It is pretty hard to understand how it can be so difficult. There is quite a difference between using this tournament as the only thing that matters vs considering it as a part of the whole. It really is a valid reason to do some thinking about the causes if he does end up performing poorly here.
There's been multitude of valid reasons why we believe the WJC don't mean squat. We Canuck fans have seen first hand how a 3-7 game tournament don't matter at all.
Remember Cody Hodgson? The dude that led team Canada in the 2008 WJC in points and looked dominant? Bust. (He had more points than John Tavares)
Remember Jordan Schroeder? That led at that time the most points for an american in the WJC and looked dominant? Bust.
Remember Olli Juolevi who was the best defensemen in the WJC, I'm not seeing him in the NHL (not saying he is a bust), but Jakob Chychrun who failed to make the WJC team that year has been in the NHL for more than 2 years.
Remember Brock Boeser, who looked mundane and invisible in the WJC? Is now a point a game in the NHL in his first season.
This gives many of our fans the conclusion that a 3-6 game tournament don't mean squat in the grander scheme of things. It's not like we are making up stories, it has happened to us. So no Ijuka, many of us here would disagree with your opinion. When I followed the WJC in 2008 and just joined this forum I had the same exact opinion as you, Cody Hodgson was a god... he was Godson...this tournament defines the young upcoming prospect....... boy was I wrong, boy were we all wrong. Remember what they always say... that we should learn from the mistakes of our ancestors? Well I'm telling you right now to learn from me. With all that said, it wouldn't hurt to see Petterson tear up this tournament.