Official 2023 World Junior Championship Thread

[Magua]

Another angle at it---I can see he makes use himself in a lot of the same ways that Dobson does. Slow (clumsy?) and deliberate passing and shooting but well made and executed choice, bomb slappers and bomb wristers. Still 18 years old only a month ago, he could sharpen up in similar fashion. This is also the only 2 periods I've seen of the kid.

Jiricek has his bottom hand legit halfway down his stick, which makes him look stiffer, sort of like Provorov. Now, he made a cross slot pass in the 3rd period that Provorov couldn't make in his dreams. I remember thinking his draft year that his offensive brain was fine (I thought he was smarter than Nemec), and he does have that ugly but it works style. I just think his awkwardness will encounter more trouble against hyper aggressive NHL checking. Dobson isn't the best skater (Jiricek eats up ice when he gets going), but I don't think he's an awkward puck handler. Some of it is superficial; Jiricek does make plays, even on his backhand, and doesn't bobble it.

I remember @FLYguy3911 threw out the name Phil Myers, but an actual top pair player. I quite like that. Hard to imagine you can design a PP or 5v5 offense around him as a main catalyst. But Werenski-Jiricek? Sounds like fun.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Hopefully you recorded this one, @kudymen.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Wright got player of the game?

*I only saw ~the second half of the game.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

 

[Striiker]

“on the ice for that Svozil snipe”

Oh, are we pretending +/- is legit now?

You had me curious. 2016 vs USA.

Because hockey is our game.

 

[kudymen]

@kudymen — WAKE UP WAKE UP

Hopefully you recorded this one, @kudymen.

Hello. Seems like my post pub sleep lead to some extraordinary miss out on a historic game, eh

 

[Magua]

[Insert Flyer]’s post-draft development remains hell. Went from a constantly activating, creative offensive defenceman to a safe, stay-at-home defenceman who could move the puck well enough in like….no time at all.


(Blue Jackets 3rd rounder fwiw.)

 

[Magua]

I learned on the main boards that Fantilli is the next Puljujarvi. Damn. It was good while it lasted.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Benjamin Gaudreau has an .868 save % in the OHL this season? How the heck did he get the starting job? His draft eligible teammate has better stats on his Sarnia team.

So does Milic's draft eligible partner.

HC's good graces know no bounds. He's literally only there because he was a first round OHL pick.

I haven't seen much of this, but this is a game where Bedard is showing how far ahead he is compared to his peers.

Yeah I never thought anyone was close to Bedard. Fantilli is obviously good but it feels like putting Eichel in McDavid's tier for the sake of competition. Bedard has never not been the best player on the ice. Even 2-3 years younger than his peers. Prospect fatigue is real.

I'm not sure how Craig Button could possibly have compared this team to the 2005 team with goaltending this questionable.

Actually, scratch that. I know how: he's a f***ing moron.

Tbf did you see the goalies on the '05 team? 15 token NHL games for Glass.

Canada could still win the whole thing, but their mistake was filling out their roster with size and grit like they tend to do. I mean they are chasing leads with Bedard chucking cross ice back hand saucers to a trailing Allan, Del Mastro, Hinds, Matier instead of the slew of skilled defensemen they didn't even invite to the damn camp.

 

[phil162888]

Gauthier is ten times better than I thought he would be... really impressed as he looked big, fast and confident with the puck....he had good awareness... yes does he shoot a little too much... maybe but works for others .....really would like to see him at C because from what I saw today you could see the skill set of a play driving C than an off wing... but heh its one game

This is going to be an amazing draft... so many great Canadian players that didn't even make the team that will be top 20-30 picks....Chuck needs to get his hands on another first or even two somehow .... wish the douche hadn't traded our second

 

[Magua]

There was an article on the Athletic about the teams who could tank for Bedard, and this was a quote from Charlie O’Connor:

“A one-two punch down the middle of Bedard and physical specimen (and 2022 No. 5 pick) Cutter Gauthier could — in a best-case scenario — turn into the East’s version of McDavid and Draisaitl.“

Oh, boy. Who wants to tell him?

