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News Article: NHL at the 2022 Olympics

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We shouldn't even be going to China as they have caused so much suffering in the world.
Too many governments are not taking the CCP threat to the world as serious as they should.
It's all about money, and I find it disgusting.

China should be boycotted.
 
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I wouldn't put Marner on the team.

Olympics tend to be tight checking. Marner is awful in that environment.

I would take Tavares over Marner, but there are better choices than both guys IMO.
 
Leaving Marner off the team is as stupid as those fans wanting Stone off the team.

I can see past the fact Stone had 0 points in 6 games against Price because I could see how well Price (and during that series Danault) was playing.

Going to the big ice is going to be a massive boon to creative players like Marner who has been one of the more dominant players in the league the last while.

I rewatched some of the 2016 world cup games and Tavares was an absolute stud for that team but I could see him having far more trouble on the big ice (or playing a far lesser role like in 2014) and it wouldn't surprise me to see him dropped for a speedy youngster but he is certainly a choice if they need a "greybeard" element much like Thornton played on the 2016 team. A top ten faceoff guy who is defensively responsible and can still produce isn't a bad guy to have centering your 4th line.

Still thinking up line combos but Marner is a lock in the top 3 lines and he'll be happy to see Price protecting his crease for sure.
 
Locks: Matthews, Nylander, Mrazek, Marner (if Team Canada cared that much about NHL playoff reputation, they wouldn't have taken an entire line from the San Jose Sharks in 2010 and Thornton/Marleau would not be multiple time olympians)
Maybes: Tavares, Rielly (I think Rielly has a greater chance since Canada is just too ridiculously stacked at forward and is a lot thinner at LHD, Tavares' seniority aside)
Dark horses: Kase (if healthy - huge if though, and even with that, the Czechs are sneaky deep enough on the wing to not make it a sure thing), Kampf (Czechs are rather thin at C and might want a specific role filled), Campbell (if two of Hellebuyck/Gibson/Demko get hurt, he might find himself as the third stringer - depends on what you think of guys like Nedeljkovic or Petersen, though)

If you want to expand this beyond the NHL roster, guys like Rubins (Latvia) and Malgin (Swiss) are locks.
 
Zybalto said:
Leaving Marner off the team is as stupid as those fans wanting Stone off the team.

I can see past the fact Stone had 0 points in 6 games against Price because I could see how well Price (and during that series Danault) was playing.

Going to the big ice is going to be a massive boon to creative players like Marner who has been one of the more dominant players in the league the last while.

I rewatched some of the 2016 world cup games and Tavares was an absolute stud for that team but I could see him having far more trouble on the big ice (or playing a far lesser role like in 2014) and it wouldn't surprise me to see him dropped for a speedy youngster but he is certainly a choice if they need a "greybeard" element much like Thornton played on the 2016 team. A top ten faceoff guy who is defensively responsible and can still produce isn't a bad guy to have centering your 4th line.

Still thinking up line combos but Marner is a lock in the top 3 lines and he'll be happy to see Price protecting his crease for sure.
Click to expand...

If Marner is not on a scoring line, he has no use on the team. He's a puck possession player, and you have other better options for that role.

I could see an argument bringing him along as an extra forward because he can fill in if a point producer goes down. But the problem is in tight checking playoff style hockey he's pretty useless. I would bring Toews over him.
 
I'm obviously biased but Marner not being on this team shouldn't even be a discussion. You take the best players available.
 
Zybalto said:
I rewatched some of the 2016 world cup games and Tavares was an absolute stud for that team but I could see him having far more trouble on the big ice (or playing a far lesser role like in 2014) and it wouldn't surprise me to see him dropped for a speedy youngster but he is certainly a choice if they need a "greybeard" element much like Thornton played on the 2016 team. A top ten faceoff guy who is defensively responsible and can still produce isn't a bad guy to have centering your 4th line.
Click to expand...

Tavares a greybeard? He'll be 31. Thornton was 37 at the time.
 
Mugzy97 said:
Tavares a greybeard? He'll be 31. Thornton was 37 at the time.
Click to expand...

I guess I mean a greybeard in terms of experience mostly but also age a bit considering that even at 31, Tavares will be one of the older players out there.

The injury question mark and bigger ice are worrysome to me though.
 
Zybalto said:
I guess I mean a greybeard in terms of experience mostly but also age a bit considering that even at 31, Tavares will be one of the older players out there.

The injury question mark and bigger ice are worrysome to me though.
Click to expand...


