WJC: Canada Roster Talk Thred Pt III

[TheGoldenJet]

So far I woud rank the defenceman like this:

Mitchell/Brook
Smith
Dobson
Bouchard
McIsaac
Phillips

Elimination matches against Finland and Sweden coming up. That means it’s time to cut the BS and favouritism out.

If you play well, you get the icetime. The best performers should be logging the most minutes on D. For the good of the team, that has to start tomorrow.

 

[SlickHands]

I didn't see this posted in here, but there's been lots of diving talk.

Kim Kostin on Comtois during intermission interview on Russian TV: ''In his previous life he worked at circus. Didn't you know that? Perhaps he watched the World Cup of soccer, Neymar is probably his best friend.''

 

[attackfan71]

I didn’t get to watch last nights game. Did Suzuki and philips play well

 

[attackfan71]

The part of Suzuki’s game I am not liking is he has a nasty shot but isn’t using it. Always trying to set someone up. You don’t score as many goals as he has in the ohl without a good shot. Wondering if coaches have told him to be a setup guy.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I didn’t get to watch last nights game. Did Suzuki and philips play well

Suzuki didn't have a very good game and Phillips got beaten pretty bad on the game winning goal.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

The team is toast. finished. done. see you next year in the Czech Rep.

Yikes.

 

[jj cale]

Yikes.

He's got a solid point, they just aren't showing well at all.Anything can happen but going forward how confident are you in this team really?

They remind me so much of our last entry at the WHC, the roster looks good on paper but the execution is just not there. They are for short bursts good, long spurts just fair, and then short spurts really bad.. That combination with a team will never get you gold here unless your goalie is God or something.

They lose foot races for the pucks all the time, they don't connect on passes well, they take too long to unload shots, they don't work possible offensive combinations well, their stickwork is lazy and subpar, they stand around looking instead of moving on defense, they lose far too many board battles, they make so many questionable decisions at both ends and on both the p.p and p.k...........................I could continue to go on, It's just like that WHC team so much it's spooky.

I just don't see it with this team and haven't beginning with the Swiss game, even the win over the Czechs I saw all the stuff I mentioned above and I said so yet most people seem impressed with them after that, I wasn't and after last night I know I wasn't wrong.

The only thing I could recommend for this team, the only way to salvage what is clearly turning into a disaster is to simply dig in, play Canadian hockey, in other words.................................battle like animals all over the ice out there. It's really in the end the only prescription for how a team like this is playing even though it sounds so simplistic, yet it's true. You start winning the battles you start wearing the other team down, things then open up and then the plays to score on the other team that you can connect on come more and more and then you will start burying them, once that happens the confidence gets going and things start to really click.

They have to start doing that next game or they are done, they simply cannot continue to play as they are and think the results will end well.

 

[Get North]

This team is definitely not the favourites to win it after losing to Finland in the exhibitions and then Russia. They are playing well though and overall they outplayed Russia in the 2nd and 3rd. The system they play is good. They always got a man on the Russian player before he can receive a pass so the Russians always had to move the puck quickly which led to turnovers and back to our possession.

They can play with anybody. Comtois and Smith both got robbed with as great as a scoring chance you can get. It could have been 3-2. There’s no need to panic but we need to truly be going 110% for 60 mins with high amount of pressure and speed if we want to beat Finland. This team has the capabilities.

They need to play every game like it’s the gold medal game in overtime. Slacking for a period will get you kicked out especially for this mediocre Canadian team.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

He's got a solid point, they just aren't showing well at all.Anything can happen but going forward how confident are you in this team really?

They remind me so much of our last entry at the WHC, the roster looks good on paper but the execution is just not there. They are for short bursts good, long spurts just fair, and then short spurts really bad.. That combination with a team will never get you gold here unless your goalie is God or something.

They lose foot races for the pucks all the time, they don't connect on passes well, they take too long to unload shots, they don't work possible offensive combinations well, their stickwork is lazy and subpar, they stand around looking instead of moving on defense, they lose far too many board battles, they make so many questionable decisions at both ends and on both the p.p and p.k...........................I could continue to go on, It's just like that WHC team so much it's spooky.

I just don't see it with this team and haven't beginning with the Swiss game, even the win over the Czechs I saw all the stuff I mentioned above and I said so yet most people seem impressed with them after that, I wasn't and after last night I know I wasn't wrong.

