Sporting News: Factors behind Team USA’s early exit

[AlternateSideParking]

World Juniors 2020: Four reasons the United States was handed an early exit

Outside of Zegras, Robertson, and maybe Zac Jones, this team never moved the needle for me. Point totals are misleading for several players.

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[Breakers]

"first-round picks Oliver Wahlstrom, Turcotte and Cole Caufield — would combine for one insignificant five-on-five goal in five games"

Truthfully this doesn't shock me
Wisconsin sucks 5v5 in the NCAA

 

[Sojourn]

Probably would have brought up Sandelin's failure behind the bench a bit more. There's an argument in all four categories, but specifically the last three, that the coach holds a lot of responsibility in how that plays out.

Not to make excuses for the players that needed to be better. They have some responsibility there too. But the coaching was the most disappointing part of this team and, in my opinion, the biggest reason they fell short. I don't typically blame coaches, but he seemed completely inept at getting the most out of his best players.

 

[pigpen65]

Montreal should be worried about their first rounder. Non factor.

 

[Merrrlin]

Some good points, but the below quote was the backbreaker:

recent first-round picks Oliver Wahlstrom, Turcotte and Cole Caufield — would combine for one insignificant five-on-five goal in five games.

 

[Habs10025]

Montreal should be worried about their first rounder. Non factor.

Keep chumming the water don't give up someone will bite .

 

[Lambo]

There are much white-blue reasons.

 

[Mickey Marner]

For an age group that made up 7 of the top 15 picks in the 2019 draft, a bronze at the U-18 and squat at the U-20 is extremely disappointing. Always next year, I guess.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Poor journalism, in my opinion.

You are one of the few people with a real voice in hockey media that talks about this team, and you neglected the very obvious fact that 4 of the 5 highest drafted skaters on the team were 5th, 6th and 7th of 13th forwards in TOI and 7th of 7 among defensemen.

Why don't you call out the coach for playing favorites with grinders?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

For an age group that made up 7 of the top 15 picks in the 2019 draft, a bronze at the U-18 and squat at the U-20 is extremely disappointing. Always next year, I guess.

They were completely dominant at the U18 last year. The best team doesn't always win. Askarov stood on his head in the Semi-Finals.

 

[Breakers]

For an age group that made up 7 of the top 15 picks in the 2019 draft, a bronze at the U-18 and squat at the U-20 is extremely disappointing. Always next year, I guess.

The way people talk about them you would have thought they won the U18 gold............ but nope
It was just an overrated team who can rest on breaking tournament records but can't bring home the only important hardware

 

[blindpass]

They were completely dominant at the U18 last year. The best team doesn't always win. Askarov stood on his head in the Semi-Finals.

U18 isn't a great predictor of U20 because some countries don't have a lot of their talent available for the former.

 

[Jumptheshark]

"first-round picks Oliver Wahlstrom, Turcotte and Cole Caufield — would combine for one insignificant five-on-five goal in five games"

Truthfully this doesn't shock me
Wisconsin sucks 5v5 in the NCAA

CC killed me this year in the pool

 

[Atas2000]

There is a whole article on that? They've lost in the quarters to a good team with a great goalie.

 

[Siludin]

Reason No 1: The Devils didn't let Jack Hughes come out to play

 

[blindpass]

Reason No 1: The Devils didn't let Jack Hughes come out to play

This argument is Kakko.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

They did have problems in the round robin, losing to Canada, and struggling against Germany and Czech. But, at the end of the day, they lost a 1-0 game to a hot goalie in the quarter finals.

Zegras and Pinto carried the team. Needed much better performances from Caufield, Wahlstrom and Robertson

 

[Statsy]

The way people talk about them you would have thought they won the U18 gold............ but nope
It was just an overrated team who can rest on breaking tournament records but can't bring home the only important hardware

History remembers the Gold Medal winners as the best team. That’s the way it works.... but, of course, that’s not reality. If it was, we would only need one game to settle every series of each round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The fact is that we all understand that one game just isn’t enough to truly establish which is the better team. Logistically, that’s all we can really expect from a short tournament though. There is little doubt in my mind that Sweden was the better team in the 1993 WJC, but Canada won because Manny Legace stood on his head against the Forsberg/Naslund led Swedes. The best team doesn’t always win. That’s just a fact.

 

[Stoat]

History remembers the Gold Medal winners as the best team. That’s the way it works.... but, of course, that’s not reality. If it was, we would only need one game to settle every series of each round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The fact is that we all understand that one game just isn’t enough to truly establish which is the better team. Logistically, that’s all we can really expect from a short tournament though. There is little doubt in my mind that Sweden was the better team in the 1993 WJC, but Canada won because Manny Legace stood on his head against the Forsberg/Naslund led Swedes. The best team doesn’t always win. That’s just a fact.

