his speed to blitz the opponents.

 

[arso40]

That’s what Knies should be able to do. Need to add as many skilled big guys as they can.

Toffoli

 

[ToneDog]

Toffoli

Rantanen.

 

[Stephen]

Cheering for Canada to steamroll the US and then sort out the fallout with our 4 Nations participants afterwards.

 

[wingman75]

I'm still dumbfounded by the goalie selection in this tournament overall. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have picked any of our goalies

I would have still brought Hill... but not the other two.

 

[ruaware41]

Seems like theres been some very heavily bias'd selections with Armstrong and Cooper. Cooper has cirelli in Tampa, he really shouldnt be anywhere near this roster. Having your bottom 6 C's be Cirelli and Bennet is just silly. Have 1 or the other, not both.

Armstrong is tied to Binnington in St. Louis. Won a cup with him, so thats been their guy since the start.

Hagel deserved his spot, can play up and down the line up and is a very strong even strength player.

I think Binnington is probably the best Canadian option based on past performance - sadly.

 

[Zybalto]

I am surprised that Hellybuyck isn't in the top 3, dude's been lights out and a big reason USA won against Canada with multiple key stops

Throughout the tournament I found Crosby to have high highs (3 point game against Sweden, 2 points against Finland) and low lows (GWG turnover against USA, outmuscled more than I expected, and just looked behind on some plays).

Werenski has been a stud and Mcdavid has been using his speed to blitz the opponents.

Goalies arnt included on the rankings, only the top skaters.
Add in the top goalie and, voila, probably the top 4 MVP candidates on many lists.
Sometimes the nerds do know what they are doing lol.


Looking at the way they organize things, some players are a negative and some a positive on each team overall.

For the record, all three Leafs are slight positives for their teams overall......which I expect to not really back anyones arguments for anything around here.....

 

[Aashir]

Goalies arnt included on the rankings, only the top skaters.
Add in the top goalie and, voila, probably the top 4 MVP candidates on many lists.
Sometimes the nerds do know what they are doing lol.


Looking at the way they organize things, some players are a negative and some a positive on each team overall.

For the record, all three Leafs are slight positives for their teams overall......which I expect to not really back anyones arguments for anything around here.....

Ah that makes sense, yea I don't disagree with the list even with those guys being top 3, just wanted to give hellybuyck some credit

As for the last part, that doesn't really surprise me for the most part. Ignoring salaries and leaf and player bias:

Nylander was pretty bad 1st game, ok second game and good third game.
Matthews has been solid in a defensive role.
Marner's lines doesn't do much out there, but they spend time in the ozone and neutral zone, have had a handful of dzone hemmed in shifts + the pk is perfect which he is apart of

but that's ignoring the 11.5, 13.25 and soon to be 13+ price tags, also ignores what position they came into this tourney as (AM is AM, Marner is top 6 in points, nylander top 3 in goals) and also how they historically don't show up at big moments. Roll all of that into one and you can see why so many, myself included, are frustrated that they can't rise to this occasion yet again.

 

[Aashir]

I'm still dumbfounded by the goalie selection in this tournament overall. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have picked any of our goalies

Just look at the names there, theres a solid 4 guys I would pick before Binnington:

Tbh I would take anyone above the red line save maybe Allen.

Canada's goaltending has fallen off so hard it is almost unbelievable

 

[Zybalto]

Ah that makes sense, yea I don't disagree with the list even with those guys being top 3, just wanted to give hellybuyck some credit

As for the last part, that doesn't really surprise me for the most part. Ignoring salaries and leaf and player bias:

Nylander was pretty bad 1st game, ok second game and good third game.
Matthews has been solid in a defensive role.
Marner's lines doesn't do much out there, but they spend time in the ozone and neutral zone, have had a handful of dzone hemmed in shifts + the pk is perfect which he is apart of

but that's ignoring the 11.5, 13.25 and soon to be 13+ price tags, also ignores what position they came into this tourney as (AM is AM, Marner is top 6 in points, nylander top 3 in goals) and also how they historically don't show up at big moments. Roll all of that into one and you can see why so many, myself included, are frustrated that they can't rise to this occasion yet again.

Nylander's position is now set in stone while the other 2 can completely flip the script.....and they can do it against each other too.

Gonna be a fun game.

 

[Nineteen67]

This was from January 2nd.

What he’s learning this week is far more valuable than going on a week long vacation and worth the risk of injury.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[TopCheeseShotta]

Home crowd support in Boston will be kinda nice? I get it bro, but - you're the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can't say that ish..

So, what's the market for this guy out there...? A bloody haul still, right..?? lol..

 

[Nineteen67]

Let’s hope the crowd actually notices him.

 

[ToneDog]

The FAN Hockey Show

Sportsnet's Matt Marchese and former L.A Kings executive Mike Futa take you around the league on Sportsnet 590 The FAN’s national hockey show, airing live across the country daily from 12pm-2pm ET. Get your opinion, news and analysis featuring daily segments from insider Elliotte Friedman!

www.sportsnet.ca

Futa to Lindros - some players are waiting to get PP time and are forgetting how to play 5 on 5

Andrew Raycroft (50:03) from the NHL Network joins the show to discuss the possible line adjustments for Canada. What adjustments will teams make after Saturday's game (56:00).

Colby Armstrong (1:19:26) joins the show to discuss the hype surrounding the rematch, whether Seth Jarvis should be in Thursday’s game instead of Mitch Marner and their final score predictions. All 3 agree Jarvis should be in for Marner because Jarvis can give them 12 harder minutes.

I've said Coop will rely on his top guys and expect them to be over 20 minutes while the bottom 6 will closer to 10 minutes. Raycroft echoed the same sentiments.