Burns the best player on Team Canada?

[nordique]

Two words.

PHA
NEUF

 

[John Agar]

Two choices other than Burns I would say...

Phaneuf or Meech.

Phaneuf definately has been more talked about, but Meech controls the game when he is out there on both ends - quietly, efficiently; Ray Bourque-ish.

 

[Crosbyfan]

I'd have both the first and second lines, Paille, Fleury, Coburn, and Phaneuf ahead of him, so that's 10 guys right there.

Fleury? Give me a break; I'll give you the top two lines but outside of Stewart and Dawes, and certainly Carter today the rest are more due to icetime than anything else. The D to a man have to be ahead of Fleury. Paille deserves mention, but I think you can go down the list; NOBODY has played less than solid, (even Fleury has been OK). Sid's problem (if you can consider it a problem) is how well everyone has played, although no one is playing spectacular (head and shoulders better than everyone else)

But I will say Sid was the best player on the ice in the first period today.(Canada's best period to date although thats probably just coincidence) He may have had more icetime in the first than the second and third combined. He gets powerplay time then misses a regular shift, then they roll the lines playing the top 2 lines followed by the checking line etc.

This is not a complaint, just an observation. The top 2 lines are getting the most (though not excessive) icetime and the rest are getting noticably less. So they're noticed more, have more chances to score etc.
Talbot's playing great but how much icetime is he getting. Sid and Tambellini are creating as many or more scoring chances per minute played as anyone else and I can't remember a sequence where they've gotten bogged down defensively the way Canada was in the third period today.

 

[Epsilon]

Fleury? Give me a break; I'll give you the top two lines but outside of Stewart and Dawes, and certainly Carter today the rest are more due to icetime than anything else. The D to a man have to be ahead of Fleury. Paille deserves mention, but I think you can go down the list; NOBODY has played less than solid, (even Fleury has been OK). Sid's problem (if you can consider it a problem) is how well everyone has played, although no one is playing spectacular (head and shoulders better than everyone else)

But I will say Sid was the best player on the ice in the first period today.(Canada's best period to date although thats probably just coincidence) He may have had more icetime in the first than the second and third combined. He gets powerplay time then misses a regular shift, then they roll the lines playing the top 2 lines followed by the checking line etc.

This is not a complaint, just an observation. The top 2 lines are getting the most (though not excessive) icetime and the rest are getting noticably less. So they're noticed more, have more chances to score etc.
Talbot's playing great but how much icetime is he getting. Sid and Tambellini are creating as many or more scoring chances per minute played as anyone else and I can't remember a sequence where they've gotten bogged down defensively the way Canada was in the third period today.

Fleury shut out a pretty good team, Finland. People have been picking up a lot of little things he's been doing poorly, but the bottom line is his overall performance has been pretty good. Maybe people are just expecting too much given that he plays in the NHL and put up a better performance last year.

 

[finzup77r]

Watching the Canada-Finland, Canada-Ukraine and Canada-Czech games, the players who impressed me the most were Phaneuf and Carter, they look like the best pro prospects, other than Fleury and Burns who are already there, but Burns hasn't impressed me

 

[Epsilon]

Watching the Canada-Finland, Canada-Ukraine and Canada-Czech games, the players who impressed me the most were Phaneuf and Carter, they look like the best pro prospects, other than Fleury and Burns who are already there, but Burns hasn't impressed me

Carter has looked good, but I'd say Stewart and Richards have both put in better performances. Stewart in particular has looked really dominating.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Fleury shut out a pretty good team, Finland. People have been picking up a lot of little things he's been doing poorly, but the bottom line is his overall performance has been pretty good. Maybe people are just expecting too much given that he plays in the NHL and put up a better performance last year.

And he's been robbed of a lot of saves by a pretty solid defensive team in front of him. Hard to be a star when you're sitting on the bench OR (for goaltenders) the play's in the other end. A lot of these guys would get more icetime on any other team (Americans included although I absolutely won't count them, or any of the other teams left for that matter in a "one game and your out" situation).

