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World Cup: Four Nations Tournament-Team Canada

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Matty Sundin said:
The goaltending is honestly shocking bad by Team Canada standards and even more shocking when you realize that’s close to the best they could have done.
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Agreed. I mentioned it in my comment that I feel this is the worst era for goaltending Canada has had in my lifetime. It's shockingly bad when compared to what other countries have to offer. This team better play 2010 level team defence or we're in big trouble. The American squad looks really good from top to bottom. They resemble what Canada use to be able to ice.
 
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I think Canada still wins. Too much depth up front and too strong down the middle. That 4th line will at the very least be difficult to play against. They'll be a pain to play against every shift. So I get it. But like 2014 we left a lot of talent at home. We'll see how it works out but we left two guys off of the team who were top 10 in Norris voting last year. I understand that you are trying to build a team rather than just the sexiest guys on the scoresheet. What I can see is a team that plays very well 200ft. on both ends.
 
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thekernel said:
It's best-on-best, as in, the best players in the world. We are going to ice grinders against a third-line Jack Eichel my dude
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And there are few better shutdown C's in the league than Cirelli. You act like he's some random league min 4C. But reality is he's an elite 2C in the NHL and much better suited to a shutdown role than Scheifele or whatever other offense first player you can think of.

Not sure what C's USA has above Eichel. But I'm not scared at all of players like Cirelli going up against any other teams best, that's what he's here for
 
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Northernhawk said:
We’ll I’m not wasting my time watching a FOUR TEAM tournament anyways…dud
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I sure don’t care either. It’s just some made up thing for the league. The Olympics is the only one that matters. And I guarantee you most of the players don’t care either and would rather use that time off to go relax somewhere or to play in said Olympics.
 
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The choices are fine given what's available. This is Canada's worst best on best roster ever, but talent has been at a low point for a long time so it isn't surprising. It's still a solid team, though I am disappointed that the team didn't go younger for this event. I'd go for something like this

Point McDavid Reinhart
Hagel MacKinnon Marner
Marchand Crosby Konecny
Bennett Cirelli Stone
Jarvis

Toews/Sanheim Makar
Morrissey Parayko/Sanheim
Theodore Pietrangelo

Hot hand in net

I think the correct strategy is to take advantage of McDavid, MacKinnon, and Crosby down the middle. Canada has an imbalance of right wing options, so Point moves to LW but ideally he can do some of the centre dirty work for McDavid. MacKinnon and marner make sense stylistically to me, and Hagel knows how to be third wheel. Crosby's line would be tenacious an the fourth line would be very strong defensively and fairly versatile.

I'd be open to seeing if Sanheim can take some minutes from Toews or Parayko and then give those guys mainly token minutes to keep them loose for penalty killing minutes. For goaltender they should just go with whoever is playing best com February. I expect the team to ride its top power play unit hard.
 
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Cirelli? Hagel?

Jesus that's bad.

TC showing no loyalty to long time guys who've been with the program forever. As much as I despise Tavares, I fail to see how you leave him off.

Suzuki has done dar more than Cirelli in his career.

Brutal choices.
 
Cooper’s familiarity with Cerelli and several teammates means they are thinking chemistry for this short tournament. Could even see the NS trio as a line. I wonder too about McD and Mack together on a line with someone like Stone or Reinhart.
 
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I like the idea of putting Marner with Mackinnon, that could work real well having Mitch dish off to Mack, could bring out the best in Marner and Hagel on the line as said is a good soldier as the third wheel.

Hope the coaches consider that set up.
 
