Team Canada: 8 games in 12 Days Too Much

[Golden Slumbers]

Not to mention the amount of players who'd choose to continue playing in NHL during the Olympics. That'd basically be the worst case scenario for both the NHL and the Olympics.

Exactly, people complain now about a player's alliegance to club or country, but imagine if they had to pick only one and directly affect the other.

Although I agree that the NHL didn't exactly deal with the scheduling conflict well, teams play something like 16 games in 30 days in March? WEAK.

 

[e-e]

I don't understand why the NHL couldn't have started it's season a week earlier

or even month

 

[octopi]

Why are we only referring to team Canada here?

8 games in 12 days will be tough for whichever 2 teams get to the finals. How long is the time off between teh gold medal game and the nhl starting back again?

2 days

 

[thebodyczech]

Why are we only referring to team Canada here?

8 games in 12 days will be tough for whichever 2 teams get to the finals. How long is the time off between teh gold medal game and the nhl starting back again?

My thoughts exactly. I wouldn't call it hubris (not yet, at least) but most people (Canadian or otherwise) think that the Maple Leafed team will reach the finals.

 

[Danny__K]

On the German goal he came out of the box and covered the far point guy. Sakic didn't go to his point guy and the goal was scored.

lol covering the far point guy from the near side goal line? Interesting take on covering someone... McCabe was out to lunch on that one and you know its true when bob and harry acknowledge that.

McCabe has been by far the worst player on the ice for team canada and its not even close.

 

[SignThornton]

He needs a new defence partner.

You're kidding right? IMO McCabe should've never even been added to Team Canada because he's a defensive liability.

 

[Panopticon]

No doubt Team Canada benefits, their 7th d-man, McCabe is the only defenceman in the NHL scoring at more than a point a game clip. That is a definite advantage.

Hey Kronwall has 3 games and 3 points...

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

You're kidding right? IMO McCabe should've never even been added to Team Canada because he's a defensive liability.

Because he's a Leaf right? Jovanovski can't play defence and doesn't score as much as McCabe but he "belongs on Team Canada, it's just plain stupid, if McCabe played for any other team he'd have a sure spot on Team Canada WITHOUT question.

 

[Hedberg]

Because he's a Leaf right? Jovanovski can't play defence and doesn't score as much as McCabe but he "belongs on Team Canada, it's just plain stupid, if McCabe played for any other team he'd have a sure spot on Team Canada WITHOUT question.

Jovanovski plays way better defence than McCabe

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Jovanovski plays way better defence than McCabe

I never said he didn't, but he still can't play defence and he isn't even that much better then McCabe, I'd take McCabe on my team over him anyday.

 

[SignThornton]

Because he's a Leaf right? Jovanovski can't play defence and doesn't score as much as McCabe but he "belongs on Team Canada, it's just plain stupid, if McCabe played for any other team he'd have a sure spot on Team Canada WITHOUT question.

I wasn't saying anything about Jovanovski. McCabe is a liability on defense, period. He's showed that playing with the Leafs and now he's doing the same thing for Team Canada. We could have guys like Phaneuf, Boyle or Hannan and I'd pick all of them before McCabe. We already have guys like Pronger, Redden or Blake that can chip in just fine offensively, we don't need McCabe's help for that.

 

[Big Mama*]

You're kidding right? IMO McCabe should've never even been added to Team Canada because he's a defensive liability.

Head to head in 3 playoff series McCabe has outplayed Redden everytime and by a sizable margin.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I wasn't saying anything about Jovanovski. McCabe is a liability on defense, period. He's showed that playing with the Leafs and now he's doing the same thing for Team Canada. We could have guys like Phaneuf, Boyle or Hannan and I'd pick all of them before McCabe. We already have guys like Pronger, Redden or Blake that can chip in just fine offensively, we don't need McCabe's help for that.

I know you said nothing about Jovo, all I'm saying is that there the same type of d-men yet other people think Jovo deserves to be on the team and not McCabe because of the crest on the jersey.

 

[SignThornton]

Head to head in 3 playoff series McCabe has outplayed Redden everytime and by a sizable margin.

I don't think he's outplayed Redden by a 'sizeable' margin in the past. Now Let's talk about this year. Everytime I see McCabe on the ice I'm wondering who he's giving the puck up next to. He is not reliable in his own end. Period. I've seen the games, I'm not biased, I've made obversations and I'm sticking to them. He's great offensively yes but it doesn't just come down to that and only that. He's a defenseman first and foremost. There were better choices in defensemen out there and I'm sure Pat Quinn had a smidge of influence in the deciding factor in putting McCabe on the taxi-squad to begin with.

 

[HF2002]

Are you kidding? That would be like half the lineup for Ottawa, Colorado, Philly and others. Nobody wants to field a B-Team for two weeks, it could ruin a team's chances or playoff seeding.

I know I wouldnt want to watch the Sens without Chara, Redden, Spezza, Heatley, Hasek, Volchenkov, Schubert, Meszaros, and Alfie.

