GDT: Group A • Dec. 29 • Switzerland vs. Canada • Part 2

[phil162888]

Yes...all thru the game certain guys played for 2 minute shifts...forwards and defense.

And no, Sanheim should not be taking 3 minute shifts either. No one should. I am Canadian and want to win. Yet Lowry felt Hicketts, after playing for 2 straight minutes is a better option for the last minute than Sanheim, Dermott, etc... That's just dumb. So a fresh Sanheim is not as good as a gassed Hicketts in our coaches mind. Dumb. But Sanheim absolutely should be getting PP time. No other D on the team has won a scoring title for D in their league but him.

At times, watching today's game was like watching a faster Allstar game just with hitting. Players were puck hogs, trying to do it themselves, 2 minute shifts, coasting, etc... It was sad to watch.

As I said before, Canada has the talent to run 4 lines and 3 pairings. There is no McDavid on this team. There is little separating all the guys. Having a fresh team that runs 4 lines all game can wear out other teams. Yet by taking these long shifts, we slowed down the play and lose that ability.

At times, it's as if certain guys get punished for playing well, and others can do no wrong. And yeah, Hicketts is a target because he has not done anything great. He just gets on the ice 4 times as much as some other Dmen so of course is noticed more. Plus, if he played less and had shorter shifts, he would be fresher and likely better himself.

I would like to know how many goals against each a Dman has been in for. As I said before, Sanheim has been on for 0 against in this tourney and for any of the pre-tourney games.

For a player that this coaching staff obviously does not trust defensively... I find this stat interesting.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

How was Chabot?

 

[Semantics]

He's probably been the best dmen of the group through three games and was player of the game today. He has certainly not been horrible and is deserving of top pairing minutes, just not the excessive minutes he got in the final 25 minutes today.

Pretty easy to look good against teams like Denmark and Switzerland when he's getting twice as much ice time as anyone else. I agree he hasn't been horrible, but he hasn't been significantly better (if at all) than the rest of the group, and the coach's obsession with him certainly isn't warranted.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

The elephant in the room for Team Canada is the "me syndrome". There is way too much "me".

Every time a Team Canada player touches the puck it's almost as if they have to take 10 secs with it before they pass it along...they need to recognize that every single player on the team is literally a 'great player' at the junior level, so maybe just maybe they need to start passing the puck quicker and then moving to get open to receive the pass back.

I see too much standing around, not enough movement and way too many players holding the puck way too long.

I'd also like to add that once the coaching staff allows players to stay out longer than 40 seconds, it just breeds slower and slower play as each player on the bench knows that players will extend shifts to get their minutes and the whole team begins to not give full effort because they have to conserve energy to last longer than 40 seconds.

Just a tip for Team Canada.

1 - Pass the puck
2 - Give and go's, team cycle (not just 1-man cycle)
3 - 40 second shifts

Do these 3 simple things everything changes for the better. My guess is that there are way too many selfish players on the team to concede to a team concept.

Just noticed this post reading over this thread. This is what I see also. This is not a team yet. I do not see players playing for the greater good as opposed to playing for themselves. As you say, I see a lot of me in this team's play. Last year's team was a team. From Mcdavid and Domi down to Gauthier and Crouse on the 4th line. Unless Canada starts playing like a team and for each other. When I see players cutting back on the long shifts. I will believe in this team. Great observation.

 

[Russiaboy]

TBH Canada should of lost this game , looked like Swiss wanted to win more badly then canada did . Great game all round for the swiss . ! i dont think canada is going to get a medal this year .

 

[Classicnamesup]

I assume you guys are aware that Hicketts had 1 less point than Sanheim in 5 less games last year because he made the WJ team and was gone while playing in that. Sanheim didn't make the team so he got to play more games and thanks to the extra games was able to outscore Hicketts. Just funny continuously hearing how Sanheim is the best Off-D on Earth and Hicketts can't do a thing offensively. Besides the huge goal he scored to tie the game I guess

 

[SabresSharks]

I assume you guys are aware that Hicketts had 1 less point than Sanheim in 5 less games last year because he made the WJ team and was gone while playing in that. Sanheim didn't make the team so he got to play more games and thanks to the extra games was able to outscore Hicketts. Just funny continuously hearing how Sanheim is the best Off-D on Earth and Hicketts can't do a thing offensively. Besides the huge goal he scored to tie the game I guess

That's not the issue at hand.

Nobody should be playing a 3 minute shift, regardless of circumstances. Nobody. Ever.

That's on the coach, not the player.

 

[Classicnamesup]

That's not the issue at hand.

Nobody should be playing a 3 minute shift, regardless of circumstances. Nobody. Ever.

That's on the coach, not the player.

If you read far enough you will find many Sanheim fans who keep repeating this and putting down every Dman on the team, especially Hicketts. Buddy needs to be the slightest bit responsible in his own end to get minutes it seems and he hasn't been getting the trust.

The coaching decisions were awful all game as was time management. There should be an asst who can step in and take over, send Lowry home.