The only thing I could recommend for this team, the only way to salvage what is clearly turning into a disaster is to simply dig in, play Canadian hockey, in other words.................................battle like animals all over the ice out there. It's really in the end the only prescription for how a team like this is playing even though it sounds so simplistic, yet it's true. You start winning the battles you start wearing the other team down, things then open up and then the plays to score on the other team that you can connect on come more and more and then you will start burying them, once that happens the confidence gets going and things start to really click.

They have to start doing that next game or they are done, they simply cannot continue to play as they are and think the results will end well.

I am not going to pretend that I have been blown away by this team....But I am sorry I can not get on board with what seems to be the ever growing sky is falling brigade. I have seen to many teams look bad in round robin games that turn it around come quarters to go full on irrational at this point....The team has a lot to work on. I am not a fan of Hunter....and I wasn't a fan of Hunter before the tournament. And the sub standard PP/PK so far kind of lends to the idea that the loss of Ducharme was going to hit this team hard. But the entire narrative of this team changes if they come out and run over the Finns, I have said it before that we as fans look back on winners with rose coloured glasses. I guarantee you the exact same kind of talk was going on last year after we lost to the Americans in the round robin....Like there is no doubt people were writing the team off. So people are free to slag the team off and all that but personally I don't see the point right now.

 

[ORRFForever]

The diving needs to end. I would rather Canada lose, than win because of a opposition penalty due to a dive.

 

[ottawarenegader613]

I too look their other peoples post history to take a very weak shot on a very obvious statement. Comtois is diving at an absurd rate and it is embarrassing.

Alex Formenton would have been a much better captain than Lebron/Marchand wannabe Comtois. It's too bad that Formenton got injured in the exhibition game against the Usports team causing him to miss this tournament.

 

[jj cale]

I am not going to pretend that I have been blown away by this team....But I am sorry I can not get on board with what seems to be the ever growing sky is falling brigade. I have seen to many teams look bad in round robin games that turn it around come quarters to go full on irrational at this point....The team has a lot to work on. I am not a fan of Hunter....and I wasn't a fan of Hunter before the tournament. And the sub standard PP/PK so far kind of lends to the idea that the loss of Ducharme was going to hit this team hard. But the entire narrative of this team changes if they come out and run over the Finns, I have said it before that we as fans look back on winners with rose coloured glasses. I guarantee you the exact same kind of talk was going on last year after we lost to the Americans in the round robin....Like there is no doubt people were writing the team off. So people are free to slag the team off and all that but personally I don't see the point right now.

I understand what you are saying and agree to a point but there is plenty I don't agree with here.

Yes, people were saying the sky was falling after the American loss last year but I know I wasn't one of them.It was an outdoor game where it was tough to accomplish anything due to all the f***ing snow and we lost in a shootout, game could have gone either way that day and thats how it ended up but we certainly didn't play bad and were not and never did play in any game like this team is playing and I can see that, I knew last year the team was in good shape and had a good chance at gold, this team I can tell has no chance unless they lay it all out there and just focus on the fundamentals next game. That team last year did all the things i talked about in my last post good to very good, they were a good TEAM, that's the difference, their execution in every single area was simply superior to what we have seen from this team, there is just no question about it.

I really don't even think it's a coaching problem this year, it's always going to be the go to excuse but I don't really see it this year as I honestly think the massive pressure has not been handled well by this particular group this year.I understand that as no one has the pressure Canada has going into and at this thing, sometimes it's a great thing that works in our favour and sometimes it's too much weight, depends on the group playing, they are human beings after all.

No way do they beat Finland playing the way they have been so far, the Finnish p.p alone will eat them alive. They have to work their ass off, keep it simple and battle and have good puck support all game long next game, don't worry about the pretty plays...................just concentrate on the bread and butter stuff and doing your job at your position and then they can get a team flow going and positive stuff will start to go down and they will relax.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Does anyone think that Canada won't medal at this WJC ?

Think they'll finish 4th. Beat Finland. Lose in Semis. Lose in Bronze medal game.

They would need a massive upgrade in performance against the Finns for me to think otherwise.

