WC: Team Canada 2024

Mathieukferland

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Oct 11, 2020
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I don't agree that he is holding him to a different standard.
I would content that Dubois, Bunting and (in the first Swiss Game) Tavares have taken equally dumb penalties or made costly turnovers, but their ice time has not been touched. It seems odd to try to send messages to the most talented player in a tournament of this nature vs an 82 game NHL season
 

NA Hockey

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Nov 16, 2015
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I would content that Dubois, Bunting and (in the first Swiss Game) Tavares have taken equally dumb penalties or made costly turnovers, but their ice time has not been touched. It seems odd to try to send messages to the most talented player in a tournament of this nature vs an 82 game NHL season
It's not just the penalties. He has been completely ineffective against any of the good teams, Sure he scored against Great Britain and Denmark etc but has been the worst player on the team more often than not during the last 5 games. If some other player played exactly the same game that Bedard has played, no one would say anything about them being benched or not played as much.
 

ORRFForever

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Oct 29, 2018
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Just teasing you, buddy / @jj cale....

1716661322552.png
 
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JackSlater

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Apr 27, 2010
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Kind of disappointing tournament but it's acceptable to me. You'd rather win but losing the iihf world championship is not a big deal. My bigger issue is that I wanted a bigger role for Bedard, but there were times when he definitely didn't deserve more time. He showed some good flashes as well though. Bedard should get the chance to play again next year, and if he does I expect him to take on a leading role with the Olympics just half a year away. I had also hoped that Binnington could have a great tournament and look like a guy who could fit in on the best on best level. He was clearly not great. Not terrible, but he didn't inspire confidence.

Canada had a pretty talented team for this level, though strategically it was the kind of team that would work way better in a 7 game NHL playoff series rather than an IIHF tournament. Some players who people ripped, like Dubois, Tavares, and Paul, were really good and deserve lots of credit for going over and playing well. Tanev was also pretty much as good as he could possibly have been. Some of the young defencemen looked promising as well.

Anyway it was a mostly entertaining tournament. I'm glad that Bedard got some reps in at this level and I expect to see him back next year leading the team.
 

Mathieukferland

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Oct 11, 2020
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Unfortunate result. Kind of worrying that in both the WJC and WC this year Létang and Tourigny both quasi-benched or reduced ice time on their most skilled players in Celebrini and Bédard in favour of Scott Salmond’s favourite plugs like Allard/Minten in the WJC and Bunting/Guenther in the WC. It that is the kind of attitude that permeates amongst the current group of Hockey Canada coaches. Hopefully in best on best the amount of non “hockey canada guys” from the NHL will mean this mindset will not be present.


My attitude is, if you’re going to go down, go down riding your horses. Three weeks ago in the gold medal game, Gavin McKenna played a pretty poor first 30 mins against the USA. But Gardiner MacDougall stuck with him and started double shifting him in the third, and the result was a gold-medal winning hat trick. MacDougall is not a “Hockey Canada guy”, and that’s the type of attitude I would like to see implemented more often instead of immediately playing grinders when the going gets difficult.
 

JackSlater

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Apr 27, 2010
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I thought Cozens looked great and should be in contention for a spot on for the Four Nations and Olympics tournaments.

Cozens was the biggest winner from Canada in this tournament. Assuming his next season sees him rebound from his awful 2023-2024 season I'd say he at least gets an invite to whatever Canada does for a summer selection camp in 2025. Consistently good internationally and with a versatile game. Easy to see him contributing in a depth role if he's on his game.

Unfortunate result. Kind of worrying that in both the WJC and WC this year Létang and Tourigny both quasi-benched or reduced ice time on their most skilled players in Celebrini and Bédard in favour of Scott Salmond’s favourite plugs like Allard/Minten in the WJC and Bunting/Guenther in the WC. It that is the kind of attitude that permeates amongst the current group of Hockey Canada coaches. Hopefully in best on best the amount of non “hockey canada guys” from the NHL will mean this mindset will not be present.


