Leafs at the Olympics

[Fogelhund]

I would have they just go with the junior team and give them some experience
I don't think they made 3 passes in a row this game. Lack of skills is so evident

I might suggest that the Juniors would have been mad handled badly in this game. You watch McTavish, McBain and Johnson have particularly ineffective.

 

[fahad203]

Canada will regret not taking the most skilled team possible. They basically took a bunch of grinders

They were better of giving kids like Bedard and Wright an opportunity. I mean they'll be the face of Canada anyways
Powers looked decent to me, so did McTavish. They looked better than half of the team

They left a lot of skill on the table.

 

[fahad203]

I might suggest that the Juniors would have been mad handled badly in this game. You watch McTavish, McBain and Johnson have particularly ineffective.

No doubt. Sweden is a big strong team

 

[Fogelhund]

Spoiler alert. The game is actually over. The CBC feed is well behind.

 

[Fogelhund]

Holmberg with an assist there. Nice board battle win, and perfect chip out. He’s been better this game. Still not much ice time. Sweden 2-0. Lights out for Canada.

 

[wingman75]

I would have they just go with the junior team and give them some experience
I don't think they made 3 passes in a row this game. Lack of skills is so evident

For sure limited skill, but the lack of hockey IQ was pretty evident as well imo - as evident by the turnover for the goal against... that is a very situational unaware play.
They played as hard as they could, but as others have stated, they didn't have enough skill to put together a dangerous line.
Me thinks if they started Thomkins in net from the start they might have avoided the extra game vs China, he was very solid.

 

[ACC1224]

I'm guessing the Leafs won't be making room for Ho-Sang upon his return?

 

[Fogelhund]

I'm guessing the Leafs won't be making room for Ho-Sang upon his return?

I don’t think they were ever “making room” for him. But, maybe if he’d shown something at a “higher” level (and after watching these games, I use that term loosely) he might have been good depth. But 0.74 PPG in the AHL and this. Nah….

 

[Judas Tavares]

I'm guessing the Leafs won't be making room for Ho-Sang upon his return?

Any thought of that should be put to bed. Ho-Sang didn't show any glimpses of being a productive NHLer. We complain enough about Mik, Engvall, Kerfoot etc., I can only imagine the reaction to Ho-Sang if he got an extensive look in our lineup.

 

[Zybalto]

Between NHL players not going, Valieva, who should have been the darling of the games, getting busted for cheating, and then the IOC rolling over for the Russians in a country the Olympics probably shouldn't have gone to anyways...........easily the worst Olympics in modern history IMO.

 

[ShaneFalco]

 

[stickty111]

Both Canada and US out. I know there were no NHLers but still crazy

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Both Canada and US out. I know there were no NHLers but still crazy

USA is somewhat of a surprise but Canada was nowhere near a top 3 tournament in this tournament. At best, they are in the Switzerland/Denmark range of being around 8th.

Most of our top end guys are in the NHL/AHL so I can't entirely blame them, but we had three top 5 picks in last year's draft who easily could be quality NHLers next year. Those should have been the guys who were the focal point on our team and instead they turned to a bunch of veterans who were never good enough to be in the NHL in the first place.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Any thought of that should be put to bed. Ho-Sang didn't show any glimpses of being a productive NHLer. We complain enough about Mik, Engvall, Kerfoot etc., I can only imagine the reaction to Ho-Sang if he got an extensive look in our lineup.

I am not even sure there is much of a spot for Ho-Sang on the Marlies even if he is still only on an AHL deal.

The Marlies have looked better without him. Blandisi has been able to replace all of Ho-Sang's offense and has been much better defensively. SDA has looked much better with Blandisi too.

We also have plenty of depth, and that excludes potentially getting Brooks back.

If I am Dubas, I am not wasting one of our 5 open spots on him. There is no upside. He is clearly not an NHLer, and he is arguably not even a top 5 forward on the Marlies anymore. We will need those spots to chase some of the many high quality UFA prospects this year, and may need them to move Ritchie.

 

[francis246]

I am not even sure there is much of a spot for Ho-Sang on the Marlies even if he is still only on an AHL deal.

The Marlies have looked better without him. Blandisi has been able to replace all of Ho-Sang's offense and has been much better defensively. SDA has looked much better with Blandisi too.

We also have plenty of depth, and that excludes potentially getting Brooks back.

If I am Dubas, I am not wasting one of our 5 open spots on him. There is no upside. He is clearly not an NHLer, and he is arguably not even a top 5 forward on the Marlies anymore. We will need those spots to chase some of the many high quality UFA prospects this year, and may need them to move Ritchie.

i think Ho Sang will get picked up by another NHL team and I think that was the plan all along. The leafs/Marlies will be the stepping stone to get him back into the NHL. That’s why he likely signed an AHL deal.

 

[BertCorbeau]

USA is somewhat of a surprise but Canada was nowhere near a top 3 tournament in this tournament. At best, they are in the Switzerland/Denmark range of being around 8th.

Most of our top end guys are in the NHL/AHL so I can't entirely blame them, but we had three top 5 picks in last year's draft who easily could be quality NHLers next year. Those should have been the guys who were the focal point on our team and instead they turned to a bunch of veterans who were never good enough to be in the NHL in the first place.

IMO they should just base the team around mostly the world junior team, with a handful of older guys at some key positions

 

[TheGroceryStick]

It only really proves how good the NHL /AHL really is.

