I don’t care who wins. I was just happy to have hockey back but yeah the tournament didn’t offer a ton of compelling games.
PGT: Gold Medal Game | USA vs Canada | PGT
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Pandaman11
Registered User
- Dec 3, 2009
- 2,835
- 1,331
Why was Justin Barron (nr.27) skipped in the medal handout? It went from 26 Tomasino to 29 Quinn
Whalers Fan
Go Habs!
Canada had more rest than their opponent in the only game they lost. Try again.
Maybe the IIHF should regulate the USA, Finland, Russia and Sweden from the top tier. Then maybe Canada could win every year.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
One thing I think we can all learn from a game like this is how fans and media have a tendency to underrate prior success, team cohesion, experience in these big junior international championships.
It's easy for fans to look at the rosters based on draft position and decide how the games will go. However, that is way too simplistic. There are many factors that go into draft position that aren't in common with who wins these games at this level.
Some boasted about all Canada's first rounders and how that meant they were unstoppable, but take for instance the difference between the two goaltenders. Knight was a little inconsistent throughout, while Levi was great until the final. In the final, Knight is great and Levi was shaky. Consider the difference in game experience at these big tournaments. Between the WJC18 and WJC20, Knight has played 21 of these games, Levi has 7 of these games. Knight has 4 medals, and already had played in a championship game. Levi, this is absolutely the biggest stage he's played on and nothing comes close. He was playing Junior A last year. Even his own teammates were saying they didn't know who he was until very recently. Knight has been there and done that. Levi hasn't.
Consider the two US goalscorers. Turcotte has played 26 games between the WJC18 and WJC20. 3 medals, already played in a championship game. Zegras has played in 19 games. These guys are not phased because they've played in so many of these big games. Even not in these two tournaments, how many more finals do you think they've played in for the NTDP? Yet again this year showed why this is a 19 year old tournament. You win and lose almost every year based on your 19 year olds. The big American 19 year old players showed up when it mattered most. Knight, York, Thrun, Turcotte, Zegras, Boldy all had big performances, and part of that is because these guys have cohesion playing together for years and experience playing in these big tournaments. They have won together for many years.
To think these things don't play a big role into these tournaments is naive. We are all guilty of it. I was writing off the Finn's this year partly because they were starting an undrafted goalie with awful stats in the OHL. However, Piiroinen played well, and the Finn's won a Bronze medal. Obviously I underestimated how the Finnish program regarded his game and his experience with that Finnish age group. How many years did the Russians bring all these 19 year olds that no one had heard of that were undrafted who outplayed early round picks from other teams? They've been the most consistent team at this tournament with these teams. It's strategy. It's not luck.
This isn't to suggest that draft position doesn't matter. Clearly it does. The Canadians could've won that game last night, and the story would be different. I'd merely ask that going into these tournaments in the future we all take into account which countries have had success in these age groups, which teams have good crops of 19 year olds, which teams have players who have cohesion, and which teams have an experienced crop in these big tournaments. These things matter, and we saw that this was a big difference in a close game last night between two good teams.
It's easy for fans to look at the rosters based on draft position and decide how the games will go. However, that is way too simplistic. There are many factors that go into draft position that aren't in common with who wins these games at this level.
Some boasted about all Canada's first rounders and how that meant they were unstoppable, but take for instance the difference between the two goaltenders. Knight was a little inconsistent throughout, while Levi was great until the final. In the final, Knight is great and Levi was shaky. Consider the difference in game experience at these big tournaments. Between the WJC18 and WJC20, Knight has played 21 of these games, Levi has 7 of these games. Knight has 4 medals, and already had played in a championship game. Levi, this is absolutely the biggest stage he's played on and nothing comes close. He was playing Junior A last year. Even his own teammates were saying they didn't know who he was until very recently. Knight has been there and done that. Levi hasn't.
Consider the two US goalscorers. Turcotte has played 26 games between the WJC18 and WJC20. 3 medals, already played in a championship game. Zegras has played in 19 games. These guys are not phased because they've played in so many of these big games. Even not in these two tournaments, how many more finals do you think they've played in for the NTDP? Yet again this year showed why this is a 19 year old tournament. You win and lose almost every year based on your 19 year olds. The big American 19 year old players showed up when it mattered most. Knight, York, Thrun, Turcotte, Zegras, Boldy all had big performances, and part of that is because these guys have cohesion playing together for years and experience playing in these big tournaments. They have won together for many years.
To think these things don't play a big role into these tournaments is naive. We are all guilty of it. I was writing off the Finn's this year partly because they were starting an undrafted goalie with awful stats in the OHL. However, Piiroinen played well, and the Finn's won a Bronze medal. Obviously I underestimated how the Finnish program regarded his game and his experience with that Finnish age group. How many years did the Russians bring all these 19 year olds that no one had heard of that were undrafted who outplayed early round picks from other teams? They've been the most consistent team at this tournament with these teams. It's strategy. It's not luck.