Ages of the generally agreed upon top-15 forwards in contention:

Bergeron 36
Crosby 34
Marchand 33
Stamkos 32
Tavares 31
O'Reilly 31
Stone 29
Couturier 29
Scheifele 28
Huberdeau 28
MacKinnon 26
Point 25
McDavid 25
Marner 24
Barzal 24
 
The CyNick said:
If Marner is not on a scoring line, he has no use on the team. He's a puck possession player, and you have other better options for that role.

I could see an argument bringing him along as an extra forward because he can fill in if a point producer goes down. But the problem is in tight checking playoff style hockey he's pretty useless. I would bring Toews over him.
Click to expand...

Marner doesnt just excel at possession, he dominates scoring chance differential as well, even more so in the playoffs.

I'm not gonna hold it against Crosby that his team got wrecked by goaltending two years in a row while they were clearly the superior team....but I will hold it against a bubble guy like Baral who got embarrassed by Crosby all series but benefitted from having Varlamov instead on Jarry between the pipes behind him(and a support group that actually showed up to play). Barzal is going to be facing players of Crosby's ilk and getting run over all series wasnt a good take.

I dunno, maybe I just see things differently from you.

Marner is legitimately a top 3 RW in the entire NHL. Not only is the one of the best PK guys in the league (probably what nabbed him those Selke votes) but his numbers across the board are off the charts.

Even if you wanted to attack him on his playoff numbers, its tough as the Matthew/Marner combo are so good defensively that the other team still has a negative goal differential against them. Over the last two playoff years:

Matthews/Marner 5v5:

GP: 12
CF%: 55.53
SF%: 59.47
xGF%: 66.98
Goal Differential (GF%): 65.40

Despite all the posts hit and big saves against them, the reason that last number looks so good is that they absolutely wrecked the other teams offense with their smothering defense and takeaway ability. If every other player on the Leafs had those stat lines, it means the team went 16-0 on the way to a cup....the numbers are that good...and they have gotten unlucky.

It's why I ask folks around here to be careful with the hyperbolic talk about the two top dogs around here.

...and I'm pretty sure the Canadian brass can also see past small sample sizes and the nuance of those series.

Marner is an absolute stud of a player who dominates against the best matchup players in the league. Give him that bigger ice and I think he will thrive.
 
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Zybalto said:
I guess I mean a greybeard in terms of experience mostly but also age a bit considering that even at 31, Tavares will be one of the older players out there.

The injury question mark and bigger ice are worrysome to me though.
Click to expand...
Thought it was NHL size rink?

More I think about this, the more I wish they weren't going at all.
I'd rather watch NHL hockey at a normal hour instead of watching Latvia or the Swiss try and trap the game to a standstill at 4am.
 
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zeke said:
Ages of the generally agreed upon top-15 forwards in contention:

Bergeron 36
Crosby 34
Marchand 33
Stamkos 32
Tavares 31
O'Reilly 31
Stone 29
Couturier 29
Scheifele 28
Huberdeau 28
MacKinnon 26
Point 25
McDavid 25
Marner 24
Barzal 24
Click to expand...

Was looking at the D ages as well in that mix, certainly on the younger side but the experience factor would be the most important thing here.
 
ACC1224 said:
Thought it was NHL size rink?

More I think about this, the more I wish they weren't going at all.
I'd rather watch NHL hockey at a normal hour instead of watching Latvia or the Swiss try and trap the game to a standstill at 4am.
Click to expand...

Wow, it is gonna be NHL sized!

Kinda changes what I was thinking for the lines.

Thanks for the info.
 
Team Canada

Huberdeau-McDavid-MacKinnon
Marchand-Crosby-Bergeron
Scheifele-Point-Marner
O'Reilly-Couturier-Stone
Tavares/Stamkos

Theodore-Pietrangelo
Toews-Makar
Ekblad-Hamilton
Chychrun/Doughty

Price
Kuemper
Fleury

Team USA

M.Tkachuk-Matthews-Kane
Pacioretty-Eichel-DeBrincat
Connor-Larkin-Boeser
B.Tkachuk-Miller-Guentzel
Hughes/Roberston

Slavin-Jones
McDonagh-Fox
Hughes-McAvoy
Werenski/Carlson

Hellebuyck
Gibson
Campbell


Team Sweden

Landeskog-Pettersson-Nylander
Forsberg-Backstrom-Lindholm
Rakell-Zibanejad-Hornqvist
Backlund-Karlsson-Arvidsson
Eriksson Ek/Burakovsky

Hedman-Brodin
Lindholm-Klingberg
OEL-Ekholm
Dahlin/Larsson

Lehner
Markstrom
Ullmark


I'm sure I missed a few!
 
