GDT: Four Nations Tournament - Part 3 - Championship Game: USA vs Canada , Feb 20th @ 8pm ET (ESPN, ESPN+)

[GoAwayPanarin]

The OT winner was on Matthews.

Some of you guys have been watching this sport long enough and should know how assignments in the DZ work by now.

 

[TheDirtyH]

USA made all those controversial picks just to sit them the whole tournament. Trocheck, Kreider, Nelson over Thompson, Robertson, Keller.

Of course none of you can talk about anything but Fox, but this US team ran into the same problem it has for fifteen years. It tries to check Canada to death and has exactly one threatening line.

USA hockey is clueless. 5 goals in the last 3 games. Probably should've played a dman like Fox less though.

 

[ArPanet]

Considering that we were destined to lose I wish Crosby had scored on his shot in OT that was pretty much exactly the same shot as his golden goal in 2010. That would have been supernatural Bigfoot level unbelievable. Once in a Big Bang level unbelievable.

Anyway, our most likely hero couldn’t get it done while their’s did. Does the US have a better goalie we can use next year?

 

[Machinehead]

The OT winner was on Matthews.

Some of you guys have been watching this sport long enough and should know how assignments in the DZ work by now.

You're giving this place way too much credit.

 

[Machinehead]

USA made all those controversial picks just to sit them the whole tournament. Trocheck, Kreider, Nelson over Thompson, Robertson, Keller.

Of course none of you can talk about anything but Fox, but this US team ran into the same problem it has for fifteen years. It tries to check Canada to death and has exactly one threatening line.

USA hockey is clueless. 5 goals in the last 3 games. Probably should've played a dman like Fox less though.

In all fairness, Canada pulled some of the same shit with Cirelli, Hagel, 60 year old Doughty, and Sanheim who nearly assisted on an Auston Matthews winner.

But you're absolutely right. Especially with the coaching decisions.

It's Team USA. The roster will be good even with some questionable choices. Then sitting your questionable choices was very AV and they leaned hard on absolutely their worst pair because they do things and stuff.

 

[17futurecap]

In all fairness, Canada pulled some of the same shit with Cirelli, Hagel, 60 year old Doughty, and Sanheim who nearly assisted on an Auston Matthews winner.

But you're absolutely right. Especially with the coaching decisions.

It's Team USA. The roster will be good even with some questionable choices. Then sitting your questionable choices was very AV and they leaned hard on absolutely their worst pair because they do things and stuff.

David Quinn just continuing to pop up as a coach is my favorite USA Hockey joke.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Even if you are defending Fox was a good player, he's clearly not on the level of those guys on the ice. He was a non factor at best if you don't agree he was a detriment.

The decision on who is on whose level is not based on a 4 game all star tournament. Unless you think Brady Tkachuk is the best player in the NHL. No Fox was not on the level of many players in this tournament. Fortunately this is a Rangers board and not a team USA board. Do you seriously believe what you're writing? We're fans of an NHL team not the team USA team thrown together over night. Treating this tournament as defining players' legacies is just completely lacking in all logic and is just hate porn for the most pathetic fanbase in all sports.

 

[JimmyG89]

Marner made a play that we've seen Panarin make for years to the point we take it for granted. That was an elite level pass to the best player on the planet.

Matthews looked gassed, they leaned on him a lot, and he was extra physical. He didn't make the play to cover that lane. It's also McDavid knowing to take one stride higher in the slot. That play is no way on Fox.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Two things can be true.

Was Fox good this tournament? No - we were all hoping for more from him. He’s clearly dealing with something right now, whether that’s physical or mental. It has been a bad year for him.

Is he still one of the best defensemen in the world? Yes, just because Jake Sanderson played more minutes than him doesn’t mean he’s a better player. Or Brock Faber. Or *gasp* Jacob Slavin.