Well, it depends how you define best team. I know what you mean, but in these tournaments best team is defined by the winner of the final match. For me, I'm just tired of people undermining underdogs' achievements saying "They wouldn't have won bo7 against *insert team*".

The same way I could argue that 2006 Olympics Sweden wouldn't have won in bo7, but I won't. They were the better team when it mattered.

edit. mixed up the olympics

 

[Statsy]

Well, it depends how you define best team. I know what you mean, but in these tournaments best team is defined by the winner of the final match. For me, I'm just tired of people undermining underdogs' achievements saying "They wouldn't have won bo7 against *insert team*".

The same way I could argue that 2010 Olympics Sweden wouldn't have won in bo7, but I won't. They were the better team when it mattered.

I understand. But if someone wants to point out the 7 game series point, it is not necessarily without merit.

 

[Stoat]

I understand. But if someone wants to point out the 7 game series point, it is not necessarily without merit.

But the 7 game series point is always just speculation. For instance, if we think about a hypothetical series between USA and Czech Republic where USA is 70% favorite to win a single match. There's still a 3% chance for Czech Republic to the series. Bo7 just reduces the variance.

What I'm trying to say is that there is really no point in pointing out the 7 game series. Almost everyone already knows when there's been an upset.

 

[Leviathan899]

Probably would have brought up Sandelin's failure behind the bench a bit more. There's an argument in all four categories, but specifically the last three, that the coach holds a lot of responsibility in how that plays out.

Not to make excuses for the players that needed to be better. They have some responsibility there too. But the coaching was the most disappointing part of this team and, in my opinion, the biggest reason they fell short. I don't typically blame coaches, but he seemed completely inept at getting the most out of his best players.

You’re not wrong but I also see a lot of these NTDP players getting grossly overrated due to team success and having the added benefit of playing together as a team all season, getting prime opportunities against fairly weak competition, in comparison to European leagues and the CHL. Alex tut otter looked like a late first or maybe a second round pick this tournament, he was a ghost. The fact people lambasted the blackhawks for selecting Dach, whose a far superior player over turcotte was laughable. Caufield is a good goal scorer but doesn’t create space for himself very well and his skating is average. Doesn’t see the ice overly well either. Robertson is one kid who plays with fire and energy, pushes the pace and that’s how the game is played at the NHL level, not feasting on PP’s. The NTDP is a blessing, and a curse for USA hockey. I truly believe it gives them a distinct advantage at the U17 and U18 levels due to the familiarity that other countries don’t have. But then here, at the U20 level, it rarely leads to dominant success. USA hockey is still very good and they have a ton of talent, will win their fair share of medals, but they’re players get highly overrated due to the NTDP imo.

 

[Leviathan899]

O

For an age group that made up 7 of the top 15 picks in the 2019 draft, a bronze at the U-18 and squat at the U-20 is extremely disappointing. Always next year, I guess.

only Hughes and Zegras belonged being top 15 picks. The rest will be average players at the NHL level, or never materialize.

 

[Corso]

You’re not wrong but I also see a lot of these NTDP players getting grossly overrated due to team success and having the added benefit of playing together as a team all season, getting prime opportunities against fairly weak competition, in comparison to European leagues and the CHL. Alex tut otter looked like a late first or maybe a second round pick this tournament, he was a ghost. The fact people lambasted the blackhawks for selecting Dach, whose a far superior player over turcotte was laughable. Caufield is a good goal scorer but doesn’t create space for himself very well and his skating is average. Doesn’t see the ice overly well either. Robertson is one kid who plays with fire and energy, pushes the pace and that’s how the game is played at the NHL level, not feasting on PP’s. The NTDP is a blessing, and a curse for USA hockey. I truly believe it gives them a distinct advantage at the U17 and U18 levels due to the familiarity that other countries don’t have. But then here, at the U20 level, it rarely leads to dominant success. USA hockey is still very good and they have a ton of talent, will win their fair share of medals, but they’re players get highly overrated due to the NTDP imo.

Very well put. I often thought about the level of competition the NTDP plays and how it could skew stats. This doesn't mean that Turcotte or Caufield will not be solid NHLers but that perhaps too much is expected of them later on in their careers based on what they accomplished with the NTDP. I do disagree with your opinion that only Hughes and Zegras belonged in the top 15 as Turcotte will turn out to be one of the better players in the 19 draft and Caufield will score in the NHL but yeah, they were in a sense over-hypeded into massive future super stars because of the NTDP.

 

[ijuka]

Typical, all reasons are about USA's weaknesses, with no credit given to Team Finland.

They simply met the stronger team, that happens.

By the way, calling Wahlstrom some goal-scorer is odd. He has scored 3 goals this season, and 10 last season.