 

[Mikey 71]

I think Carter has been the best. Don't forget that has been given the assignment of going against the opponent's top line, so that was his priority. When you add the job he has done doing that with the insane % on faceoffs he has and his 5 points so far, I think he has done the most overall towards Canada's success.

 

[Crosbyfan]

I think Carter has been the best. Don't forget that has been given the assignment of going against the opponent's top line, so that was his priority. When you add the job he has done doing that with the insane % on faceoffs he has and his 5 points so far, I think he has done the most overall towards Canada's success.

96 percent? Where did you get the stats?

 

[finzup77r]

Carter has looked good, but I'd say Stewart and Richards have both put in better performances. Stewart in particular has looked really dominating.

Carter scored two goals against Czech and earned player of the game, Stewart has 8 points, They are definetly both playing great but as far as Richards he hasn't stood out as much, I have really noticed Carter and Stewart

 

[Mikey 71]

96 percent? Where did you get the stats?

Huh? Why are you quoting me with the number 96? LOL! Unless you forgot your glasses and thought the percent sign(%) was the number 96.....????

 

[Epsilon]

Carter scored two goals against Czech and earned player of the game, Stewart has 8 points, They are definetly both playing great but as far as Richards he hasn't stood out as much, I have really noticed Carter and Stewart

Richards has been doing all the little things really well everywhere on the ice. I definitely seem him and Carter as the future #2 and #1 centers on the Flyers, respectively.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Huh? Why are you quoting me with the number 96? LOL! Unless you forgot your glasses and thought the percent sign(%) was the number 96.....????

I thought it seemed odd. It must have been the brain 'cause I had the glasses on and even double checked before I posted. Any stats on FO available? The "Q" site has excellent stats and fast updates during games so I'm spoilt

 

[Mizral]

My top three Team Canada players have been Stewart, Burns, and Phaneuf.

I feel Stewart has been the best overall, followed by Phaneuf, then Burns. However, I think Phaneuf will be the best NHL'er of the bunch, Burns the 2nd best, and Stewart rounding out the group.

I do feel Burns in terms of what he brings to the package is Team Canada's most valuable player, outside of Marc-Andre Fleury and maybe Phaneuf.

 

[Mikey 71]

I wish they had stats on faceoffs. I read on one of the hockey boards I visit that Carter was 18 for 24 in the game against Finland and although I don't know if those were official stats, they seem to be reasonable. The closest I came to finding official stats on the tournament was at www.iihf.com and just followed a few links, but none about faceoffs.

If I were to guess, I bet Carter is somewhere between 70 and 80 % on faceoffs, which is the reason he seems to be out there for any important faceoffs.

 

[THE NEXT ONE #87]

Is it just me or does this guy look dominant to you?

I don't think it gives really a go-to-guy. I believe the TEAM CANADA is the STAR!

They stick all together! I like it!

 

[KariyaIsGod*]

You can do these if if ifs for just about any decent offensive player you want to pick. Funny how pointing out what has actually happened rather than hyping up hypothetical scenarios to justify out-of-whack predictions is "bringing a guy down". But I shouldn't expect anything less from someone who claimed that Crosby is "twice the player" that the NHL's number 2 scorer is.

Ok fine. Let's talk about what he has done.

Every time he sets foot on the ice, he has been a terror for opposing defences and he has been creating chance after chance. He has been drawing penalties and exciting his team and the fans when they seem down.

His impact has been huge, with or without the numbers.

You can continue trying to bring him down though. All the great ones have guys like you doing the same thing.

 

[Brock]

I do feel Burns in terms of what he brings to the package is Team Canada's most valuable player, outside of Marc-Andre Fleury and maybe Phaneuf.