Yepthatsme said:
Would love to see forward lines something like the following:

Marner-McDavid-Reinhart
Point-Crosby-Stone
Bennett-MacKinnon-Konecny
Marchand-Cirelli-Hagel
Jarvis

1st line is pretty simple, pure unadulterated offense. 2nd line is the matchup line, can have them lining up against the other nations best forwards and winning that battle handedly. 3rd line is the bull in a china shop line, and will be giving the other teams defense fits with their aggressive style. 4th line is a pure shutdown line with Jarvis cycling in. Gives Canada the peace of mind knowing that for 45-55 minutes of the game you have one of McDavid, Crosby, or MacKinnon on the ice as well which is a ridiculous advantage over the other nations.
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Bennett shoudn't be on the wing, and if you need Point at wing then he shouldn't be on the left. Overall that squad feels very butchered, no offense.

Marner - McDavid - Reinhart
Marchand - Crosby - MacKinnon
Cirelli - Point - Stone
Hagel - Bennett - Konecny

Reinhart is like a significantly better version of Nugent-Hopkins, I think he'd do very well with McDavid.
That second line has been golden for Canada in the past. Crosby thrives when he has two North-South wingers, and at least one guy who grinds out in the corners with him. Marchand has also played his best hockey when being the sidekick to elite linemates.
Third line is the pure shutdown line that should frustrate the hell out of the opposition.
Fourth line is the bang and crash energy guys all playing their natural positions.

Plus, all of the top 9 lines have good LHS and RHS faceoff men.
 
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waitin425 said:
Cirelli? Hagel?

Jesus that's bad.

TC showing no loyalty to long time guys who've been with the program forever. As much as I despise Tavares, I fail to see how you leave him off.

Suzuki has done dar more than Cirelli in his career.

Brutal choices.
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His time is passed, simple as that.
 
waitin425 said:
Cirelli? Hagel?

Jesus that's bad.

TC showing no loyalty to long time guys who've been with the program forever. As much as I despise Tavares, I fail to see how you leave him off.

Suzuki has done dar more than Cirelli in his career.

Brutal choices.
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Cirelli is debatable. He’s had a hot start and is among the best defensively but he’s never shown sustained high level offense. Hagel is fully deserving though. Among Canadians, only McDavid and MacKinnon have more ES points than him since the start of last year and he significantly improves the possession numbers of any line he’s on. He’s a very good player.
 
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waitin425 said:
Suzuki has done dar more than Cirelli in his career.
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Did you watch any playoff game during the threepeat run? Cirelli effectively erased the opposition’s best players in a way Suzuki never has. It’s embarrassing to be honest that this thread is full of Montréal fans who blindly advocate for him because of the team he plays for, he’s not been good enough this year
 
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IMG_9881.jpeg

B team is still better than Finland and comparable to Sweden
 
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thekernel said:
It's best-on-best, as in, the best players in the world. We are going to ice grinders against a third-line Jack Eichel my dude
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USA has Trocheck, Nelson and Kreider on their team, and left off guys like Thompson and Keller. I think you’re overrating any differences in how the team’s were picked. You still need to have guys who can play defence and PK. Scheifele could have made it but he’s not strong enough offensively or defensively to be an obvious pick
 
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I would love to see these lines. No doubt besties Crosby and MacKinnon play together.

Marchand-Cirelli-Hagel
MacKinnon-Crosby-Reinhart
Point-Bennett-Stone
Marner-McDavid-Konecny
 
Sergei Shirokov said:
Jarvis over Scheifele is a surprise for me. I thought Scheifele had earned a spot with his start & also being a C. On defense I probably would've taken Tanev over Parayko, but Armstrong's familiarity seems to have given Colton the edge

Also a little surprised by Montembeault. I wouldve taken Fleury but I expected it to be Thompson.

Cirelli making it as a 4C that can kill penalties, not too surprised by that given Cooper is the coach. Maybe Bennett is a little surprising. Seems like they really went for grit & getting guys who could fill roles.
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I wonder if there's some beef between Hill and Thompson. Regardless I'm glad they picked the guy who won and not his backup. I wish Fleury would've been there just for the vibes.

Bennett absolutely belongs. He can play on any line and go out there when shit needs disturbing
 
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