Does USA play tonight?
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they play at 10et. doubt you will hear anything bout it till people who post on here get back from the game(if there are any)
Westcoasthabsfan
Registered User
Just got back from the US Sweden game... Final score US 3 Sweden 2 in a very entertaining and well played game.... I was very impressed with Sweden and their positional and passing which most times was right on the mark. The States got their second goal giftwrapped as the swedish netminder gave the puck right to Robbie Schremf who made no mistake and buried it. The goal scorers for the States was Kevin Porter who picked up a bad clearing pass by a Swedes defenceman and put it in, Schremf and the third goal was another softie by Phil Kessel.... scoring for Sweden was Peter Ullman and Robin Lindquist. Alot of good open ice hits and the play was very fluid. I think Swedens achilles heel will be in the nets as both goalies didnt look that good. 28 hundred and change took in the game at Victorias Bear Mountain arena. I am going to Sweden Norway on Friday will post again afterwards
Bryanbryoil
Pray For Ukraine
- Sep 13, 2004
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I was also at the game. Unfortunately I am busy for the rest of the night, but I will try to post a full player-by-player commentary on the game sometime before 10am PST tomorrow.
From what i saw:
J. Johnson - was very strong tonight, moved the puck up the ice well, logged a ton of time, an elite passer.
Schneider - sound positionally, steller in the first when he was being peppered during some defensive breakdowns. rebound control was outstanding.
Kessel - he wasnt terrible but i expected more energy, more spark. a non factor until his goal which was a soft one. very quick release however. took 3 minors i believe, just didnt seem too into the game.
Ryan - looked a little lost.
Gerbe - was a force tonight. god is that guy 5 feet tall? flying all night and laying out some big bangs, a presence all over the rink. will be a great energy guy.
J. Johnson - was very strong tonight, moved the puck up the ice well, logged a ton of time, an elite passer.
Schneider - sound positionally, steller in the first when he was being peppered during some defensive breakdowns. rebound control was outstanding.
Kessel - he wasnt terrible but i expected more energy, more spark. a non factor until his goal which was a soft one. very quick release however. took 3 minors i believe, just didnt seem too into the game.
Ryan - looked a little lost.
Gerbe - was a force tonight. god is that guy 5 feet tall? flying all night and laying out some big bangs, a presence all over the rink. will be a great energy guy.
orangeandblack said:
If you look on the HF interviews of Jack Skille and Tom Fritsche it looks like the 3rd and 4th line are:
Gerbe - Oshie - Skille
Fritsche - Davis - Paukovich
Westcoasthabsfan
Registered User
Westcoasthabsfan
Registered User
Predatore said:
I was really impressed with #22 Fredrick Pettersson not the biggest guy but really hustles, also #29 Johan Ryno a very big guy with skill he made some good moves tonight and opened up the ice for his linemates. Another thing I noticed is that most of their team are lefthanded shots....Like I said earlier I was very impressed with this Swedish team
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
Spectacular_Bid said:
I really like those lines. An excellent blend of skill and grit. That last line will definately be the "shut down" line. That leaves:
Bourque
Mueller
Kessel
Ryan
Schremp
Porter
Wheeler
This article says Schremp is playing with Ryan and Porter: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2005/12/22/1364388-sun.html
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American lines:
Not in any particular positional order, just so nobody corrects me about who plays what wing, etc.
Mueller-Kessel-Bourque
Skille-Gerbe-Oshie (Wheeler also played on this line in place of Gerbe)
Ryan-Schremp-Porter
Davis-Paukovich-Fritsche
The defensive pairings are a little more fluid.
The Johnsons are playing together almost every shift.
Butler-Niskanen
Lee played with Mitera, Butler and Chorney, I didn't notice who they were consistently playering with.
Not in any particular positional order, just so nobody corrects me about who plays what wing, etc.
Mueller-Kessel-Bourque
Skille-Gerbe-Oshie (Wheeler also played on this line in place of Gerbe)
Ryan-Schremp-Porter
Davis-Paukovich-Fritsche
The defensive pairings are a little more fluid.
The Johnsons are playing together almost every shift.
