4 Nations Takeaways/suprises

[centipede2233]

It has been 9 years since best on best. Having seen the 4 nations tournament, what is your surprise takeaway? A player that has surprised you? Maybe a takeaway from a nation perspective?

For me, I am surprised that outside of Mack, mcdavid, point or Crosby, getting any depth offence for team Canada has been almost non existent. Reinhart has been underwelming offensively, and marner play just reaffirms what I thought of him, pretty useless in a high intense environment unless it’s 3v3 pond hockey.

What’s your take?

Click to read more...

 

[Jauffre]

people claiming crosby is still the BPITW cus he registered 3 assists

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

...Binnington not only starts, but continues to start despite being no more than a Muffin Man...

 

[ORRFForever]

BPITW

???

Assuming it mean Best Player In The World....

No one thinks that. We think he is a winner, willing to do anything to succeed and, well, awesome.

*****************************************************************

I'm surprised Canadians have so little confidence in our team.

 

[centipede2233]

???

Assuming it mean Best Player In The World....

No one thinks that. We think he is a winner, willing to do anything to succeed and, well, awesome.

*****************************************************************

I'm surprised Canadians have so little confidence in our team.

I had little confidence pre tournament, but right now I have them equal but the goaltending is concerning

 

[daver]

people claiming crosby is still the BPITW cus he registered 3 assists

Would he not be their MVP to this point? Pretty cool considering his age and that he is on a team with GOAT talent and a Best Player in the World talent.

 

[Dallas Winston]

Crosby leading yet another team to a championship final

 

[Czechboy]

I think, for me, the thing I don't like is this huge pause with no hockey. Mondays games were deemed meaningless after 1st period (nice almost comeback for Finland) and the next game is Thursday. So that is Saturday to Thursday without any meaningful hockey. I feel like all star break is much shorter and this is more missed hockey than usual. Could be in my head though.

 

[FinPanda]

Level of hockey has been good and Granlund always delivers for Leijonat. Aho and Hintz sucked, coaching made some bad decisions (like not playing Aho and Teräväinen together).

 

[Beerz]

I learned Joel Armia is a dick wad.

 

[Mr. Met]

My surprise takeaway is the amount of people that said they didn't care for the tournament that are all-in watching it

Myself included

 

[Silky mitts]

Teams are going to offer even less for EP40 than when JT Miller was still there because he was invisible

 

[Dallas Winston]

I think, for me, the thing I don't like is this huge pause with no hockey. Mondays games were deemed meaningless after 1st period (nice almost comeback for Finland) and the next game is Thursday. So that is Saturday to Thursday without any meaningful hockey. I feel like all star break is much shorter and this is more missed hockey than usual. Could be in my head though.

You will live. Watch champions league lol

 

[gurria]

Generally speaking, this has been an eye-opening experience and a great opportunity to watch some players I don’t usually follow closely.

As a Finn, I was stunned by how badly we were falling behind in pace. I knew hockey had become faster, but oh boy—the speed and intensity of this tournament blew my mind. There was simply no room for mistakes. We were icing some of the best Finnish players ever, yet watching the game against Canada—especially in the first period—it felt like it could easily end 6-0 in their favor.

During the tournament, just for fun, I went back and watched the 2004 World Cup Final, and honestly, it looked like pond hockey compared to these games. No disrespect to the all-time greats who played in that tournament, but the difference in pace was staggering.

This has also been an opportunity to fully appreciate just how good MacKinnon and McDavid are. Even against top-tier competition, they stand out with their speed. I’m sure Mikko Rantanen is crying internally that he didn’t accept whatever Colorado offered—good luck finding a better center to play with.

I rarely watch Minnesota’s games, but Brock Faber and Matt Boldy are gamers for sure. Jack Eichel is also such a complete player, but that’s something I already knew.

 

[jigglysquishy]

It has been 9 years since best on best.
What’s your take?

It's been 11 years since best on best.

 

[ORRFForever]

It's been 11 years since best on best.

9

 

[jigglysquishy]

9

2016 was very clearly not best on best.

 

[Dingo]

Small Euro nations are not going to factor into Gold medals very often going forward.

The USA is now consistently a monster of talent production. The odds of both Canada and the States shitting the hammock in the same year is really low.

I think Gold Medal games will look like women's hockey a LOT going forward, but with the occasional lucky inclusion of Sweden, Russia, Czechs or Finland squeeking into the Final and losing.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Generally speaking, this has been an eye-opening experience and a great opportunity to watch some players I don’t usually follow closely.

As a Finn, I was stunned by how badly we were falling behind in pace. I knew hockey had become faster, but oh boy—the speed and intensity of this tournament blew my mind. There was simply no room for mistakes. We were icing some of the best Finnish players ever, yet watching the game against Canada—especially in the first period—it felt like it could easily end 6-0 in their favor.

During the tournament, just for fun, I went back and watched the 2004 World Cup Final, and honestly, it looked like pond hockey compared to these games. No disrespect to the all-time greats who played in that tournament, but the difference in pace was staggering.

This has also been an opportunity to fully appreciate just how good MacKinnon and McDavid are. Even against top-tier competition, they stand out with their speed. I’m sure Mikko Rantanen is crying internally that he didn’t accept whatever Colorado offered—good luck finding a better center to play with.

I rarely watch Minnesota’s games, but Brock Faber and Matt Boldy are gamers for sure. Jack Eichel is also such a complete player, but that’s something I already knew.

Great post.

For me-

1) 3 fights in the first 10 seconds or whatever, that’s surprising. My takeaway is that fighting still has its place, whether I like it or not- others do, and it is fun when it’s done the right way.
2) Marner is doodoo in crunch time, said it last year and the year before.
3) EP is doodoo. I’m rooting for the guy, but holy shit, he seems to be the rare guy who actually gets his paycheck and stops caring. Ya ya, offseason injury- J Robertson is rounding into shape. No excuses.

 

[ORRFForever]

2016 was very clearly not best on best.

Yes it was.

 

[JackSlater]

2016 was very clearly not best on best.

2016 was a bad joke. Non national teams and actual national teams barred from picking whoever they wanted.

Anyway, I do not think that this tournament has yielded that much information on Canadian players. The defencemen have all been solid, Binnington doesn't look very good, most of the forwards look fine if not spectacular. Cirelli looks like he doesn't belong for 2026 and you'd have to think that this is Marchand's international finale, but other than that the same players should be right in the mix for the 2026 Olympics. Tactically Canada looks liked it erred going for two grit/defence lines when just one of Bennett/Cirelli centering a line would have been better.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Yes it was.

Canada was structurally prevented from icing their best roster. The US was structurally neutered. The under 23 team is the single low point in international hockey. You can't have best on best when your are not allowed to send your best.

Team Europe was an embarrassment.

The whole tournament was a mess and two of the best teams were handicapped by the NHL.

 

[Il Stugotz]

I’m surprised that Team USA can’t handle the physicality of international hockey

 

[ORRFForever]

Canada was structurally prevented from icing their best roster. The US was structurally neutered. The under 23 team is the single low point in international hockey.

Team Europe was an embarrassment.

The whole tournament was a mess and two of the best teams were handicapped by the NHL.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[jigglysquishy]

We'll have to agree to disagree.

The tournament was an embarrassment to the sport of hockey. We were robbed of a real Canadian win. We were robbed of McDavid and Crosby together. An absolute gutless display that killed international hockey for a decade. Players disliked it. Imagine being Connor McDavid and having to play against Team Canada?

Anyone that supports the under 23 team is a hater of Canadian hockey.