Canada IIHF World Cup Champions 2015

[Zen Arcade]

It's Miquelon.

Fixed, don't know why I was thinking Miguelon.

 

[Mehar]

I wonder if St. Pierre and Miquelon will ever produce a higher level player. Hockey is apparently popular there and Canada's close enough that a player could come up through there and move on to the CHL if they were good enough.

I always thought Canada should annex that territory (LOL).

 

[leafsfuture]

Amazing effort by Canada! The whole lineup contributed, and it was great to see such a team effort. Spezza, Duchene will look like the key offensive cogs, but really everyone on the top 4 lines, including the 13th forward - Cody Eakin all contributed.

On defence, Brent Burns was terrific, Dan Hamhuis also showed why he was an Olympian. But there some other players who stood out for me:

1. Tyler Ennis is a solid, solid hockey player. Small but shifty, not the fastest, but always working. Good hands. He has scored 20 goals back to back seasons on a really bad Buffalo team. He has quality though and it showed. He isnt an Olympic level player, but definitely a guy I look to invite back for future Worlds.

2. Whether or not the U-23 Young Guns will have any chance of competing with the other powers will really depend on whether or not Sean Couturier will be eligible for them. The late 92 will still be U-23 when the 2015/2016 season starts, so if the NHL rules that as the start date, the shutdown center will be eligible for them -- and he would be key if he is. Couturier did a terrific job of shutting down the big guns. Several games he was top 4-5 in icetime among Canadian forwards. Not the best skater, but he is strong and well positioned.

3. Tyson Barrie should be on the radar for Canada's World Cup team. Just so strong on the puck, and really picks the right time to pinch. I was actually surprised he didnt get more points than he actually did, but his constant pinches were creating problems for opposing breakouts. Play without the puck maybe still improving, but he is a hell of a talent

4. Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall are just really good wingers. I know playing with Crosby helped them, but both really allowed Sid to be Sid as well. The offence Crosby was lacking at the Olympics... well he didnt lack any offence here, and a major part of that was because Hall and Eberle played off Sid well. Eberle especially showed he could keep up with Sid. It also made me realize something -- chemistry with Sid isnt about keeping up with his speed, but its knowing how to get open, and also to know where Sid is going. Considering how much time was spent in both 2010 and 2014 finding wingers for Sid, I would really consider giving Eberle a shot... seriously.

 

[FRUSTRATEDPENFAN*]

Everyone's saying Ovechkin stayed, though, and tried to get the other players to stay as well.

There were no Russian players on the ice when the Anthem was played not one.

 

[FRUSTRATEDPENFAN*]

That's not good enough! Ovi should have walked the Canadians back to their dressing room, patting them on the back the whole way!

Ovechkin should give his medal to the stick boy he deserves it more.

 

[scotian1]

The whole closing ceremony was out of whack. The anthem should have been played before the ticker tape thing. I almost think they forgot about it or skipped over it. Surely it should have been played before Fasel closed the tourney. So I have some sympathy for the Russians, the organizers messed it up.

 

[illpucks]

Ovechkin should give his medal to the stick boy he deserves it more.

Ovechkin carried his team to the final. Without him they are 4th place at best.

 

[FRUSTRATEDPENFAN*]

lets blame everyone but the Russian team for not staying on the ice. After all most of them only played in this tournament 5,6,7,8,9,10 times. No excuse for what they did.

 

[Human]

ovechkin carried his team to the final. Without him they are 4th place at best.

lol...

 

[FDBluth]

Because of his name? Look, he is not the most popular player. But this shouldn't be a popularity contest. He proved himself with the likes of Crosby, Seguin, Hall, MacKinnon, Giroux, Duchene on his team. And he outperformed all of them.

To say that such a player won't ever get a chance again would be a very stupid decision if true. You reward the guys that perform.

I wouldn't say Spezza "outperformed" the others. It was a team performance. You could have played this tournament again and Spezza could have played just as well as he did and could have been outside of the top 10 in scoring on his team. They just happened to go in the most for him this time.

 

[zorz]

The best thing is, the Canadian players really seemed to genuinely enjoy their win, not just politely, so it's hard not to be happy for them.

 

[FRUSTRATEDPENFAN*]

Ovechkin carried his team to the final. Without him they are 4th place at best.

lol not true. What is true though is that he was a no show as usual when the games matter most he's invisible no where to be found.