Butler-Niskanen
Lee played with Mitera, Butler and Chorney, I didn't notice who they were consistently playering with.
Game Summary
Team US Goals
1. Porter (Schremp) ------ Schremp picked off a weak, bad, pass, fed it cross ice to Porter who buried it.
2. Schremp ------ Akerlund made a terrible attempt at passing from about twelve feet out of his crease (in front of the net), Schremp picked it off and slid it under the sprawling Akerlund.
3. Kessel (Ryan) -------- Ryan banked it off the boards on a breakout, Kessel wheeled around, picked up the puck on the right hand side, and flicked it past Larsson (second goalie) low to the far side.
Team Sweden Goals
1. GRanstrom (Ryno, Ullman) ------ Granstrom got sprung in the clear for a breakaway. It was tough to tell, but I think Schneider stopped the shot, but the rebound came a little in front of him and got tucker between his legs.
2. Ullman (Ritola, Backstrom) ------- Just a fluky goal that bounced off a US player through Frazee's five-hole.
Team US Goals
1. Porter (Schremp) ------ Schremp picked off a weak, bad, pass, fed it cross ice to Porter who buried it.
2. Schremp ------ Akerlund made a terrible attempt at passing from about twelve feet out of his crease (in front of the net), Schremp picked it off and slid it under the sprawling Akerlund.
3. Kessel (Ryan) -------- Ryan banked it off the boards on a breakout, Kessel wheeled around, picked up the puck on the right hand side, and flicked it past Larsson (second goalie) low to the far side.
Team Sweden Goals
1. GRanstrom (Ryno, Ullman) ------ Granstrom got sprung in the clear for a breakaway. It was tough to tell, but I think Schneider stopped the shot, but the rebound came a little in front of him and got tucker between his legs.
2. Ullman (Ritola, Backstrom) ------- Just a fluky goal that bounced off a US player through Frazee's five-hole.
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Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
Team USA Comments
Schneider - Gave up one goal in his half-game. He played very square, very under control. Basically was the epitome of everything that is ever said about him. From what I've seen doing interviews, he's one of the most mature players on the team.
Frazee - It takes him a long time to close his five hole.
J Johnson - Read the play really well and kept an active stick. Laid one big hit midway through the game. He is smaller than I realized. Obviously those more in the business think otherwise, but unless he grows, I have some concerns about how well he'll be able to play his style at the NHL level.
Erik Johnson - I was watching him as much as I could, and I was really impressed. Look for an HF Feature on him sometime in the next little while. He had a solid game.
Matt Niskanen - He battles hard when the play is in his defensive znoe. He is a gambler though. He stepped up at a few risky times to pick off a pass or to try to make a big hit (which he kept missing). I wasn't particularly impressed with him.
Brian Lee - Not quite as good or noticeable as in practice. He moves very stiffly, I think he has some sort of leg injury right now, obviously nothing too serious. He made the safe play with the puck when he had it. One thing I consistently noticed is he is 100% focused on his man. This has its merits, but he gets so focused on that he loses track of the puck and what's going on around him. The puck/play went right passed him a few times as a result of this.
Mitera - To me, he did not have a good game. He turned the puck over brutally twice early in the game when he was the last man back. Probably just nerves though.
Oshie - Very slick, I continue to be impressed by his play. Clearly a talented kid, and he also was a dogged puck pursuer.
Kessel - Again, I didn't see first overall pick, but it's just exhibition. He raelly likes to come off the half-bords I noticed and shoot, very similar to Markus Naslund. He also kept trying to cut across the ice in front of the net to get into a better shooting position. He's a fierce competitor for sure, let the refs know when he thought they made a bad call. DISCLAIMER: My next comment is NOT Kessel bashing, simply something I noticed, and it seems like a logical comment considering a lot of comparions. What helps makes Crosby so great, and made him able to quickly adjust to the NHL right after the draft, is his lower body strength. Kessel quite obviously does not have this yet. He was manhandled and contained along the boards quite a few times. It's not an insult, it's just something that he's going to need to improve to jump to the NHL.
