WJC: Canada 2018 Roster Talk

[JackSlater]

So why did Canada keep Makar on the roster? I think it is a legitimate question, as Ducharme does not seem to like him, no matter how he plays.

Biggest issue for Canada at this point. Ducharme doesn't know how to rank the defencemen. He thinks that Clague is the guy, but he's just a guy. Makar shouldn't be getting fewer minutes than Bean, Foote and Timmins. The three pairings should roll roughly evenly at even strength.

 

[MR4]

So why did Canada keep Makar on the roster? I think it is a legitimate question, as Ducharme does not seem to like him, no matter how he plays.

No idea, he should be getting half of Clague's minutes and all of Bean's.

Don't want to see Comtois & Formenton getting more than 4th line minutes

 

[Goulet17]

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Before today's game, in which Makar played less than 9 and half minutes yet still led Canadian defensemen in scoring and SOGs.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

No idea, he should be getting half of Clague's minutes and all of Bean's.

Don't want to see Comtois & Formenton getting more than 4th line minutes

I have no clue how Bean is being used over Makar.

Makar does everything Bean does, but better.

 

[Get North]

One positive result is we got 1st place out of that. Likely going to play SUI in the Quarters which is better than CZE/RUS/SWE.

If people want to blame Comtois they are out of their mind, the 4th line has been much better than most of the players on the team. Where's Steenbergen's goal scoring ability or Steel and Kyrou's offensive leadership from the Summer Camp, or the great defencemen we have back there. Hart wasn't exceptional either, no saves on the shootout, didn't make a big save during the game.

I'm not shitting on other players, but if you want to dump on Comtois, then you should do it on other players who didn't show up.

 

[Hagstrom]

Offense disappeared after the 1st period. They got complacent defending in the snowy weather. Hart made some key saves, but the shootout performance was pretty sad.

 

[JackSlater]

One positive result is we got 1st place out of that. Likely going to play SUI in the Quarters which is better than CZE/RUS/SWE.

If people want to blame Comtois they are out of their mind, the 4th line has been much better than most of the players on the team. Where's Steenbergen's goal scoring ability or Steel and Kyrou's offensive leadership from the Summer Camp, or the great defencemen we have back there. Hart wasn't exceptional either, no saves on the shootout, didn't make a big save during the game.

I'm not ****ting on other players, but if you want to dump on Comtois, then you should do it on other players who didn't show up.

Comtois made a stupid play, but he is a valuable player for this team. In a more structured game players like Comtois and Formenton are going to be assets. The problem for Canada today was dropping all interest in pressing and resorting to just shooting the puck out of the zone and into the snow. it was a teamwide issue and they deserved their fate.

 

[Muffin]

#freemakar

 

[Get North]

Comtois made a stupid play, but he is a valuable player for this team. In a more structured game players like Comtois and Formenton are going to be assets. The problem for Canada today was dropping all interest in pressing and resorting to just shooting the puck out of the zone and into the snow. it was a teamwide issue and they deserved their fate.

I agree. The 4th line is still a good two-way line and are tough to contain on the cycles when they get to the offensive zone. Canada was just chipping the puck along the boards throughout the entire 3rd period trying to keep the 3-1 lead which is surprising since they haven't played like that against Finland or Slovakia. Maybe because the conditions Ducharme asked them to play safer than making cross-ice passes that had a better chance of being cut off than an indoors game?

Our next toughest opponent will likely come in the Quarters since Canada should breeze through Denmark quickly which won't truly show how they bounce back from this loss. Ducharme needs to get his defencemen straight and play the best defencemen. Foote has been surprisingly solid so far in this tournament, haven't seen him in trouble often and his reach is coming in valuable on the PK.

 

[jj cale]

Comtois made a stupid play, but he is a valuable player for this team. In a more structured game players like Comtois and Formenton are going to be assets. The problem for Canada today was dropping all interest in pressing and resorting to just shooting the puck out of the zone and into the snow. it was a teamwide issue and they deserved their fate.

Youre bang on, they really just stopped playing and let the U.s press and dictate terms, I have no idea why but it is something our teams do with increased frequency against the U.S at this thing.

 

[HSF]

Don't understand why Canada shortened their bench. Its not like Sam Steel is a superstar. Should roll the lines especially when there are no superstar forwards

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

I like how Ducharme is so insistent on his guys. Last year he did everything in his power to get Strome going, even when he should've been bumped to a lower roll. This year it's Clague or nothing.

Makar has done nothing but show off his skill level, and be a productive component of Canada's defence and offence...so clearly he should be benched.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

We played a lot better without Clague. He is a liability on defense, and really didn't show anything on offense yet. I like the guy, but he's off right now and the coach should acknowledge this.

 

[jj cale]

Remember the good old days when we actually had top flight shut down defensemen. They were smart with their body and stick and narly as old get go, they made life miserable for the opposition.

