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WC: Team Canada 2024

Maybe I am getting old but I remember the quality of play being quite a bit higher 10-20 years ago. Maybe it's the rink that seems to have gotten narrower.
 
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FDBluth said:
Bedard struggled a bit, I agree. However, he wasn't put in a position to succeed. Not being on the first PP at all was bad coaching. He's probably never played so little in a game as some of these games, so I think it affected his rhythm pretty badly. I think sometimes he was trying to get himself engaged by getting into some chippy stuff and he took some bad penalties. Not to say that he couldn't have been (a lot) better in some games, but he was penalized for his mistakes quite heavily and not really awarded or optimized for his skillset. In the first few games he was almost the only forward he had anything going on and got awarded by staying on the 4th line.

Once he was on the first PP in the Swiss game the powerplay immediately ran through him and and he set up a bunch of great chances, including the goal. Also, he didn't touch the ice for all of the 10 minute overtime after that first abbreviated powerplay. I wonder if Tourigny ever watched him play in overtime with Chicago because with the extra space he instantly became the best player on the ice almost every time they went to overtime.

He was definitely good against Slovakia and Switzerland...very interested to see how he's deployed against Czechia.
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The problem is that for the coaching staff to "optimize" for his current skillset, they needed to shelter him, match him up against weaker opposition and give him teammates that will win puck battles for him and cover for his defensive lapses. Which is partly what they did for half the tournament, but that's a lot of coddling to expect for an individual player at an international tournament. This is Team Canada, not the Connor Bedard Experience Featuring A Few Other Canadian Guys.

I wouldn't have minded seeing Bedard in OT. And he was pretty good in the semis. But even when good, Bedard is easy to muscle off the puck and too often kept to the perimeter. I can't really blame Tourigny for relying on more complete players that just plain gave him more in this tournament than Bedard did. Especially when he won gold with this approach last year with a team whose best forward was Lawson Crouse.

IMO this is a good lesson to learn for Bedard if he ever wants to make the Olympic team. An Olympic team that's notorious for leaving talented players home when they're not sufficiently versatile.
 
So let me get this straight….

Coach gives Bedard one shift in first 15 minutes of the game. Result = Canada down 2-0

Coach starts to play Bedard. Result = Canada gets back into the game and Bedard sets up game tying goal.


Coach doesn’t give Bedard any ice in OT. Result = Canada fails to score

Shootout, guess who scores the only goal for Canada?
 
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WarriorofTime said:
Since 2007

Canada when John Tavares attends: 4 tournaments - 0 medals
Canada when John Tavares does not attend: 13 tournaments - 5 Gold Medals, 5 Silver Medals, 3 no medals

I think Tavares is cursed, lol
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LOL! How did you dig up that info? Too funny. :)
 
I did not see the game - I was at Church, like most of you. :)

Too bad we didn't win. Based on @WarriorofTime 's post, it would have been nice to see Tavares get a medal. God bless him for playing.

The tournament was 2 weeks of fun. I truly enjoyed every minute - TBH, I don't take the WC too seriously.

To all the kids who gave up their May to represent their country... Thank you.

Go Oilers !!!!
 
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Bedard was a big disappointment for me. He is great offensively, but he has some work to do defensively and he needs to have more strenght. So he played exactly how a incredibly talented young kid would play in a pretty high level international tournament.
 
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Sorry guys, I think I jinxed them :(.

Overall a disappointing end but it was fun tournament. I think canada has serious goaltending issue. Binnington wasn’t good enough. Simple as that.

As leaf fan, I would’ve like seeing Johnny T at least be able to complete his International resume (because I’m not sure he will ever win cup) but oh well.

bedard is still young and will get more opportunities down the road to win the goal medal in this tourney. Good learning experience for him.

Really amazing tourney by cozens. Maybe we will see him at next years four face off tournament.
 
TheBigFour said:
Sorry guys, I think I jinxed them :(.

Overall a disappointing end but it was fun tournament. I think canada has serious goaltending issue. Binnington wasn’t good enough. Simple as that.

As leaf fan, I would’ve like seeing Johnny T at least be able to complete his International resume (because I’m not sure he will ever win cup) but oh well.

bedard is still young and will get more opportunities down the road to win the goal medal in this tourney. Good learning experience for him.

Really amazing tourney by cozens. Maybe we will see him at next years four face off tournament.
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Binnington was fine and not the issue.

It is a long tournament and, eventually, you will have a meh game and / or run into a hot goalie. We did both against the Swiss.
 
Last four gold medal winning Canadian goalies:
Mike smith -2015 930%
Cam Talbot- 2016 940%
Darcy kuemper 2021 916% ( his numbers were affected due Canada struggles early in tourney)
Sam M 2023 939%
 
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Based Anime Fan said:
Does anyone really care about this tournament in Canada, though? I usually forget it even happens until I see it mentioned.
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Well it is a tournament built around players available, not really the best of the best. IMO nothing to do with World Cup or Olympic.
 
Tavares, the guy who scored the tying goal in the semi, catching a lot of undeserved flak here. Guy volunteered to come when most veteran players in his position avoid answering their phones when Rick Nash’s name flashes up.

He played well during the tournament. Great, no, but I think that describes most of the team.

I’m not suggesting these are all Leafs fans slagging Tavares but I am saying that the Venn diagram showing Leafs fans and guys slagging Tavares is a perfect circle.
 
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