 

[Wisp]

I'm really positive about everything Team Canada's learned about team building the last couple years. Strong emphasis on puck possession and transitional, puck moving defensemen. Gone are the days they'd burn roster spots on role players and burnt out vets. I love the Vancouver 2010 team, but I don't think the


this team was also sneakily well-constructed with some underrated names, especially the d-corps! Player ability and insuring contracts is always a limitation for these things, and they managed to put together a great defense on the cheap. Hamhuis and Burns was a homerun top pairing, but filling the rest of it with guys like Muzzin, Barrie, Ekblad was brilliant.

 

[Wisp]

I don't understand the need to degenerate OV. Loves the game, plays hard, and is respectful. **** on Kovalchuk if you need to.

 

[FRUSTRATEDPENFAN*]

I don't understand the need to degenerate OV. Loves the game, plays hard, and is respectful. **** on Kovalchuk if you need to.

Fine no problem

 

[illpucks]

lol...

Russia vs US WITHOUT Ovechkin : USA 4 Russia 2

Russia vs US WITH Ovechkin: Russia 4 USA 0 (Ovechkin 1 goal, 1 Assist)

Hate all you want but Ovechkin is the reason that they have a medal.

No 1 player is carrying that team with ECHL defense to a victory over Canada.

lol not true. What is true though is that he was a no show as usual when the games matter most he's invisible no where to be found.

FRUSTRATEDPENFAN why do you try to spew nonsense? Game 7 Ovechkin scored his team's only goal. That is being invisible?

Elimination game against a beatable opponent (US) Ovechkin delivered.

Elimination against an unbeatable opponent...He created opportunities today but Canada is miles ahead. He could have 4 goals and you would still call him a loser. A 4 goal game wouldn't win it.

 

[Callista Rhian]

There were no Russian players on the ice when the Anthem was played not one.

Three, actually: Ovechkin, Malkin, and Tikhonov.

 

[Nakawick]

Ovie is a class act, stop denigrating his character as a person.

 

[Namba 17]

Congratulations to Canada! Well-deserved win.
Hope, it will rise interest in Canada to the tournament.
As for us, I hope it will force us to review the whole system of development of our players. Good ol' soviet days have gone. We need new coaches and new system. We still can produce stars, but it's not enough. Once again we need to start from the very beginning.

 

[llwyd]

This team would win Olympic gold.

Canada is the best team and 2nd and 3rd as well.

If they divided their talent equally their teams would place 1,2,3.

No one even close.

Very happy for Spezza to win something and be Canada's best player. After all those years of being snubbed. I hope he is a guarantee for the 2018 team just from this performance.

A great win with such dominant play, but please not this discussion again (and again and again and again). You are only one country, so it's totally academic discussion that barely interests even Canadians themselves. You are such a nice nation, bragging doesn't really suit you...

 

[illpucks]

A great win with such dominant play, but please not this discussion again (and again and again and again). You are only one country, so it's totally academic discussion that barely interests even Canadians themselves. You are such a nice nation, bragging doesn't really suit you...

It's not bragging. I'm doing my best to debate other Canadian fans that Spezza (the guy with the most points you know) deserves to be on the 2018 team. And most are telling me he won't crack the lineup. That's the kind of depth we are talking about.

It's actually not fair to some Canadian players that have good careers. The team is so loaded that they never get a chance to win a medal.

 

[Rob]

Ovie is a class act, stop denigrating his character as a person.

Agreed. He flew over there right after a tough second round seven game series and played back to back games.

 

[Pilky01]

I would love if this tournament would come to NA a little more often. Obviously not as often as the world juniors, but at least a couple times a decade.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Ovie is a class act, stop denigrating his character as a person.

Agreed. Full credit to Ovechkin. He's actually a pretty nice guy. His fans on the other hand...

 

[McShiva]

First medal in 5 years at the WHC.
My thoughts...

- Just a stacked team, but the scary thing is only half of them will be on the next Olympic team. There are some pretty incredible players still playing in the playoffs.
- Ekhard is a beast. Great performance.
- All 4 lines were great, but I also think special kudos should be given to the coaching staff. Changing the lines early, moving Crosby to Hall/Ebs paid off big time. People really badly underestimate Hall, he is one of the best wingers in the NHL, and Eberle is pure sniper and very good at reading plays and getting into position for a shot. Just a perfect line of skill and speed.
- Again with the coaching staff, and getting all the players to play within a system. Russia really had no chance, they were shut down so well before they could get even started. Other than the game with France, the team just executed the game plan perfectly, and that was the coaching.
- Great tourny, despite the dominance of Canada. Thought the USA was very good as well, and considering how young that team was, the US should be very competitive down the road. The Russians I was surprised made it to the finals, it just seemed like a team of me first players, and didn't resemble at all the great red machine teams from previous decades.