Olympics: Canada vs USA

[Ben Grimm]

What you missed at the Olympics: USA notches 1st men's hockey win over Canada in 12 years

I agree with all HF posters that when it comes to hockey US > Canada.

 

[End of Line]

 

[KillerMillerTime]

I'm very impressed with the Americans and their young players. I did feel Canada had better possession towards the latter half, of course that means jack crap. USA seems dialed in.

Canada's got their work cut out for them, who knows, maybe an extra game might help? We are aware Claude Julien just landed in Beijing a few days ago, but lets hope things turn around.

Decent chance Canada and US meet in Medal Round
hopefully for Gold Medal.

 

[Czechboy]

Great! How did the KHL and AHL players look ?

Congrats.. I recall you and I were trying to explain that the NCAA is a massive NHL feeder and not to sleep on this team as they'll skate hard!

 

[WarriorofTime]

Always fun when USA and Canada meet in hockey in any context really, whether it's the Under 18s, that Gretzky Tournament thing, World Juniors, World Championships, Olympics...

Hopefully next time it will be with all the big dogs!

 

[WarriorofTime]

Of course it’s not the NHL. But so what?
Team USA is basically an NCAA all-star team. Do we complain about how mediocre the play is every-time we watch a college game? Or the CHL or WJC?
This is essentially highest level of non NHL play there is right now. A lot of these guys were ex nhlers/AHL all-stars, or, for the young guys, will be NHLrs.

Enjoy it for what it is.

It's weird that people here love the world juniors and then complain that they can't watch KHLers/AHLers/high end NCAAers, who are older/better than teenagers in the WJC because the "hockey is so bad". Like maybe the format of kids being involved gets you more excited, I mean I get it, college sports is more popular in the U.S. than minor professional although the minor professionals are better, but to say it's because the product just outright stinks is false.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The 1980 US Team is significantly better than this years team. Matty Beniers would be shifted to wing and play in the top 6. He wouldn't beat out Johnson, Broten or Pavelich.

Sanderson would be probably the #1 D man followed by Morrow, Baker, and Ramsay.

Hard to believe a US Olympic Team from 42 years ago is still better. Of course this group is missing
Hughes, Zegras, Boldy, Turcotte, Wahlstrom, Kalyiev and Caufield.

However the 1980 Team was missing Langway, Mullen, Roberts, Gorence and Nilan.

"better" in what sense? From a technical skills standpoint, these players are definitely skating faster, shooting harder, controlling pucks better, play a more sound defensive structure than their counterparts from 42 years ago. Not necessarily the baby boomers fault, just natural progression of the sport.

But I would guarantee also that the NCAA players on the 2022 Olympic team will go on to have better NHL careers on the whole than the 1980 team. I think only 7 players made the NHL in any capacity. Maybe 3-4 did anything of note.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

I wonder how many kids this game inspired?

I stayed up past my bedtime. I'm going skating today.

 

[Dakota Sioux]

For me, this game was worth staying up for. Better action than I had anticipated.

I agree. Thought it was an entertaining game

 

[Dakota Sioux]

"better" in what sense? From a technical skills standpoint, these players are definitely skating faster, shooting harder, controlling pucks better, play a more sound defensive structure than their counterparts from 42 years ago. Not necessarily the baby boomers fault, just natural progression of the sport.

But I would guarantee also that the NCAA players on the 2022 Olympic team will go on to have better NHL careers on the whole than the 1980 team. I think only 7 players made the NHL in any capacity. Maybe 3-4 did anything of note.

You are absolutely spot on

 

[KillerMillerTime]

"better" in what sense? From a technical skills standpoint, these players are definitely skating faster, shooting harder, controlling pucks better, play a more sound defensive structure than their counterparts from 42 years ago. Not necessarily the baby boomers fault, just natural progression of the sport.

But I would guarantee also that the NCAA players on the 2022 Olympic team will go on to have better NHL careers on the whole than the 1980 team. I think only 7 players made the NHL in any capacity. Maybe 3-4 did anything of note.

Only 7...lol.

Craig, Janaszak, Morrow, Ramsay, Baker, O'Callahan, Broten, Johnson, Pavelich, Christian, Christoff, Silk and McClanahan all played in the NHL.

Morrow, Ramsay, Christian, Johnson, Christoff and McClanahan went immediately from the
Olympics to playing regularly on their
NHL Teams.

Broten and Pavelich were impact NHL players shortly after so no you are 100% wrong on your numbers.

Sanderson will be the only kid on this team to be
the #1 D or F of a combined team. Beniers will more than likely fall short of the career Neal Broten had.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

I agree. Thought it was an entertaining game

Sanderson is a stud. I was concerned he might have been injured.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Only 7...lol.

Craig, Janaszak, Morrow, Ramsay, Baker, O'Callahan, Broten, Johnson, Pavelich, Christian, Christoff, Silk and McClanahan all played in the NHL.

Morrow, Ramsay, Christian, Johnson, Christoff and McClanahan went immediately from the
Olympics to playing regularly on their
NHL Teams.

Broten and Pavelich were impact NHL players shortly after so no you are 100% wrong on your numbers.