 

[Hockey Stick]

Some of these players have worked hard and been phenomenal to watch, but a couple others have really just looked so effortless and uninterested in putting in work. I'm going into watching tomorrow's game thinking that the Russia game will serve as a wake up call to these kids, and make them realize that this isn't going to be an easy gold medal that will just be given to them. If they're able to cut the crap and wake up, then they can do some damage against a Finnish team that hasn't quite figured it out themselves just yet. They should absolutely go back to Dipietro, because he deserves it and should be even more motivated to win, and they should also start giving playing time to players that show they want it (as mentioned by someone above).

There's been a lot of negativity and doubt toward this team, and myself was included in that, but this is something that can still be done, and I'm looking forward to seeing if they can pull it out and win for themselves

 

[donghabs98]

I understand what you are saying and agree to a point but there is plenty I don't agree with here.

Yes, people were saying the sky was falling after the American loss last year but I know I wasn't one of them.It was an outdoor game where it was tough to accomplish anything due to all the ****ing snow and we lost in a shootout, game could have gone either way that day and thats how it ended up but we certainly didn't play bad and were not and never did play in any game like this team is playing and I can see that, I knew last year the team was in good shape and had a good chance at gold, this team I can tell has no chance unless they lay it all out there and just focus on the fundamentals next game. That team last year did all the things i talked about in my last post good to very good, they were a good TEAM, that's the difference, their execution in every single area was simply superior to what we have seen from this team, there is just no question about it.

I really don't even think it's a coaching problem this year, it's always going to be the go to excuse but I don't really see it this year as I honestly think the massive pressure has not been handled well by this particular group this year.I understand that as no one has the pressure Canada has going into and at this thing, sometimes it's a great thing that works in our favour and sometimes it's too much weight, depends on the group playing, they are human beings after all.

No way do they beat Finland playing the way they have been so far, the Finnish p.p alone will eat them alive. They have to work their ass off, keep it simple and battle and have good puck support all game long next game, don't worry about the pretty plays...................just concentrate on the bread and butter stuff and doing your job at your position and then they can get a team flow going and positive stuff will start to go down and they will relax.

For me the biggest difference between last year and think year is two things. First is the defense as this year's group just isnt that strong in both ends of the ice. Only Brook and Smith have impressed me so far in terms of their play. Last year the D group was strong and had at least one reliable pairing a game (Mete-Timmins comes to mind). The second is a strong compete level. Last year's team wasnt loaded with high end skill but they worked hard every game and you could tell they were determined to win after the heartbreaker in 2017. I dont get the same vibe from this team. When the game isnt going Canada's way the players began to play more careless or laid (The play on the Russian game winner comes to mind). Another problem I find is the players tend to look for perfect plays and dont simplify. Winning 14-0 against Denmark I think gave this team a false sense of dominance which became evident when they faced tougher teams.

I still think this team has the talent to at least make it to the semis but they need to regroup, simplify and play focused.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

A weak shot? I'm no fan of diving...but it isn't even in the same ball park as some of Marchands antics. Actually, it isn't on the same planet.

Given how both guys have French surnames, it wouldn't surprise me if Comtois grew up being a Marchand fan. The same way Max Jones was a Fan of Corey Perry & his questionable hits mixed with good skill drew compares to Perry.

We might actually see a line in the NHL featuring both Comtois & Jones. Marchand/Perry on the same line basicly.

 

[jj cale]

For me the biggest difference between last year and think year is two things. First is the defense as this year's group just isnt that strong in both ends of the ice. Only Brook and Smith have impressed me so far in terms of their play. Last year the D group was strong and had at least one reliable pairing a game (Mete-Timmins comes to mind). The second is a strong compete level. Last year's team wasnt loaded with high end skill but they worked hard every game and you could tell they were determined to win after the heartbreaker in 2017. I dont get the same vibe from this team. When the game isnt going Canada's way the players began to play more careless or laid (The play on the Russian game winner comes to mind). Another problem I find is the players tend to look for perfect plays and dont simplify. Winning 14-0 against Denmark I think gave this team a false sense of dominance which became evident when they faced tougher teams.

I still think this team has the talent to at least make it to the semis but they need to regroup, simplify and play focused.

Good post, couldn't agree more.

 

[admiralcadillac]

I understand what you are saying and agree to a point but there is plenty I don't agree with here.