 

[blackjackmulligan]

Gauthier is ten times better than I thought he would be... really impressed as he looked big, fast and confident with the puck....he had good awareness... yes does he shoot a little too much... maybe but works for others .....really would like to see him at C because from what I saw today you could see the skill set of a play driving C than an off wing... but heh its one game

This is going to be an amazing draft... so many great Canadian players that didn't even make the team that will be top 20-30 picks....Chuck needs to get his hands on another first or even two somehow .... wish the douche hadn't traded our second

Needs to acquire has many picks in the 2023 draft as he can. Or at least package some future picks to draft in the top 2 rounds. Though with such a great draft teams. will be very reluctant. Tired of the safe picks who amount to nothing.

 

[DancingPanther]

Yeah, okay. Expert time:

The mental gymnastics people use to not view Bedard as the clear cut #1 are the same ones used to claim McDavid isn't the MVP

 

[macleish1974]

There was an article on the Athletic about the teams who could tank for Bedard, and this was a quote from Charlie O’Connor:

“A one-two punch down the middle of Bedard and physical specimen (and 2022 No. 5 pick) Cutter Gauthier could — in a best-case scenario — turn into the East’s version of McDavid and Draisaitl.“

Oh, boy. Who wants to tell him?

Why don't you give him figuratively or literally a tomahawk chop to the head; might do him some good.........

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

[Insert Flyer]’s post-draft development remains hell. Went from a constantly activating, creative offensive defenceman to a safe, stay-at-home defenceman who could move the puck well enough in like….no time at all.


(Blue Jackets 3rd rounder fwiw.)

That's my guy. I'm glad he isn't stuck here in our Hell.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Fanduel is giving out plus odds for Sweden -3.5. Has to be too good to be true.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Torts and Lysell would have been a good matchup.

 

[CutOnDime97]

People are actually really mad about this. They were legitimate scoring chances.

 

[DancingPanther]

"They need to play the game the right way"

 

[BigToe]

Sandin-Pellikka is a guy

 

[FLYguy3911]

Fanduel is giving out plus odds for Sweden -3.5. Has to be too good to be true.

Yup. 40 shots. 1 goal.

 

[Philly Fanatik]

View attachment 627033

People are actually really mad about this. They were legitimate scoring chances.

Yeah…those little circus TikTok goal auditions won’t win ya too many games but the Twitter/ TikTok social media will be lit up.
How should the Canadian coach react to those individual showboating antics?

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

They were two legit scoring chances. Isn’t that the point of the game? Would do you want them to do? Rim it up the boards for long distance point shot instead of getting in close scoring opportunities where most goals happen statistically anyway?

 

[Philly Fanatik]

They were two legit scoring chances. Isn’t that the point of the game? Would do you want them to do? Rim it up the boards for long distance point shot instead of getting in close scoring opportunities where most goals happen statistically anyway?

I

They were two legit scoring chances. Isn’t that the point of the game? Would do you want them to do? Rim it up the boards for long distance point shot instead of getting in close scoring opportunities where most goals happen statistically anyway?

…there’s a time and a place for those trick shots….(NHL ALL-STAR game)
I’m just from a different era and have a completely opposite view or mindset of the lacrosse goal!
When we played…it was called showboating and it ticked off the opposing team…and you were held accountable for hotdogging it.
I know my thoughts are dinosaur and man cave ideology but that just the way we rolled back then.
The NHL seem so fine with that kind creativity and individuality that Zegras has been their poster boy for the league!
I’ll have to chalk it up to me being a Fred Flintstone and not having the vision to evolve our great game!
At least I can joke about the Leafs least Cup win!

 

[CutOnDime97]

Would like to see the same attitude for stick handling/dekeing on a breakaway. None of that back and forth crap, just shoot the puck!

I

…there’s a time and a place for those trick shots….(NHL ALL-STAR game)
I’m just from a different era and have a completely opposite view or mindset of the lacrosse goal!
When we played…it was called showboating and it ticked off the opposing team…and you were held accountable for hotdogging it.
I know my thoughts are dinosaur and man cave ideology but that just the way we rolled back then.
The NHL seem so fine with that kind creativity and individuality that Zegras has been their poster boy for the league!
I’ll have to chalk it up to me being a Fred Flintstone and not having the vision to evolve our great game!
At least I can joke about the Leafs least Cup win!View attachment 627065

Literally no one in your era could pull off a Michigan move like kids today can