Sanderson will be the only kid on this team to be
the #1 D or F of a combined team. Beniers will more than likely fall short of the career Neal Broten had.

Glad, you are so confident that you can already call Beniers a bust. He only went Number 2 in the draft. Good grief.

You're writing off an awfully lot of 20 year old players right now. Time will tell.

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

I too enjoy watching bum players participating in a "best on best" tournament

... /s

We have to understand, you’re against NCAA All-Star roster essentially. So we’re enjoying it against ex-NHLers that are grown men…

Canadians don’t realize how much hockey in America has grown. All over the East Cost has been developing NHLers. Even the MidWest has been developing NHLers. I never knew 1 NHLer from NYC until the last 3-4 years, now there’s like 10 between nhl & ahl. And most of them are solid nhlers

you’re seeing nhlers from Cali. Hockey is growing rapidly here for all cultures.

 

[Jussi]

People are actually watching this garbage?

How do you know it's garbage if you're not watching?

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Glad, you are so confident that you can already call Beniers a bust. He only went Number 2 in the draft. Good grief.

You're writing off an awfully lot of 20 year old players right now. Time will tell.

What are you talking about? I clearly said in another post Beniers would be a top 6 F on the 1980 US Olympic Team. Saying I don't think Beniers will have the career Neal Broten had isn't a slight at all.
Broten in his rookie 1981-82 season was top
15 in PPG in the NHL.

Beniers has a good comparable in Dave Christian in skating and playing style. Christian had a tremendous NHL career, so that is who I think he will end up like.

I like Beniers a lot, especially since he is a Greater Boston kid and my son had memorable battles against Beniers town, Hingham HS in the early 2000's.

 

[Fjorden]

Didn’t see a thread for this game. So here is one

USA have looked like "one million dollar" in many group stages in WC and olympics, but in the knock out round they always fail for some reason.

Canada is the oposite they grow into the tournaments, and usually win the knock out games.

Maybe usa can go all the way this time?, long time since they've won any international tournament. 1980 the last time they won the olympics. Last wc they won 1960.

 

[ecemleafs]

The 1980 US Team is significantly better than this years team. Matty Beniers would be shifted to wing and play in the top 6. He wouldn't beat out Johnson, Broten or Pavelich.

Sanderson would be probably the #1 D man followed by Morrow, Baker, and Ramsay.

Hard to believe a US Olympic Team from 42 years ago is still better. Of course this group is missing
Hughes, Zegras, Boldy, Turcotte, Wahlstrom, Kalyiev and Caufield.

However the 1980 Team was missing Langway, Mullen, Roberts, Gorence and Nilan.

the 1980 olympic teams ncaa olympians were much older and played together for damn near a year before the olympics.

 

[Czechboy]

USA have looked like "one million dollar" in many group stages in WC and olympics, but in the knock out round they always fail for some reason.

Canada is the oposite they grow into the tournaments, and usually win the knock out games.

Maybe usa can go all the way this time?, long time since they've won any international tournament. 1980 the last time they won the olympics. Last wc they won 1960.

1996 World Cup! And yes, long time which is amazing given how good their program and players are!

 

[KillerMillerTime]

the 1980 olympic teams ncaa olympians were much older and played together for damn near a year before the olympics.

What does that have to do with what I believe to be these players ceilings? Sanderson IMO has a higher ceiling than Mike Ramsay. That's a pretty fair assessment.

You do realize Broten and Ramsay didn't have a NTDP or elite USHL to accelerate their skill development as 17\18
year olds? Broten went directly from Roseau HS to
one year at UMinnesota to the USOHT.

Ramsay was directly from Minneapolis Southwest
HS to one year at UMinnesota to the USOHT.

Dave Christian was on the USOHT in what would have been his Junior year at N. Dakota, so 2 years younger than Meyers, McLaughlin and Smith.

Yeah on the whole the current NCAA players on this team are younger but Broten was absolutely better
than Beniers one year removed from their Freshmen years in College and that's the player I compared him to.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Maybe usa can go all the way this time?, long time since they've won any international tournament. 1980 the last time they won the olympics. Last wc they won 1960.

Team USA is the defending U20 IIHF champs.

 

[karhukissa]

Canada loses - Well who cares about this bs, NHL players aren't here (and still you watched)

Canda wins - HAHAHAH we won with our Z team, omg

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Canada loses - Well who cares about this bs, NHL players aren't here (and still you watched)

Canda wins - HAHAHAH we won with our Z team, omg

I mean...I hope they win, but I don't exactly care that much. The hockey just hasn't been very good.

 

[Dakota Sioux]

Sanderson is a stud. I was concerned he might have been injured.

Tested positive for covid before leaving the states

 

[WarriorofTime]

I mean...I hope they win, but I don't exactly care that much. The hockey just hasn't been very good.

Are you a scout?

The only thing I'll say is the teams are obviously still trying to find their chemistry. This is the exact same in any international tournament. Including when the NHL players are all there. From a technical/skill standpoint, the hockey is fine, and I doubt an amateur without scouting experience could specifically tell you what makes the hockey "not very good". These are all high-end players, they aren't far off from the NHL.