It’s weird that very few people on this board can seem to admit both of these things.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Funny, we have a defenseman who in 23-24 was over a point per game despite being injured most of the season and playing with Lindgren who while not as bad as this year was already a diminished player. And he's a better player defensively than he is offensively. Yet he sucks because he didn't have a great 4 game tournament where it's random as hell who shines because it's just two teams of names getting put together over night.

Yes, the Rangers suck this year and he hasn't had an amazing season but even with all of that, he's on pace for 66 points and is a +6 despite having one of the worst defensemen in the league next to him most of the year and the corpose of Mika and Kreider with him on the PP and Panarin whose game went off a hill as well. All the while early in the season in a small sample (but hey this tournament shows you guys don't care about that) he had some of the best advanced statistics with Miller as a partner.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Also, there were so many players that had mediocre tournaments for the US.

Some of you are acting like all four Rangers punched their ticket off the Olympic team as if Hughes, Connor, Nelson, Faber, etc were dynamic. Hell, Matthews was the captain and was completely invisible pretty much every game. Guess he won’t be there next year!

 

[hardnosed]

Marner made a play that we've seen Panarin make for years to the point we take it for granted. That was an elite level pass to the best player on the planet.

Matthews looked gassed, they leaned on him a lot, and he was extra physical. He didn't make the play to cover that lane. It's also McDavid knowing to take one stride higher in the slot. That play is no way on Fox.

3 USA players went to Marner. Probably because it's an all star team and they aren't used to playing with each other. As for Matthews being gassed; could be the icing or non icing. I still say if the refs won't call penalties in OT, the linesman should lean against calling the icing when it's close.

 

[Machinehead]

Two things can be true.

Was Fox good this tournament? No - we were all hoping for more from him. He’s clearly dealing with something right now, whether that’s physical or mental. It has been a bad year for him.

Is he still one of the best defensemen in the world? Yes, just because Jake Sanderson played more minutes than him doesn’t mean he’s a better player. Or Brock Faber. Or *gasp* Jacob Slavin.

It’s weird that very few people on this board can seem to admit both of these things.

I mentioned it before, I think very few guys in this tournament stood out. It's always a weird setting. There's nothing but stars and nobody gets the role or the puck responsibility that they're used to.

Like, what did Makar do???

Fox, like I said, didn't really stand out, but I don't think anybody could have with the role they gave him. They didn't really use him.

If Quinn Hughes were healthy, I certainly could have seen that, and Werenski is having a great year, so I wasn't expecting them to lean on Fox like the Rangers do, but he was basically on the third pair in favor of Slavin, Faber, and Sanderson.

If you think any of those guys are anywhere near Fox, I just don't know what to tell you.

 

[Boris Zubov]

I wish I get to play in the 4 Nations one day. --Laf

He's not going to get to play in the 4 Counties unless he starts moving his feet.

 

[Machinehead]

He's not going to get to play in the 4 Counties unless he starts moving his feet.

He's not going to play in the 4 nations unless he moves to Finland and applies for citizenship.

 

[Guyute]

Trading Fox is literally the bell curve meme. RB on the right tail, Bern and the one or two others on the left. The rest of us in the middle.

 

[Boris Zubov]

He's not going to play in the 4 nations unless he moves to Finland and applies for citizenship.

Maybe he can get a reference from Kakko?

 

[Machinehead]

Maybe he can get a reference from Kakko?

Kakko:

 

[Boris Zubov]

Kakko:

how long have you known the applicant?

TOO LONG!

 

[Guyute]

Fox ain’t making Milano Team USA next year. He was hands down the worst USA defenseman and it wasn’t really close.

Y’all bring up your expected goals. Only thing that matters in big games is real goals. Also his fancy stats were garbage anyway. FancyBoyzzz hockey wins President’s Trophies but not Stanley Cups. Give me Brady Tkachuk any day of the week.

 

[Guyute]

I mentioned it before, I think very few guys in this tournament stood out. It's always a weird setting. There's nothing but stars and nobody gets the role or the puck responsibility that they're used to.

