GDT: Group A • Dec. 26 • Canada vs. Slovakia • Part II
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Alerion
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His stats in the W are prettier than Fucale's stats in the Q, and Fucale didn't have the best game against Russia in the pre-competition. Other than that, no.
Groulx liked how he's getting alot of offence Petan, Fabbri, Paul, Point, Virtanen, Crouse. I didn't hear Gauthier, kind of odd to not say Gauthier but the rest of the bottom 6.
Oh well, Gauthier is better when he's in the puck battles and cycling rather than skating with the puck into the zone or trying to make a nice pass offensively.
Button should some really good plays by Bowey, I noticed them too live and he's playing really smart. He keeps a good cap control and when a forward makes a move he can cut him off, steal the puck and quickly turn it the other way. He's made some bad plays in the pre-tournament games but I didn't really think of them as a bad way just some people overreacting, he can skate well, play hard, physical and shoot.
Oh well, Gauthier is better when he's in the puck battles and cycling rather than skating with the puck into the zone or trying to make a nice pass offensively.
Button should some really good plays by Bowey, I noticed them too live and he's playing really smart. He keeps a good cap control and when a forward makes a move he can cut him off, steal the puck and quickly turn it the other way. He's made some bad plays in the pre-tournament games but I didn't really think of them as a bad way just some people overreacting, he can skate well, play hard, physical and shoot.
Roof Daddy
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- Apr 1, 2008
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That, and his insane hand-eye coordination. Towards the end of the 3rd there was a bouncing puck that a Slovak defender swatted up ice from his own blue line that McDavid knocked out of mid air at full stride and had under control within a second.
I find it very funny that some people were so critical of his play tonight. Were they expecting to run some Harlem Globetrotters show and dance through the entire team? This is the first game he's played that actually meant something in over a month. He's gonna be rusty trying to get up to speed, and I still think he looked pretty damn good. Patience with the puck and vision came as advertised tonight.
leafsfuture
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- Mar 30, 2008
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The Petan hate the last 2 years was like the Gallagher hate from 2011. Remember when everyone crapped on Gallagher because he was small, and kinda scrappy (not uber skilled like a Domi) and then Gallagher ignited the almost-comeback against Russia.
Ditto for Petan. Kid is small, not the greatest stickhandler, but he can skate and boy can he shoot. So he will get crap until he does these clutch plays.
Ditto for Petan. Kid is small, not the greatest stickhandler, but he can skate and boy can he shoot. So he will get crap until he does these clutch plays.
veganhunter
Mexico City Coyotes!
Pretty common opinion that he was in tough to make the team and that he was a 4th liner/13th forward.
All sarcasm aside you'd think that after 4 goals last year and 1st and 2nd finishes in WHL scoring people might concede his inclusion on the team was more than warranted.
He's going to light up the tourney. He puts up points. I don't understand a lot of the hate going around.
Gigantor The Goalie
Speak for the Goalies
Fucale also had a pretty great game against Russia during the SSS. I don't mind giving both a chance at the job but so far Fucale hasn't been scored on in two games. I know it was against Slovakia and the Swiss, still has to count for something though right? I just don't think it's fair to write off Fucale.
veganhunter
Mexico City Coyotes!
Thing is Petan is uber skilled but non Jets fans were expecting Patty Kane and Petan is much more Ray Whitney. Hence the disappointment.
Just came back from the game. I know we only played Slovakia but some people made impressions while others didn't.
Jake Virtanen is awesome. He goes to all the dirty areas. You always see him driving the net and going to the corners to grab loose pucks. On the backcheck, he's always there taking the body. Not to mention that he has some pretty quick hands and a knack for putting the puck in the net. Vancouver has a good one.
Curtis Lazar has been horrible in the games against Switzerland and Slovakia. He hasn't been able to catch a pass and when he's had the puck, he's been too slow to release the puck or make another decision. Was expecting much more.