My attitude is, if you’re going to go down, go down riding your horses. Three weeks ago in the gold medal game, Gavin McKenna played a pretty poor first 30 mins against the USA. But Gardiner MacDougall stuck with him and started double shifting him in the third, and the result was a gold-medal winning hat trick. MacDougall is not a “Hockey Canada guy”, and that’s the type of attitude I would like to see implemented more often instead of immediately playing grinders when the going gets difficult.

Letang is no good and Tourigny (flattered by some of his results) isn't a big plus either. Very paint by numbers coaches. Still waiting to see Tourigny do something to mix things up in the 2021 WJC finals. Shouldn't matter though, Canada has elite coaches to choose from at the best on best level. I will be very annoyed if Letang ever coaches the WJC again though.
 

Despote

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Mar 21, 2023
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After watching this tournament, I'm pretty confident that Bedard at 18 is closer to Laine level as a talent than Crosby/McDavid. A raw player who plays on the perimeter, cherry picks for offence. Lacks size and is not a high end skater. Will score lots of points but unlikely to ever become the best player in the world.
 

ORRFForever

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Oct 29, 2018
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Non-Leaf fans of Tavares lead team Canada.

Ideas_Surprised_Pikachu_HD.jpg

Toronto fans:
17ebf99e3b2f870d1a62bde6a6533dd1.jpg
I don't get it but it made me laugh. :)

After watching this tournament, I'm pretty confident that Bedard at 18 is closer to Laine level as a talent than Crosby/McDavid. A raw player who plays on the perimeter, cherry picks for offence. Lacks size and is not a high end skater. Will score lots of points but unlikely to ever become the best player in the world.
God help us.

Thanks for your 2 cents, Despote.
 

ORRFForever

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Oct 29, 2018
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Before the tournament took place, I didn't care but I got emotionally involved and I'm glad I did - thanks, @jj cale.

That was a LOT of fun!

One beef...

No playoff game should end in a shootout. I know they have time constrictions but... 3 on 3 until someone wins.

Congrats to the Swiss but I hope Czechia smokes them tomorrow - and I think they will.
 

Zarzh

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Jun 30, 2015
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I didn't watch the tournament but it is disappointing they sent Celebrini and Fantilli home, benched Bedard, and played endless grinders.

You don't need Hagel, Tanev, Mangiapane, Grieg, and Bunting, pick 2 or 3 of them.
 
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Zarzh

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Jun 30, 2015
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How can you have an opinion when you didn’t see any of the games?

They were unbeaten until the shootout.
Because it's a bad and inflexible strategy that basically never works because you can't create a balanced attack in the medal round. You end up with a bunch of guys who can't create on their own, and a bunch of young players the coach can't really shelter so they end up not playing them.
 

NyQuil

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Jan 5, 2005
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Because it's a bad and inflexible strategy that basically never works because you can't create a balanced attack in the medal round. You end up with a bunch of guys who can't create on their own, and a bunch of young players the coach can't really shelter so they end up not playing them.

They won the Gold Medal last year with a weaker team on paper.

Sometimes it’s not all about Canada losing and more about other teams doing enough to win.

Most of the “Bedard should have played more” people didn’t watch the tournament.
 
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Zarzh

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Jun 30, 2015
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They won the Gold Medal last year with a weaker team on paper.

Sometimes it’s not all about Canada losing and more about other teams doing enough to win.

Most of the “Bedard should have played more” people didn’t watch the tournament.
That team had less talent but was better constructed, and the other teams were weaker too so there wasn't really a gap.
 

ORRFForever

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Oct 29, 2018
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That team had less talent but was better constructed, and the other teams were weaker too so there wasn't really a gap.
Meh... It's a long tournament and you are eventually going to lose a game - that's why I hope they lose early and go on a run.

I agree, they did not need Bunting - Fantilli should have stayed.
 
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