I agree Mizral

I think people who seem to be unimpressed by Burns, really need to watch the games a little more closely. He IMO has been one of Canada's best players so far and IMO could be an MVP candidate. Sure he hasn't scored goals, but the reason Getzlaf and Carter have been is because of the work Brent Burns has been doing. He's also been very solid in every aspect of the game, defensively, physically. I personally believe that Burns offensive potential in the NHL is a lot higher than people are giving him credit for. He's a big guy, but he's a very good skater and hes one of the best stickhandlers on this team IMO. Not to mention that he's as strong as a bull on the puck, which is surprising for a guy who looks as lanky as Burns.

The contributions Brent Burns has been making far exceed that of what you have seen on the scoresheet, much like Mike Richards.

 

[Brock]

I'll give him credit- before the June draft I knew nothing about him, never saw him play. I can see why the Wild are excited about his potential, but he's got a ways to go to reach that level. He wouldn't have made the team if Staal and Horton were available, but he's earned his spot on the roster.

Still this year's experience can only help prepare for next year's tourney in Grand Forks. He could be quite the force in that tournament...

If Staal and Horton were made available, he still would have made the team and it's likely that the three would have formed a NHL line.

If a player is good enough to make the NHL, he's certainly good enough to play in the WJC's.

Barring the fact that the player doesn't come in with the attitude that he's better than everyone else and therefore doesnt need to try to make the team like Dan Cleary did before.

 

[Randall Graves*]

Carter has looked good, but I'd say Stewart and Richards have both put in better performances. Stewart in particular has looked really dominating.

Well Stewart is basically a man amongst boys in the sense he's alot bigger then most guys his age and I think he's going to be one of the best NHL players in the future from this team.

 

[Randall Graves*]

Richards has been doing all the little things really well everywhere on the ice. I definitely seem him and Carter as the future #2 and #1 centers on the Flyers, respectively.

Comrie?

 

[Epsilon]

Comrie?

Hah wasn't even thinking about that. :p Nice catch.

OK then, either one moves to wing, gets traded (always a possibility), or they end up Carter #1, Comrie #2, Richards #3 (just a quick guess that order could always change). Nice stockpile of centers at any rate.

 

[finzup77r]

Hah wasn't even thinking about that. :p Nice catch.

OK then, either one moves to wing, gets traded (always a possibility), or they end up Carter #1, Comrie #2, Richards #3 (just a quick guess that order could always change). Nice stockpile of centers at any rate.

Not a bad problem to have!

 

[Mizral]

I agree Mizral

I think people who seem to be unimpressed by Burns, really need to watch the games a little more closely. He IMO has been one of Canada's best players so far and IMO could be an MVP candidate. Sure he hasn't scored goals, but the reason Getzlaf and Carter have been is because of the work Brent Burns has been doing. He's also been very solid in every aspect of the game, defensively, physically. I personally believe that Burns offensive potential in the NHL is a lot higher than people are giving him credit for. He's a big guy, but he's a very good skater and hes one of the best stickhandlers on this team IMO. Not to mention that he's as strong as a bull on the puck, which is surprising for a guy who looks as lanky as Burns.

The contributions Brent Burns has been making far exceed that of what you have seen on the scoresheet, much like Mike Richards.

You know, it's funny you say that, because while reading this thread again, and your posts, it came to me what I was going to post. Then I saw you post it, but I'm going to post it again:

Brent Burns is an astonishingly good stickhandler for a big man.

And I don't give this kind of comparison out often, but of any young guy in this league, Brent Burns to me looks to be the most similar to a Todd Bertuzzi. He's not quite as mean, angry, and punishing as Bertuzzi was, but he is just as skilled, and has the size.

Burns looks to be a bloody awesome pick by the Wild. I am amazingly jealous.

 

[Randall Graves*]

Not a bad problem to have!

Indeed,not only have the Flyers stockpiled good centers but they are young...consider that in 2-3 years Handzus will be 29 and perhaps their fourth line center.

Its a great problem to have and if for whatever reason one of the three doesn't pan out you can say to yourself that you(Bobby Clarke) prepared for it very well.