This isn't to suggest that draft position doesn't matter. Clearly it does. The Canadians could've won that game last night, and the story would be different. I'd merely ask that going into these tournaments in the future we all take into account which countries have had success in these age groups, which teams have good crops of 19 year olds, which teams have players who have cohesion, and which teams have an experienced crop in these big tournaments. These things matter, and we saw that this was a big difference in a close game last night between two good teams.
NyQuil
Big F$&*in Q
Levi was as shaky as Knight in the final.
Sorry. One goal is deflected in after heaps and heaps of pressure and the other off a bizarre bounce?
Knight was the winner and deservedly so, but don't try to change what happened on the ice to fit your pre-conceived narrative please.
Levi was the only reason the team went into the dressing room down 1-0 at the end of the period, and not 4-0.
Anyone pointing to the standard of goaltending in the final as a major differentiating factor was either watching a different game or had already written their post-game analysis before the puck was dropped.
Sorry. One goal is deflected in after heaps and heaps of pressure and the other off a bizarre bounce?
Knight was the winner and deservedly so, but don't try to change what happened on the ice to fit your pre-conceived narrative please.
Levi was the only reason the team went into the dressing room down 1-0 at the end of the period, and not 4-0.
Anyone pointing to the standard of goaltending in the final as a major differentiating factor was either watching a different game or had already written their post-game analysis before the puck was dropped.
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Barnum
Registered User
No need to be worked up over a children’s game and the supposed antics of a bunch of teens. It’s a game bud....act like it is.
General Fanager
Registered User
I fully admit I thought Canada would win because they seemed to dominate teams that USA lost to or barely beat.....
But USA played an incredible game and deserved to win.
Good on Them!!!
But USA played an incredible game and deserved to win.
Good on Them!!!
He wasn't close to Zegras or Stutzle. Cozens was better except for the final.
NorCalhockey
Registered User
- Jan 6, 2017
- 3,261
- 3,457
Because I watched on the NHL Network, I missed it, but did TSN not do the puns in Intermission this year? I recall they had puns based on certain players/scores/whatever that they would show in a graphic during Intermission.
This is a damning indictment of the Swedish and Russian programs. Yes, they made the gold medal games in between 2013-2021, but to have 0 gold to show speaks to issues in their program (coaching? not used to North American ice? ???).
Now, the next thing to see is which country will be the first to repeat. I fully expect not just the Big Five to make it hard on a defending champion to repeat, but the likes of Germany, Switzerland, Czech could present themselves as banana peels for any defending champion as well.
I don't think it can be stated enough how vital the NTDP is to the US success at the WJC. I've bolded part of @Pavel Buchnevich's post to simply say ITA!
heynowbababooey
Registered User
- Sep 29, 2017
- 2,810
- 3,052
I've been on these boards for 2013 (USA beat Canada 5-1 in the semifinal), 2017 (USA beat Canada in a shootout) and now this year. It ALWAYS gets quiet once Canada is out.
FinPanda
Barkov Stanley cup champ!
Yeah I remember 2016 when Finns beat Canada in the quarters.
I Hate Philadelphia
Registered User
Cozens was great, it's a shame he's going to Buffalo where his career will die before it ever starts.
I am referring to the ridiculousness of your post but yes I was on HF near its inception for a while.
SotasicA
Registered User
- Aug 25, 2014
- 8,489
- 6,405
"You saw that guy who played at the other net? That's your competition trying to get a job in the NHL. Now here's your silver medal. Get used to the feeling."
NyQuil
Big F$&*in Q
This is true, but that dude asked a guy who has been here 18 years if he is new around here. Making a new account is one thing, but asking someone who has been on the board as long as some of the players that played last night is another thing.
Sheppy
NeelyDan eats corn the long way
ughhh it still feels like I've been punched in the stomach....
mad props to the States... they played us like we were playing other teams... brought our own game plan to us and executed it near perfectly. also want to give a shout out to Zegras... that kid is going to be something special if he isn't already.
and mad props to my fellow Canadians for being a fun group to post with. see you guys next time.
mad props to the States... they played us like we were playing other teams... brought our own game plan to us and executed it near perfectly. also want to give a shout out to Zegras... that kid is going to be something special if he isn't already.
and mad props to my fellow Canadians for being a fun group to post with. see you guys next time.
lol love ya GP
dukeofjive
Registered User
That was one heck of a game, the saddest part do is those kids wont get to legally drink after that win
The Kingslayer
Registered User
The Kingslayer
Registered User
In Canada we don't care. Hope those kids including Berniers got shit faced.
Finland vs Sweden and Finland vs. USA were plenty compelling in my opinion. Great hockey!
However, I just noticed the events unfolding in Washington....hockey's on the back seat for a while now, jeez...
Lt Dan
F*** your ice cream!
GP you won the internet today and probably tomorrow as well. Amazing work
