World Cup: Four Nations Tournament-Team Canada

[Bonin21]

So I was wrong, they don't have to play with 5D, but they can't bring a guy up until they go down to 5D.

(so no practice time, having the guy in the dressing room etc.)

So if one of the remaining 6 is a disaster he could come up with a "lower body injury"

 

[NyQuil]

So if one of the remaining 6 is a disaster he could come up with a "lower body injury"

Are you Las Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon?

 

[JoeSakic13]

Moneypuck link to last nights game:

MoneyPuck.com

Top player and defender 5v5: Toews

Damn, good for him. By a wide margin it looks like compared to his teammates.

Konecny unsurprisingly being at the bottom of most stats too.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Why are you blaming goaltending? Which one could he have had back? The second goal maybe?

He saved your asses on Zibanejad in overtime too.

You guys are freaking ridiculous.

He made some great stops.

But two of those goals were weak. You can’t be giving up softies and expect to win against great talent. He needs to be better.

I would stick with him. It’s too short a tournament to be playing around with who’s in net.

 

[flin flon bombers]

As for Mckinnon being a major puck hog,I don't know,but when you get in that close you are were you need to be to score,maybe a pass to mcdavid but if I remember a d was still between them.

 

[mcdingdong]

As for Mckinnon being a major puck hog,I don't know,but when you get in that close you are were you need to be to score,maybe a pass to mcdavid but if I remember a d was still between them.

He shot from 40 feet out like 5 times in a 3v3 format. That is brain dead hockey. Especially when you are caving in the goalie's chest with all of those shots.

 

[Mathieukferland]

If it gets there, Harley is a great replacement

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

As for Mckinnon being a major puck hog,I don't know,but when you get in that close you are were you need to be to score,maybe a pass to mcdavid but if I remember a d was still between them.

5 on 5 I'd agree but 3 on 3, possession is everything. He gave up the puck to the Swedes over low percentage shots at least 3 times. We're lucky to have survived that. I get it: he's amazing but there's other amazing guys out there with him. You have 10 minutes. Be patient.

 

[M21]

Canada USA game Saturday night will be interesting. USA looked so strong tonight and are probably the team to beat. With that said Canada have some amazing forwards but defence and goaltending are a bit of a concern. Canada will have to play with speed and not over pass the puck. Be a bit selfish and shoot when the opportunity is there. It should be a great game with an unbelievable crowd. Go Canada Go. And please cheere the Canadian anthem like never before and be silent during the American anthem. Don’t give the opposition any extra motivation.

 

[Tutu to]

Just got back from the USA-Finland game and I thought the score line was somewhat flattering to the States/harsh for Finland. I thought Finland did a really good job defending especially considering the players they had. Essentially the poor start to the third period let the game get away from them. That’s unfortunately what elite talent will do to you. Also thought Soros had a bad night. I actually thought the Finish team looked better organized in the first 2 periods.

As for Saturday I definitely think we have a shot. The American defence struggled against Finland on the forecheck and down low. Maybe this is the type of game you plug Benett in.

 

[Nucks2001]

My thoughts on how Canada beats the USA:

1. Slow down the Tkachuks. The Marchand-Point-Jarvis line can really disrupt the flow for the Americans and are the ideal match-up line. Where they lack in size, they make up for in IQ, finesse and just being a step ahead. I think this is where Marchand becomes useful and draws in penalties so Canada's PP can cook.

2. You have to play a TON of Parayko when the Eichel line is out. He looked great against Sweden and you're going to need him if you want to shutdown Eichel's speed or the Tkachuks' size.

3. I think the Crosby line matches up really well against the Matthews line. They should be rolled out to go head-to-head with them.

 

[centipede2233]

Canada is going to have to shelter doughty defensively. He is slow and when your slow defensively gaps become a problem and he can be exploited. I think team Canada is going to come away with some hard lessons. A) take the best goalies at the time, not a guy who had a hot streak for 6 months 6 years ago b) keep the d men young. It’s a young man’s game. Doughty shouldn’t be on the Olympic team. B) for 2026, Marchand and konecny out, barzal and Scheifele in. I think Canada over does it with the two way guys and this adjustment adds some offensive flare and more speed to burn in barzal.

 

[PhilJets]

Hopefully McDavid wins one, after the Jets this year otherwise hi might be a Marcel Dionne.

Lets Go CANADA!

Crosby, McDavid, McKinnon and Makar...

GO beat the USA but not too much, Helly is my favorite goalie

 

[NotTheRocketman]

Biggest thing working against Canada will be the goaltending. They are at a big disadvantage compared to the other teams. Especially the U.S.

Binnington was fine. He made big saves when it mattered, and was incredible in OT.

The real concern for Canada is how come the entire team just stopped skating after the first period and let Sweden claw their way back into the game? They can't do that against the Americans or they'll get run out of the building.