Yes, people were saying the sky was falling after the American loss last year but I know I wasn't one of them.It was an outdoor game where it was tough to accomplish anything due to all the ****ing snow and we lost in a shootout, game could have gone either way that day and thats how it ended up but we certainly didn't play bad and were not and never did play in any game like this team is playing and I can see that, I knew last year the team was in good shape and had a good chance at gold, this team I can tell has no chance unless they lay it all out there and just focus on the fundamentals next game. That team last year did all the things i talked about in my last post good to very good, they were a good TEAM, that's the difference, their execution in every single area was simply superior to what we have seen from this team, there is just no question about it.

I really don't even think it's a coaching problem this year, it's always going to be the go to excuse but I don't really see it this year as I honestly think the massive pressure has not been handled well by this particular group this year.I understand that as no one has the pressure Canada has going into and at this thing, sometimes it's a great thing that works in our favour and sometimes it's too much weight, depends on the group playing, they are human beings after all.

No way do they beat Finland playing the way they have been so far, the Finnish p.p alone will eat them alive. They have to work their ass off, keep it simple and battle and have good puck support all game long next game, don't worry about the pretty plays...................just concentrate on the bread and butter stuff and doing your job at your position and then they can get a team flow going and positive stuff will start to go down and they will relax.

So in your massive mound of a post, you insist last year was different because of how close the game was against the US but we're supposed to be convinced otherwise due to a 2-1 loss to Russia? Seems inconsistent

Given how both guys have French surnames, it wouldn't surprise me if Comtois grew up being a Marchand fan. The same way Max Jones was a Fan of Corey Perry & his questionable hits mixed with good skill drew compares to Perry.

We might actually see a line in the NHL featuring both Comtois & Jones. Marchand/Perry on the same line basicly.

Marchand isn't Quebecois by the way, and players don't just follow others due to the frenchness of their surname. Are you American or Albertan?

 

[Habs Halifax]

The part of Suzuki’s game I am not liking is he has a nasty shot but isn’t using it. Always trying to set someone up. You don’t score as many goals as he has in the ohl without a good shot. Wondering if coaches have told him to be a setup guy.

Pass happy teams suck! I agree, it's time to keep it simple and shoot when you get in scoring areas.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Canada remains one of the favorites to win (even after the 2-1 loss to Russia). It's now time to show up or you are out though. It's one tough tournament to win and countries that win, have a very good PP. Canada needs to produce on the PP.

 

[leafsrdue]

In OS Suzuki is never afraid to shoot and can snipe with the best of them. I have noticed in this tournament that he often passes and seems to be trying to make the perfect play.

 

[admiralcadillac]

In OS Suzuki is never afraid to shoot and can snipe with the best of them. I have noticed in this tournament that he often passes and seems to be trying to make the perfect play.

He's alone in OS but I assume he puts faith in the skill level of his teammates this tournament to make plays

 

[jj cale]

So in your massive mound of a post, you insist last year was different because of how close the game was against the US but we're supposed to be convinced otherwise due to a 2-1 loss to Russia? Seems inconsistent

It's not the scores , it's the difference in how both teams play/played,I never insisted you or anyone else be convinced solely on the American game, so in answer to your question yes.I would expect anyone to be convinced based on how each team executed/is executing, I never said anything about being convinced on just one game against the americans.

If you are not convinced that's your prerogative, I never demanded that you agree.

 

[jj cale]

Well, if we can take anything positive going into this game it will be the comments from the Finnish coach moaning that Canada get's preferential treatment from the refs..........................and of course everyones having some fun with that in the Can-Finn thread as expected.


When your opponent is led by a whining, looking for excuses loser like that you know you always have a chance to win no matter how subpar you have been playing so far.

 

[JackSlater]

The general trend in Canadian hockey at the junior level is worrying. For this tournament, there are still plenty of ways for things to go. The team has been mediocre for long stretches, but also had very strong stretches in every game it has played. The loss against Russia is obviously quite different than the loss to USA last year as that game was so different from anything else that awaited them in the tournament. This team's main issue, as has been mentioned, is bouts of complacency. They defend pretty well and they do good work in the offensive zone, but not a lot of possessions are turned into prime scoring chances. The team probably did out-chance Russia in the last game, but more could have been done.

Most of that doesn't matter though. Sports are results driven. For a positive outlook, this team's preliminary performance was somewhat reminiscent of that of the 2008 team. The 2008 team was way more talented but it rarely played a game while fully engaged. If this team comes out hard I at least wouldn't expect it to be outclassed by any potential opposition in this edition of the tournament.