4 Nations Face Off - Feb 12-20

[HersheyBob27]

You know who was a beast tonight, MaCovy. I knew he was good, but he’s a lot better than I thought.

Luv me some macovy

 

[billingtons ghost]

I will say after Doughty bodied Jack, Jack looked to be very cautious with regard to getting hit.

Yeah, I know the antigrit police will be out if I do much as consider the thought, but: I'm worried about Jack Bratt and Nico in a long playoff run. McDavid got rocked, but he and MacKinnon and Matthews and the Tkachuks look built for this shit. Idk how much time he'd need in the weight room but Jack should be hitting the protein shakes.

 

[jkrdevil]

Jack’s line had to play a cautious game. Canada hard matched McDavid against them and they got burnt early against him. After that it was all make sure you stay above the puck with him out there. You can’t get into a track meet game in the matchup.

USA will have last change on Thursday as they are assured to be top seed. Probably will be able to get that line into better matchups.

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

I gotta say, I really hope Matthew Tkachuk isn't hurt or out a long time, not just for this tournament but for the league/fla team.

Guy played his heart out all game and it's something Team USA, and us fans needed. Guy is heart and soul even if he is a f***ing jackass in league play. Major props.

It may be a bit heretical around the team boards, but hoping he can fit right back into the rest of the season. It just seems fair.

nah i'm good

 

[Satans Hockey]

 

[MadDevil]

To be fair to Jack I don't think he's played in a tournament like this since World Juniors. He's a guy who likes to carry the puck a lot and in a short tournament where he's not going to play 20 minutes a night he's going to have to play differently. Which is kind of how he's looked to me so far. He clicked with Matthews in the first game but they both seemed off in this one.

 

[Clam Jensen]

Too bad the final isn’t in Philly. Like to see how they feel about being disrespected. Not the players but the fans. The booing was unnecessary and it wasn’t all the fans but there were at least half of them. Let’s hope Boston shows class, although I’m a little offended. But what does it matter what I think anyway.

I hope they boo the shit out of it.

 

[Better Call Sal]

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Yeah, I know the antigrit police will be out if I do much as consider the thought, but: I'm worried about Jack Bratt and Nico in a long playoff run. McDavid got rocked, but he and MacKinnon and Matthews and the Tkachuks look built for this shit. Idk how much time he'd need in the weight room but Jack should be hitting the protein shakes.

This is something brought up all the time. Do you worry about Brayden Point? Or Quinn Hughes?

 

[The Wumpus]

What is the record for a game thread? 155 pages on the main board

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Would be cool to watch some post-game stuff but ESPN is feverishly turning to college basketball as usual because Middle Tennessee State vs Canisius takes priority and NHL Network is only streaming on 2 live TV services.

Why doesn't the NHL get more viewers in the US?????

That was about the most riveting 3 minutes of hockey I can remember seeing. Now ESPN is owned by Disney, you really think they’re going show those 3 minute highlights. I highly doubt it. Also want to send out kudos too Miller for fighting that monster of a man. Takes guts.

 

[MadDevil]

Time for everybody's favorite graphic...

 

[Clam Jensen]

Time for everybody's favorite graphic...

View attachment 978148

This is honestly pretty shocking. CAN had more dangerous chances, but US D was content to sit back and stifle them once they went up 2-1 and down M Tkachuk.

 

[glenwo2]

After that matchup, the CAN/FIN game will be a bit of a letdown.

Though the Sweden/USA game could be fun.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Too bad the final isn’t in Philly. Like to see how they feel about being disrespected. Not the players but the fans. The booing was unnecessary and it wasn’t all the fans but there were at least half of them. Let’s hope Boston shows class, although I’m a little offended. But what does it matter what I think anyway.

Boston and class don't go together. I think philly fans would be far more likely to be classy actually.

 

[MadDevil]

Even fighting he chews on that damn thing.

 

[Satans Hockey]

After that matchup, the CAN/FIN game will be a bit of a letdown.

Though the Sweden/USA game could be fun.

If Canada wins in regulation the USA vs Sweden game means absolutely nothing cause USA clinched the #1 seed already and Sweden would be eliminated.

It really should be a good game since Canada and Finland both know they have to win to advance to the final.

 

[IDEKWTM]

I would kill to have a player like one of the Tkachuks

 

[Jersey Fresh]

To be fair to Jack I don't think he's played in a tournament like this since World Juniors. He's a guy who likes to carry the puck a lot and in a short tournament where he's not going to play 20 minutes a night he's going to have to play differently. Which is kind of how he's looked to me so far. He clicked with Matthews in the first game but they both seemed off in this one.

I agree about this game, neither he or Matthews were good. They had a good first period game 1, but I think Jack faded as the game went on.

Don’t want to kick the hornet’s nest too much, but I think the Jack we saw last night was more often than not the one we’ve been seeing this season. Blind passes to nowhere, mis-controls/bobbles, dispossession in the o-zone. He looked to have been coming on a bit the last few games, but overall he hasn’t reached anywhere close to his peak before getting hurt last year. The PP has cushioned his production and he’s not on PP1 in this tournament.

 

[Better Call Sal]

This is honestly pretty shocking. CAN had more dangerous chances, but US D was content to sit back and stifle them once they went up 2-1 and down M Tkachuk.

Proof to me that this doesn’t take those defensive situations into context. I thought the US defense put on a clinic once they had the lead.

 

[JrFischer54]

Meh

I wanna see some hockey, not two fights before anything even happens.

Said the only guy in the country last night

 

[devilsblood]

I agree about this game, neither he or Matthews were good. They had a good first period game 1, but I think Jack faded as the game went on.

Don’t want to kick the hornet’s nest too much, but I think the Jack we saw last night was more often than not the one we’ve been seeing this season. Blind passes to nowhere, mis-controls/bobbles, dispossession in the o-zone. He looked to have been coming on a bit the last few games, but overall he hasn’t reached anywhere close to his peak before getting hurt last year. The PP has cushioned his production and he’s not on PP1 in this tournament.

I thought Jack's rushed inaccurate cross ice passes last night were striking because we haven't seen them from Jack. Certainly not in that qty.

But I also think some of those passes should have been caught. Sometimes guys weren't ready for them and the puck was at least close enough, sometimes guys weren't skating/staking hard enough to spots where they could have taken the pass in stride. Think there was some chemistry issues on the latter and Bratt would have known to turn up ice to receive that pass.

Jack has also turned up the shying away from contact dial. Which is fine, we know he's vulnerable in certain situations and I don't want to see him get hurt in this thing. And he has developed a technique of being the 2nd guy into a board battle and is pretty effective at winning the puck from that outside position.

 

[devilsblood]

Proof to me that this doesn’t take those defensive situations into context. I thought the US defense put on a clinic once they had the lead.

And "game score" is a known thing in the stat geek community. Doesn't seem that specific model factors that in/factor that in enough.

Nor does that model factor in that going into the game everyone knew we had the better goalie by a wide margin.

 

[JrFischer54]

I’ll admit I didn’t like the idea of the tournament but man I was wrong last night was exactly what USA hockey needed. The fights at the start set the tone if you want to grow the game which everyone says then last night is exactly how you do it. Just hope Canada can make it to Thursday on home ice I think USA will trounce them.

 

[JrFischer54]

I would kill to have a player like one of the Tkachuks

100000% I would give whatever the sens want