Connor McDavid has also had a bit of a hard time. He's slightly predictable. Whenever he enters the zone, he enters wide and then always drops the puck to the trailer at around the top of the circles or hashmarks. Basically he's forcing the play. When I watched Eichel today, he did the exact opposite. Eichel slowed the play down and took the time to make cerebral plays. Eichel played a really good first period but then played cocky the rest of the game. Anyways, McDavid isn't getting any help from Lazar.
Duclair and Domi are so much fun to watch. Duclair's speed is helping him blow by defensemen and it's also helping him force opposing defensemen to make mistakes and to lose the puck. Domi is shifty in his own right. He keeps putting the puck in the net even though it doesn't seem like his shot is too hard.
I continue to not be super impressed by Reinhart. He sees the play well and makes good passes but there really isn't any distinguishing factor.
Gauthier does not belong on this stage. He has a huge frame and yet he can't muscle people off the puck and he falls everywhere on the ice
Petan is awesome. Sees the play well and takes some chances despite his small frame
Fucale was very solid. He definitely was shaky in the first two exhibition games but that was not apparent in this one.
Go Canada Go!!!
Jake Virtanen is awesome. He goes to all the dirty areas. You always see him driving the net and going to the corners to grab loose pucks. On the backcheck, he's always there taking the body. Not to mention that he has some pretty quick hands and a knack for putting the puck in the net. Vancouver has a good one.
Curtis Lazar has been horrible in the games against Switzerland and Slovakia. He hasn't been able to catch a pass and when he's had the puck, he's been too slow to release the puck or make another decision. Was expecting much more.
Connor McDavid has also had a bit of a hard time. He's slightly predictable. Whenever he enters the zone, he enters wide and then always drops the puck to the trailer at around the top of the circles or hashmarks. Basically he's forcing the play. When I watched Eichel today, he did the exact opposite. Eichel slowed the play down and took the time to make cerebral plays. Eichel played a really good first period but then played cocky the rest of the game. Anyways, McDavid isn't getting any help from Lazar.
Duclair and Domi are so much fun to watch. Duclair's speed is helping him blow by defensemen and it's also helping him force opposing defensemen to make mistakes and to lose the puck. Domi is shifty in his own right. He keeps putting the puck in the net even though it doesn't seem like his shot is too hard.
I continue to not be super impressed by Reinhart. He sees the play well and makes good passes but there really isn't any distinguishing factor.
Gauthier does not belong on this stage. He has a huge frame and yet he can't muscle people off the puck and he falls everywhere on the ice
Petan is awesome. Sees the play well and takes some chances despite his small frame
Fucale was very solid. He definitely was shaky in the first two exhibition games but that was not apparent in this one.
Go Canada Go!!!
It is quite the luxury to have 3 number one lines and a fourth line that is so fast and talented plus Gauthier. How does another team plan for this team. Each line is fast, cycles the puck well, forechecks hard and can look after there own end. Everyone is talking about the McDavid line but I consider them the 3rd line with potential for a lot better. I don't see McDavid meshing with his present linemates but he did look better with the 4th line.
Defense is very fast and quite able to go up with the puck which is going to help this team go far. All players are getting ice time and for the most part are doing well.
Watching the American game, it appeared that they rely one the Eichel line way too much which Canada hasn't been doing. Alot easier to play one good line than 3 or 4
Defense is very fast and quite able to go up with the puck which is going to help this team go far. All players are getting ice time and for the most part are doing well.
Watching the American game, it appeared that they rely one the Eichel line way too much which Canada hasn't been doing. Alot easier to play one good line than 3 or 4
veganhunter
Mexico City Coyotes!
I won't get deep into the goalie debate we do that enough with Pav and Hutch on the Jets board. I will say, at some point you do have to put some stock into their respective stats. Comrie puts up very good numbers on a below average WHL team and Fucale puts up very meh numbers on what was a very dominant and still decent Halifax team. Whether that translates to a short tournament who knows but there is some substance to the debate.