I think it is NHL size rink.

Although it is fun to speculate Team Canada, but would they even send a team at the end?
 
Zybalto said:
Marner doesnt just excel at possession, he dominates scoring chance differential as well, even more so in the playoffs.

I'm not gonna hold it against Crosby that his team got wrecked by goaltending two years in a row while they were clearly the superior team....but I will hold it against a bubble guy like Baral who got embarrassed by Crosby all series but benefitted from having Varlamov instead on Jarry between the pipes behind him(and a support group that actually showed up to play). Barzal is going to be facing players of Crosby's ilk and getting run over all series wasnt a good take.

I dunno, maybe I just see things differently from you.

Marner is legitimately a top 3 RW in the entire NHL. Not only is the one of the best PK guys in the league (probably what nabbed him those Selke votes) but his numbers across the board are off the charts.

Even if you wanted to attack him on his playoff numbers, its tough as the Matthew/Marner combo are so good defensively that the other team still has a negative goal differential against them. Over the last two playoff years:

Matthews/Marner 5v5:

GP: 12
CF%: 55.53
SF%: 59.47
xGF%: 66.98
Goal Differential (GF%): 65.40

Despite all the posts hit and big saves against them, the reason that last number looks so good is that they absolutely wrecked the other teams offense with their smothering defense and takeaway ability. If every other player on the Leafs had those stat lines, it means the team went 16-0 on the way to a cup....the numbers are that good...and they have gotten unlucky.

It's why I ask folks around here to be careful with the hyperbolic talk about the two top dogs around here.

...and I'm pretty sure the Canadian brass can also see past small sample sizes and the nuance of those series.

Marner is an absolute stud of a player who dominates against the best matchup players in the league. Give him that bigger ice and I think he will thrive.
Click to expand...

Sounds like more arguments from the camp that thinks game 56 of the regular season is the same as game 7 of a playoff series or a single game elimination in the Olympics. I'll take the guys who have had success in the playoffs or have their name on the Cup.
 
The CyNick said:
Sounds like more arguments from the camp that thinks game 56 of the regular season is the same as game 7 of a playoff series or a single game elimination in the Olympics. I'll take the guys who have had success in the playoffs or have their name on the Cup.
Click to expand...

In addition to Marner, McDavid and Mackinnons teams have had absolute playoff flops, especially compared with expectations and never close to having their names on the Cup.

Should we leave them off the team?

I could rattle off a few more guys as well but you get the point.

Crosby has failed in the first round twice in a row now to the other opponents goaltending being elite. He's still an absolute lock in my eyes.

Bergeron/Crosby/Marchand is going to be this teams 2nd line.

The only question we face with Marner is whether or not he's going to be on Point's wing or on McDavids.....and where Stone fits in there, despite Stone's 0 points in 6 games against the Habs and red hot Carey Price......he's still a lock.
 
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I doubt Mitch is on Team Canada .. he is just not fast enough straight line to keep up in best on best games .. he would be by far slowest guy on that team (unless JT is on it as a sniper winger) .. on Olympic size rinks his lack of foot speed will cost da team .. and he brings nothing but offense in a 3rd or 4th line role so it really makes no sense for him to be there .. top 2 lines will be Marchand Crosby Bergeron and then Huberdeau McJesus and MAC .. bottom 2 lines will be BIG FAST STRONG players with exception of Point who will be on team and centre 3rd line and in case of emergency he can move up to top 2 lines
 
JT AM da real deal said:
I doubt Mitch is on Team Canada .. he is just not fast enough straight line to keep up in best on best games .. he would be by far slowest guy on that team (unless JT is on it as a sniper winger) .. on Olympic size rinks his lack of foot speed will cost da team .. and he brings nothing but offense in a 3rd or 4th line role so it really makes no sense for him to be there .. top 2 lines will be Marchand Crosby Bergeron and then Huberdeau McJesus and MAC .. bottom 2 lines will be BIG FAST STRONG players with exception of Point who will be on team and centre 3rd line and in case of emergency he can move up to top 2 lines
Click to expand...

It’s on NHL sized ice.
 
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Trying to recall, how did Marner fair when playing at the WJHC?
 
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