Schremp - Really showcased his quick hands, hand-eye coordination and fast release. He's not great defensively, but because of his incredible hand-eye coordination, he probably can become an effective forechecker simply because he is so good at knocking pucks out of the air. He's obviously one of the leaders on this team, regardless of who is wearing what letters.
Skille - He's a great NHL prospect. He had the size, good wheels, hits and cycles well. He can fight off/through opposing defenders and has good offensive positioning. IMO, he could play in the show within two seasons, although that would be in a third-line capacity and they could let his offence just come along with time.
These are the players that I noticed the most. Gerbe is a frisky little guy, spent as much time on the ice as he did on his feet.
Schneider - Gave up one goal in his half-game. He played very square, very under control. Basically was the epitome of everything that is ever said about him. From what I've seen doing interviews, he's one of the most mature players on the team.
Frazee - It takes him a long time to close his five hole.
J Johnson - Read the play really well and kept an active stick. Laid one big hit midway through the game. He is smaller than I realized. Obviously those more in the business think otherwise, but unless he grows, I have some concerns about how well he'll be able to play his style at the NHL level.
Erik Johnson - I was watching him as much as I could, and I was really impressed. Look for an HF Feature on him sometime in the next little while. He had a solid game.
Matt Niskanen - He battles hard when the play is in his defensive znoe. He is a gambler though. He stepped up at a few risky times to pick off a pass or to try to make a big hit (which he kept missing). I wasn't particularly impressed with him.
Brian Lee - Not quite as good or noticeable as in practice. He moves very stiffly, I think he has some sort of leg injury right now, obviously nothing too serious. He made the safe play with the puck when he had it. One thing I consistently noticed is he is 100% focused on his man. This has its merits, but he gets so focused on that he loses track of the puck and what's going on around him. The puck/play went right passed him a few times as a result of this.
Mitera - To me, he did not have a good game. He turned the puck over brutally twice early in the game when he was the last man back. Probably just nerves though.
Oshie - Very slick, I continue to be impressed by his play. Clearly a talented kid, and he also was a dogged puck pursuer.
Kessel - Again, I didn't see first overall pick, but it's just exhibition. He raelly likes to come off the half-bords I noticed and shoot, very similar to Markus Naslund. He also kept trying to cut across the ice in front of the net to get into a better shooting position. He's a fierce competitor for sure, let the refs know when he thought they made a bad call. DISCLAIMER: My next comment is NOT Kessel bashing, simply something I noticed, and it seems like a logical comment considering a lot of comparions. What helps makes Crosby so great, and made him able to quickly adjust to the NHL right after the draft, is his lower body strength. Kessel quite obviously does not have this yet. He was manhandled and contained along the boards quite a few times. It's not an insult, it's just something that he's going to need to improve to jump to the NHL.
Schremp - Really showcased his quick hands, hand-eye coordination and fast release. He's not great defensively, but because of his incredible hand-eye coordination, he probably can become an effective forechecker simply because he is so good at knocking pucks out of the air. He's obviously one of the leaders on this team, regardless of who is wearing what letters.
Skille - He's a great NHL prospect. He had the size, good wheels, hits and cycles well. He can fight off/through opposing defenders and has good offensive positioning. IMO, he could play in the show within two seasons, although that would be in a third-line capacity and they could let his offence just come along with time.
These are the players that I noticed the most. Gerbe is a frisky little guy, spent as much time on the ice as he did on his feet.
Leo Naphta said:
I'm sorry, I didn't follow the Swedish lines quite as close.
They mixed up the lines a little bit too, which complicated things.
I'll be posting my commentary on the Swedish players I paid the most attention to briefly.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
Thanks for the comments Matt. I think the criticisms of Kessel are very fair. A key differance between him and guys like Crosby and Ovechkin is physical maturity. Kessel is going to have work very hard in the weight room to get strong enough to compete at a higher level.
Team Sweden Comments
Magnus Akerlund (Look for an interview with him on Hockey's Future) - He gave up two goals in 30 minutes or so of play. He made a horrible gaff on the second goal. His side to side movement needs work. He got caught a few times too far out of the net and when passes went cross ice or behind him, he was really out of position.