Like, what did Makar do???

Fox, like I said, didn't really stand out, but I don't think anybody could have with the role they gave him. They didn't really use him.

If Quinn Hughes were healthy, I certainly could have seen that, and Werenski is having a great year, so I wasn't expecting them to lean on Fox like the Rangers do, but he was basically on the third pair in favor of Slavin, Faber, and Sanderson.

If you think any of those guys are anywhere near Fox, I just don't know what to tell you.

Slavin, Faber, and Sanderson were noticeable in good ways: winning battles in the D-zone and getting the puck moving in the other direction.

Fox was only noticeable in bad ways. Did he do a single thing offensively at all? Only times you noticed him was when he turned it over in the D-zone, was stuck in his own end, botched breakouts, and he was on the ice when Canada scored.

 

[Machinehead]

Slavin, Faber, and Sanderson were noticeable in good ways: winning battles in the D-zone and getting the puck moving in the other direction.

Fox was only noticeable in bad ways. Did he do a single thing offensively at all? Only times you noticed him was when he turned it over in the D-zone, was stuck in his own end, botched breakouts, and he was on the ice when Canada scored.

You say that Fox was stuck in his own end and then say that Slavin and Faber were noticeable in good ways.

They were noticeable because I've never seen two guys defend so much in four games. Team USA never had the puck with them on the ice.

Sullivan playing them so much was unserious and he should never coach at this level again.

I can't believe I'm telling people with human words that Adam Fox is better than Jaccob Slavin. In other news, birds fly.

 

[WojtekWolski86]

Fox was meh but he also may have had Quinn ptsd.

Hughes was the biggest disappointment. Spent more time falling down then making plays.

Matthews couldn't finish all tournament and has another big game failure in his head.

Larkin Eichel Guenztel were the most consistent forwards. Slavin was a horse and Werenski and Sanderson were solid. The rest of the D looked shaky but also seem to combine with our worst forwards.

Wonder if a winner like Kane as the elder statesman would have helped the locker room. It's a lot to put on Matthews.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I mentioned it before, I think very few guys in this tournament stood out. It's always a weird setting. There's nothing but stars and nobody gets the role or the puck responsibility that they're used to.

Like, what did Makar do???

Fox, like I said, didn't really stand out, but I don't think anybody could have with the role they gave him. They didn't really use him.

If Quinn Hughes were healthy, I certainly could have seen that, and Werenski is having a great year, so I wasn't expecting them to lean on Fox like the Rangers do, but he was basically on the third pair in favor of Slavin, Faber, and Sanderson.

If you think any of those guys are anywhere near Fox, I just don't know what to tell you.

Dude, you don't understand these 4 games were proof that Fox can't hang. I'd be embarrassed if I had that opinion. I used to think this board had the smartest Rangers fans in the world. Instead quite a few of the people here would in perfectly with the social media crowd. And it's not even an inability to analyze the game. I'm not great at Xs and Os by any stretch, but like forming simple logical conclusions. Players are playing with guys they've never played before and like you said they had different roles than they're used to. Honestly I saw McDavid has 3 goals and he's the best in the world but I didn't really see him do all that much in the games I've seen him. The GWG was a nice shot that Brandon Pirri could have scored on.

 

[Guyute]

Marner made a play that we've seen Panarin make for years to the point we take it for granted. That was an elite level pass to the best player on the planet.

Matthews looked gassed, they leaned on him a lot, and he was extra physical. He didn't make the play to cover that lane. It's also McDavid knowing to take one stride higher in the slot. That play is no way on Fox.

Fox went to the guy Hanifin was already covering off of the faceoff, leaving Marner totally alone in the corner.

Matthews skated towards Marner because he was alone, thanks to Fox, leaving McDavid open in the slot.

Anyone who’s ever played hockey knows what it feels like when somebody botches his coverage. It’s a confused scramble. That goal was definitely Fox’s fault.