You're forgetting the most important thing here - the cap hit Ottawa would take by calling up the replacements.

 

[Big Mama*]

I don't think he's outplayed Redden by a 'sizeable' margin in the past. Now Let's talk about this year. Everytime I see McCabe on the ice I'm wondering who he's giving the puck up next to. He is not reliable in his own end. Period. I've seen the games, I'm not biased, I've made obversations and I'm sticking to them. He's great offensively yes but it doesn't just come down to that and only that. He's a defenseman first and foremost. There were better choices in defensemen out there and I'm sure Pat Quinn had a smidge of influence in the deciding factor in putting McCabe on the taxi-squad to begin with.

Sure the taxi squad was invented for McCabe to get his just recognition. Defensively he is above average. He is known to cough up the puck, but lots of elite d-men do. McCabe has had his best season so far.He has been breaking rookies and playing 28 minutes a game and he is a plus player on a badly negative team. In fact a team that is 25th in 5 on 5 scoring.

There is only one defenceman in the league who has scored more than a point a game this season. McCabe. Of course he belongs on the team and he should be getting alot of ice.

As for Redden the one year he doesn't go head to head with McCabe and get out played he is coughing up the puck to Friesen with a couple minutes left to lose game 7 to NJ. And costing his team a cup berth.

 

[SignThornton]

Sure the taxi squad was invented for McCabe to get his just recognition. Defensively he is above average. He is known to cough up the puck, but lots of elite d-men do. McCabe has had his best season so far.He has been breaking rookies and playing 28 minutes a game and he is a plus player on a badly negative team. In fact a team that is 25th in 5 on 5 scoring.

There is only one defenceman in the league who has scored more than a point a game this season. McCabe. Of course he belongs on the team and he should be getting alot of ice.

As for Redden the one year he doesn't go head to head with McCabe and get out played he is coughing up the puck to Friesen with a couple minutes left to lose game 7 to NJ. And costing his team a cup berth.

McCabe is not a better than average defensive defenseman, this is my whole argument. He coughs up the puck more than other elite defensemen do. I guess having him on the same team as Wade Belak or Aki Berg makes him look like an above average defenseman but he's not and I'm not fooled one bit. Plus/Minus is probably the most overused stat in the game. It doesn't always reflect how well or bad you play defensively.

FYI, the Leafs are 27th 5/5 which is even worse.

 

[Big Mama*]

McCabe is not a better than average defensive defenseman, this is my whole argument. He coughs up the puck more than other elite defensemen do. I guess having him on the same team as Wade Belak or Aki Berg makes him look like an above average defenseman but he's not and I'm not fooled one bit. Plus/Minus is probably the most overused stat in the game. It doesn't always reflect how well or bad you play defensively.

FYI, the Leafs are 27th 5/5 which is even worse.

Yes he cough's up the puck more than elite defenceman do. But that doesn't make him average. Your correct about +/- . But you are not presenting an argument about McCabe's defensive play. You are stating your opinion that he is average defensively. I disagree with your opinion and will present a contrary argument that McCabe is not average.

Look at the stats. There are only 4 players with over 28 minutes per game.

Lidstrom +6
Pronger +4
McCabe +2
Kaberle -2

Only three of them are plus players.

http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/stats?s...iewName=summary

Now look at the teams GF 5 on 5 and GA 5 on 5

Det 112 81
Edm 100 108
Tor 85 105

Obviously Pronger and Lidstrom should be on the ice for more goals. (Plus mcCabe missed 9 games) and have much better +/- but they don't. On the other hand Pronger and mcCabe are just as likely to be on the ice for a GA, Lidstrom less so.

http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/stats?s...ewName=goalsFor

Now look at non-PP points.

Lidstrom 16 GP 57
Pronger 8 GP 58
McCabe 19 GP 48

All three players get huge ice. McCabe looks like his +/- should be alot worse because his team is awful 5 on 5. But McCabe does generate more offense than Pronger and Lidstrom and that will have a positive effect on his +/-. But it is on a team that is far worse offensively than Det or Edm.

If McCabe was average defensively he should have a +/- alot worse than Pronger or Lidstrom , especially since all three are playing almost half the game. But the differences are minimal.

It is possible that McCabe's offensive talents have completely made up for average defensive play. The problem with this argument is that the leafs GF is alot lower than Det and Edm.

 

[thenextone]

This is not just Canada complaining about its own situation

any team who makes it to the medal rounds will have played the same exhaustive schedule

 

[Scoogs]

OMG... Shut up about McCabe already people. Every mention of Team Canada goes hand in hand with McCabe.

He sucks? Ok.. Shut up and move on.

 

[SignThornton]

OMG... Shut up about McCabe already people. Every mention of Team Canada goes hand in hand with McCabe.

He sucks? Ok.. Shut up and move on.

I completely agree get big mama to quit yapping.