Edler - He is still taking some chances defensively, but it's really obvious he's making a concerted and conscious effort to play a more physical style. However, he clearly needs to add some strength because he's not strong enough to be a physical player right now, despite his height. He is very thin I noticed when chatting with him.
Bergfors - A talented player, but didn't do much to stand out last night.
Ritola - Good puck control and some nifty footwork. Tons of work left if he's going to be an NHLer though. His defensive play is very bad, he commits too early and gets himself out of position.
Salmonsson - He played a much more inspired game than reports indicate from the WHL. He has an okay slapshot and was very willing to shoot. At least three times he made poor passing decisions though. He was on the PK. I noticed that he often leaps into his hits.
Backstrom - It's easy to see what the hype is about. Perhaps his defining moment of the game came early when he planted 6'4+ Blake Wheeler firmly on his back with a great open ice hit. He really likes to carry the puck and he has the skating and puck control to do it effectively. He has a solid shot and also spent time on the PK. He is pretty aggressive, willing to throw hits, and loves to get his elbows up a little.
Pettersson - The most noticeably guy on the ice because he is constantly throwing hits and finishing his checks. He knocked Jack Johnson on his butt and showed an ability to pounce on loose pucks as well as great acceleration. He's very, very agile and quick on his feet. I doubt he ever makes the show because of his size, but a really fun kid to watch.
Ryno - Probably had the best game IMO. This guy is huge, gotta be at least 6'4 and he can skate pretty well for his size. He has quick hands and really moves down the wing well. He has good positioning in both zones. I was just all around really impressed with this guy.
Magnus Akerlund (Look for an interview with him on Hockey's Future) - He gave up two goals in 30 minutes or so of play. He made a horrible gaff on the second goal. His side to side movement needs work. He got caught a few times too far out of the net and when passes went cross ice or behind him, he was really out of position.
Edler - He is still taking some chances defensively, but it's really obvious he's making a concerted and conscious effort to play a more physical style. However, he clearly needs to add some strength because he's not strong enough to be a physical player right now, despite his height. He is very thin I noticed when chatting with him.
Bergfors - A talented player, but didn't do much to stand out last night.
Ritola - Good puck control and some nifty footwork. Tons of work left if he's going to be an NHLer though. His defensive play is very bad, he commits too early and gets himself out of position.
Salmonsson - He played a much more inspired game than reports indicate from the WHL. He has an okay slapshot and was very willing to shoot. At least three times he made poor passing decisions though. He was on the PK. I noticed that he often leaps into his hits.
Backstrom - It's easy to see what the hype is about. Perhaps his defining moment of the game came early when he planted 6'4+ Blake Wheeler firmly on his back with a great open ice hit. He really likes to carry the puck and he has the skating and puck control to do it effectively. He has a solid shot and also spent time on the PK. He is pretty aggressive, willing to throw hits, and loves to get his elbows up a little.
Pettersson - The most noticeably guy on the ice because he is constantly throwing hits and finishing his checks. He knocked Jack Johnson on his butt and showed an ability to pounce on loose pucks as well as great acceleration. He's very, very agile and quick on his feet. I doubt he ever makes the show because of his size, but a really fun kid to watch.
Ryno - Probably had the best game IMO. This guy is huge, gotta be at least 6'4 and he can skate pretty well for his size. He has quick hands and really moves down the wing well. He has good positioning in both zones. I was just all around really impressed with this guy.
Rabid Ranger said:
It's just something that was really obvious to me, especially since I actually saw Crosby play in person last year a few times.
I'm not saying Kessel isn't the #1 pick, obviously he's the consensus guy. I'm just saying that he didn't really show it yesterday.
That said, while I was waiting for interviews, all the kids were chanting for Phil to come out and sign autographs. Somebody, I'm not entirely certain who it was, it MAY have been Bourque, but I'm not certain, tried to tell them that he (Kessel) didn't play for them. It was pretty funny.
Great job Matt!Matt MacInnis said:
Yes. Ryno is huge and he is 6'5". He could probably add some more weight as well, even though he is pretty heavy already.
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