Jack Bourdain
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- Mar 25, 2008
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I was at the game tonight. Great game by Team Canada, but this is nothing to get excited about. A lot of turnovers from both teams, and Slovakia really didn't put up a fight. The Canadians were ridiculous on the forecheck with the D not being afraid to pick. Gotta be careful when we play faster and more skilled teams.
Can you give examples on what one would do to differentiate themselves?
Team quality might make a difference, but not that much. One team has been the biggest run and gun team in the CHL the past few years and one is stingy and builds it's entire game around playing stingy.
The numbers IMO are just a small piece, judge their skills. Fucale might be more athletic, but IMO Comrie provides a calm and is a better blocker.
Gigantor The Goalie
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Fucale is playing on a less then dominant team this year, just saying. There's a reason Halifax traded him for draft picks and such. Halifax is rebuilding this year and Fucale's stats are paying the price. At any rate has Comrie shown that he is above Fucale in these games so far and has Fucale shown that he is unable to be in the number 1 role?
Gigantor The Goalie
Speak for the Goalies
A shutout from Comrie would have been nice against the Swedes. I still think either goalie is right for the job, neither one though has a huge leg up on the other. Team Canada wants a goalie that will be solid for the whole tournament and maybe steal a game. No one knows who that is yet because Canada hasn't faced a team that has really tested them.
Actually, he's a very good stickhandler, and is a terrific passer with great vision. His skating is getting better, but not elite. His shot is okay, but mostly from in close.
He was terrific today. He often controlled the pace and made some great passes. He has a great feel for time and space on the ice.
It's too small a sample size to differentiate the goalies based on a few exhibition games and a laugher tonight. Fucale had almost no chances against, and he made his most difficult save by the knob of his goal-stick - not exactly how you would normally do that.
Comrie has been undisputably better in CHL play, but it's going to be difficult to assess them in the midst of a tournament, especially based on games against teams that can hardly create a decent shot on goal.
Szechwan
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- Sep 13, 2006
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Fun game. Not much to complain about here.
Just to have fun nitpicking- I hope they break up the Mcdavid- Lazar- Ritchie line. Really not much going on there.
Would be fun to see Mcdavid mixed into the Crouse-Point-Virtanen line. He seemed to be most effective off the rush right now, and that just ain't happening where he is.
Just to have fun nitpicking- I hope they break up the Mcdavid- Lazar- Ritchie line. Really not much going on there.
Would be fun to see Mcdavid mixed into the Crouse-Point-Virtanen line. He seemed to be most effective off the rush right now, and that just ain't happening where he is.
The Swedes are better than the Suisse and Slovakia. He let in one goal from open play and it went of his own teams shin pad.
I just don't understand how you could expect Comrie to better Fucale or set himself apart, when Fucale has started 3 of the 4 games this group has played.
Fucale was shaky against Russia and both goals went in because he fumbled shots at his glove.
Being tested with 20 shots in the last 120 minutes isn't all that impressive for Fucale either.
I just hope whoever tends our goal can win, I just didn't like your phrasing. Comrie has had very little opportunity and in that tiny opportunity looked less shaky than Fucale did against a similar caliber team (Russia vs Sweden).
The coach is going with the strategy of alternating the goaltenders. Comrie will start tomorrow.
That is a good approach.
Alerion
Registered User
Not to homer for Fucale (can I even homer if he's not a Moosehead anymore?) but the bad game against Russia was also the day Halifax traded him, which could have been a factor.
Gigantor The Goalie
Speak for the Goalies
This is what I'm saying. The games so far haven't shown which goalies should carry the team. How much does CHL play matter? Fucale backed a high flying team Fuhr-style to a Memorial Cup two seasons ago. I don't think any Moosehead fans would say their team is a defensive juggernaut. All I want is a goalie that will backstop the team in the best way possible. Neither goalie has shown that they are unable to do that job and in my opinion competition is still wide open until the American game.
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