 

[Divine]

Moneypuck link to last nights game:

MoneyPuck.com

Top player and defender 5v5: Toews

Second best player and top forward 5v5. Marner

I'd switch Marner and Jarvis. McDavid benefits from an aggressive forecheck presence and Point would benefit from an elite playmaking winger (Marner is familiar with playing alongside a shoot first center).

Would be quite the dropoff in skill and production to go from Marner to Jarvis, especially when Marner played the most minutes 5v5. That was their best line last game also - with Marner having the highest expected goals of all the forwards

 

[Tutu to]

Second best player and top forward 5v5. Marner



Would be quite the dropoff in skill and production to go from Marner to Jarvis, especially when Marner played the most minutes 5v5. That was their best line last game also - with Marner having the highest expected goals of all the forwards

Marner had a bad game and everyone knows it. Scoring in OT doesn’t really change that. Personally think Crosby-McDavid and Mackinnon-Marner are better combos.

 

[CaviarAndRinkFries]

 

[featherhawk]

Not picking Thompson was pretty stupid.

and Kuemper....binnington and Sam should have been on a beach for a couple weeks....I would be starting Aiden Hill vs USA tonight if I was the coach

 

[Divine]

Marner had a bad game and everyone knows it. Scoring in OT doesn’t really change that. Personally think Crosby-McDavid and Mackinnon-Marner are better combos.

He was literally the best forward on the team in expected goals 5v5. The rest of the forward group must have had worse games.

 

[Ararana]

Somehow as an Avs fan I wish he could be like that in Colorado. Dude always want to pass but last night he tried to do everything by himself in that OT.

Thank you! I was watching that 3v3 thinking "why the f*** don't we get this on the Avs?"

Mackinnon's only fault was the 3 on 1 in OT, I don't know why anyone is crying over the other ones, he generated those shots/chances himself as opposed to....doing nothing?

Agreed. Even the 3 on 1 (which was really a 2 on 1) the defender took away the pass to McDavid. Taking the shot is without question the best option here.

On his four other shots in OT he's the only damn player in the offensive zone, Canada was changing guys during most of these plays.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Thank you! I was watching that 3v3 thinking "why the f*** don't we get this on the Avs?"



Agreed. Even the 3 on 1 (which was really a 2 on 1) the defender took away the pass to McDavid. Taking the shot is without question the best option here.

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On his four other shots in OT he's the only damn player in the offensive zone, Canada was changing guys during most of these plays.

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He's attacking on his "off-wing" too, with a better shooting angle at the net, in the first picture in particular anything other than a shot on net by MacKinnon would have been a much lower-percentage play.

 

[Ararana]

He's attacking on his "off-wing" too, with a better shooting angle at the net, in the first picture in particular anything other than a shot on net by MacKinnon would have been a much lower-percentage play.

*MacKinnon single-handedly generates 5 high danger scoring chances in 6 minutes of OT hockey

Fans of others teams: "No, not like that!!"

 

[Mathieukferland]

He was literally the best forward on the team in expected goals 5v5. The rest of the forward group must have had worse games.

Did you watch the same game? He had one nice pass that led to the toews chance late in the third, but apart from that he pulled the chute on a play going into the corner with Brodin in the first, failed to drive the net for a tap in when McDavid walked Ekholm earlier in the third, and put McDavid offside on what looked like was going to be a breakaway; I’m glad he scored the winner but I think he handcuffed McDavid playing with him, he’s better served moving down the lineup and adding some playing driving to that fourth line

 

[NordiquesForeva]

My thoughts on how Canada beats the USA:

1. Slow down the Tkachuks. The Marchand-Point-Jarvis line can really disrupt the flow for the Americans and are the ideal match-up line. Where they lack in size, they make up for in IQ, finesse and just being a step ahead. I think this is where Marchand becomes useful and draws in penalties so Canada's PP can cook.

2. You have to play a TON of Parayko when the Eichel line is out. He looked great against Sweden and you're going to need him if you want to shutdown Eichel's speed or the Tkachuks' size.

3. I think the Crosby line matches up really well against the Matthews line. They should be rolled out to go head-to-head with them.

It'll be interesting to see, with Theodore out, who Sanheim gets paired up with. The easiest answer is Doughty, but with the Eichel + Tkachuk^2 line I kind of wonder whether Cooper will pair Sanheim with Parayko to get more size on that 2nd pairing (relative to Morrissey). Its also possible that Sullivan reverts back to having the Tkachuks on different lines to create some potential size matchup difficulties for Canada.

I don't disagree with you on deploying the Point line against the Eichel line. I don't think we'll see a lot of PPs, though. The games so far (yes, its early) have been called like NHL games, not IIHF. I'm good with that; I just don't think we'll see a ton of PPs.

 

[Oscar The Grouch]

Second best player and top forward 5v5. Marner



Would be quite the dropoff in skill and production to go from Marner to Jarvis, especially when Marner played the most minutes 5v5. That was their best line last game also - with Marner having the highest expected goals of all the forwards

Dude, Marner was trash until he scored. It was evident to anyone watching. Watch the games.

Hagel stood out as being the slowest player on the ice. What are his strengths?