So many times today you would see Mittlestadt and others along the boards handling the puck and having all the time in the world to contemplate what they were going to do and then attempt doing it, those guys would have been pasted to the wall and have a war on their hands for the puck from that moment with our guys from the past.

It's great to want a puck possession speedy transition team but there are times you are going to have to do the basics and play hard ass....................that never changes.

Somehow I don't think this team is gonna get that or maybe isn't even capable of it.

 

[jasonr90]

Is Fabbro back to 100% as far as we know? He missed the gold medal game last year with an injury too

 

[Wings4Life]

The lines need a shakeup for sure.

No cohesion in this group at ES. If that blown call against Finland wasn't gifted to Canada in the first period of that game, this team would have been labelled offensively inept at even strength by now.

 

[Emerz]

Seemed today like the top 2 lines got pretty much the bulk of the ice time for Canada, but it's not like they are superstars, I think they would be better off distributing the ice time more evenly along the 4 lines.

 

[86Habs]

One positive result is we got 1st place out of that. Likely going to play SUI in the Quarters which is better than CZE/RUS/SWE.

If people want to blame Comtois they are out of their mind, the 4th line has been much better than most of the players on the team. Where's Steenbergen's goal scoring ability or Steel and Kyrou's offensive leadership from the Summer Camp, or the great defencemen we have back there. Hart wasn't exceptional either, no saves on the shootout, didn't make a big save during the game.

I'm not ****ting on other players, but if you want to dump on Comtois, then you should do it on other players who didn't show up.

Well, both Formenton and Comtois took really stupid, selfish penalties that directly resulted in two American goals, so yeah, they deserve to be shit on and I feel pretty comfortable putting the blame on them for those two goals. Ducharme needs to put an end to the undisciplined play now before it becomes endemic like it did it 2016, and if that means sending a message to a few players in particular, then now is the time to do it.

I agree with your other points, though.

 

[lawrence]

is makar injured? suppose to be our star dman

 

[Dominance]

We deserved the W today. America had lots of shots but zero dangerous chances besides those that came on the BS power plays. We need to shoot more, though.

 

[Adonis Creed]

Makar-Foot been our 2 best D...

Clague is bang-on avg. Fabbro is not 100% Bean is Bean... Mete a decent guy vs garbage team but is over-rated vs good teams.

Hart is looking avg at Internatiional level... playing the TRAP in Everett give him insane stats

 

[lawrence]

We deserved the W today. America had lots of shots but zero dangerous chances besides those that came on the BS power plays. We need to shoot more, though.

hoping this will be a wake up call for Canada and an adversity that can bring the team together. I will riot anything less then gold.

 

[Snippit]

Don't understand why Canada shortened their bench. Its not like Sam Steel is a superstar. Should roll the lines especially when there are no superstar forwards

Exactly.

Kyrou is what makes the top line tick...not Steel or Dube.

Roll the lines

 

[lawrence]

the thing is if you roll the lines, the lines that are specifically tasked to play an "offensive" duty might not be able to catch fire in time to score for the team, or find "momentum" Mr. MIttelstadt is doing well for team usa and he had 25 minutes of ice time. in this short tourny a team just might need that one or 2 guys that can light it up all the way to a gold medal. Of course it's a team game, but that's what I think right now, and on the line are not equally scattered. It's like a NHL game. top 2 lines are most likely to get the bulk of the ice time among the fowards as they play a key role in scoring.

 

[4thlineduster]

Remember the good old days when we actually had top flight shut down defensemen. They were smart with their body and stick and narly as old get go, they made life miserable for the opposition.

So many times today you would see Mittlestadt and others along the boards handling the puck and having all the time in the world to contemplate what they were going to do and then attempt doing it, those guys would have been pasted to the wall and have a war on their hands for the puck from that moment with our guys from the past.

It's great to want a puck possession speedy transition team but there are times you are going to have to do the basics and play hard ass....................that never changes.

Somehow I don't think this team is gonna get that or maybe isn't even capable of it.

That type of defenceman is a thing of the past unfourtunately. Players are taught at a young age these days that dmen need to put up offensive numbers to be successful.

It seems the closest thing to a pure shutdown guy in juniors are good two way dmen. Hell the Norris has basically become the defensive Art Ross these days.

Having said all that, Canada's downfall the last few years and where we seem to sorely lack has been team selection and coaching. I'm not saying that we won't win this year (especially being that we've all but clinched first) but, especially from the coaching angle, it does seem we are running into another year of a guy who can't see what's plainly in front of him and is giving minutes to guys who don't appear to be deserving of said minutes rather than the guys who are playing well now.

Spott was awful, Lowry was awful, and Ducharme, while better than those two, still relies too heavily on "his guys" rather than the guys who seem like they have played their way to more earned minutes.