No discredit to other countries or even the players on Canada / USA.

But there really isn't many good NA hockey players outside of NHL/AHL.

Proves that other countries have a wide array of semi-decent guys, that have been playing together and are game against kids/hasbeens

 

[francis246]

IMO they should just base the team around mostly the world junior team, with a handful of older guys at some key positions

or they could have just taken good offensive players

Justin Danforth
Taylor Beck
Ryan Spooner
Peter Holland
Darren Dietz
Max Veronneau
Ty Rattie
Chris DiDomenico
Corey Conacher
Josh Jooris

like what was Shane Doan thinking. How do you leave many of those guys off the team. A lot of them have also played in the NHL. The team constructed was just garbo checkers

 

[francis246]

It only really proves how good the NHL /AHL really is.

No discredit to other countries or even the players on Canada / USA.

But there really isn't many good NA hockey players outside of NHL/AHL.

Proves that other countries have a wide array of semi-decent guys, that have been playing together and are game against kids/hasbeens

i don’t think this is true, I think is shows how hard it is build a competitive team. And you shouldn’t rely on inexperienced management groups to do it. That was probably both Canada and USA’s biggest mistake because there are really good players available for both USA/Canada but both teams tried to construct these unique rosters instead of just taking the best players available

 

[fancy lad]

Between NHL players not going, Valieva, who should have been the darling of the games, getting busted for cheating, and then the IOC rolling over for the Russians in a country the Olympics probably shouldn't have gone to anyways...........easily the worst Olympics in modern history IMO.

1000%
I am typically very in tune with the olympics and watch as much as i can, but i can't be all that bothered this time around. Sure i'll watch the odd thing here and there. I enjoyed lots of the xgame events given that i snowboard/skateboard and those athletes tend represent the good and purity of sport (although Eileen Gu not so much), but so many aspects of these olympics especially have left me hating the whole thing. Also it doesn't help that pretty much every time i turn on the tv some curling is on. sorry but curling can f*** off hahaha.

Too bad about the Canadian hockey team. I watched some action including today against sweden, but man that was proof that they got the team selection all wrong. For what it's worth i thought Ho-Sang was one of the better players.

 

[fancy lad]

Also i may be in the minority, but international hockey isn't very good. It's just not a global enough sport to make for a compelling tournament at pretty much any level - NHLers, non-nhlers, women, juniors, etc. There are like 5 teams with the odd outlier who pulls off an upset or 2.

the worst and i mean the worst competition is women's hockey. Call me a hater, but I can't get excited for the women who are a lock for the final every year and in all honesty are always better than the second seed americans anyways. They were complaining about the lack of competition like 20 years ago and clearly nothing has changed.

 

[ACC1224]

Just move Olympic hockey to the summer games. All the best can play and the NHL isn't disrupted.
Kill two birds and get stoned.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

i don’t think this is true, I think is shows how hard it is build a competitive team. And you shouldn’t rely on inexperienced management groups to do it. That was probably both Canada and USA’s biggest mistake because there are really good players available for both USA/Canada but both teams tried to construct these unique rosters instead of just taking the best players available

What is wrong with how the USA constructed their team?

They went with a lot of high end young players, and those guys were pretty good players in this tournament. They took the best vets available in Europe/AHL to mix in with that. I think USA had a lot fewer options available than Canada too.

They lost in a shootout to a pretty solid team and a goalie who has been absolutely stellar in the Olympics. I think Slovakia is a better team than Canada, so USA probably had to play the toughest team outside of the top 4 qualifiers.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

i don’t think this is true, I think is shows how hard it is build a competitive team. And you shouldn’t rely on inexperienced management groups to do it. That was probably both Canada and USA’s biggest mistake because there are really good players available for both USA/Canada but both teams tried to construct these unique rosters instead of just taking the best players available

Fair.
Is there an "ideal" lineup for both teams kicking around somewhere.
Like to see what could have went.

 

[Judas Tavares]

1000%
I am typically very in tune with the olympics and watch as much as i can, but i can't be all that bothered this time around. Sure i'll watch the odd thing here and there. I enjoyed lots of the xgame events given that i snowboard/skateboard and those athletes tend represent the good and purity of sport (although Eileen Gu not so much), but so many aspects of these olympics especially have left me hating the whole thing. Also it doesn't help that pretty much every time i turn on the tv some curling is on. sorry but curling can f*** off hahaha.

Too bad about the Canadian hockey team. I watched some action including today against sweden, but man that was proof that they got the team selection all wrong. For what it's worth i thought Ho-Sang was one of the better players.

Same here. Usually before the Olympics there's more hype with more names. Sure there's Kingsbury and Hamelin. And Parrot and Weidemann have been awesome new names for me. But usually I feel each Olympics I go in knowing more of what to expect and who to expect it from. It's just been hush hush and up until yesterday, there was only one gold and plethora of bronze.

The time differences of late haven't helped. Especially cause my fave non-hockey events are speed skating and those have been at dreadful times. With a lot of European and NA Olympics coming up, that should help. But honestly, summer was more exciting (mostly cause the Penny and Andre hype) and I never in a million years thought I'd think that.

Salt Lake, Turin (minus men's hockey) and Vancouver were the glory days for me. Since Sochi it's been getting worse.