GDT: USA Vs Czech Republic | 12/29 @ 2PM ET | TSN/NHLN

[JiricekSaveUs]

Wasn’t so sure if Zegras should play in the NHL this year. I think he could and should now. It’s not about the production, either. He’s added some muscle and improved his shot. Give him time in the top 6.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Boldy was setting up Caufield all game, and Berniers is great, and very unselfish. MTL fans somehow finding Caufield's linemates a problem is rich. I would propose moving Brink up to the second line/PP, and moving Caufield back to the bottom six.

Somewhere north of the border you just caused some Canadiens fans' heads to explode.

 

[AKL]

Wasn’t so sure if Zegras should play in the NHL this year. I think he could and should now. It’s not about the production, either. He’s added some muscle and improved his shot. Give him time in the top 6.

Would like to see him play Canada and Sweden before I completely agree, but he looks head and shoulders above the rest of the Americans he's playing with at this point.

 

[dm1371]

Zegras is a machine, that's good for him but that doesn't mean we have to expect everyone else to produce just as much. Turcotte, Caufield, Kaliyev will all be fine.

 

[JiricekSaveUs]

Would like to see him play Canada and Sweden before I completely agree, but he looks head and shoulders above the rest of the Americans he's playing with at this point.

I’m not really basing it on how he’s doing in this tournament. Everybody knows how skilled he is. What I’ve been impressed by is how he can win battles now and handle himself physically, which is something I didn’t see from him last year at the tournament.

 

[Talus]

Americans are so far are the most impressive in the tournament.

 

[admiralcadillac]

Caufield is the same. His best attribute is his shot, and when he's not scoring, he's not doing anything to help the team, he's a burden.

It's tough for USA because they have two of those players in Kaliyev and Caufield. They can't be on the same line, especially when neither of them are producing at the moment. They can't play in the more gritty, defensive roles, because neither of them are capable of playing that game. So you have to split them up in the top 6 and just deal with whatever the outcome is. Luckily, Zegras is the best player in this tournament right now, and the Brink line is exceeding expectations.

Good thing he scored on top of having an assist then huh. It's almost as if you ignored that.

 

[AKL]

Good thing he scored on top of having an assist then huh. It's almost as if you ignored that.

Did you actually watch either of those points? Or the rest of the game?

 

[admiralcadillac]

Did you actually watch either of those points? Or the rest of the game?

I was going to ask you the same question but reading your comments it doesn't matter what you're watching. Try and find something else to do.

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Americans are so far are the most impressive in the tournament.

Didn't they lose to Russia quite handily in their first game? We putting that one mostly on Knight?

 

[2Pair]

I think we can get stuck on how great Cole is as a scorer, and miss how great he is as a set up guy. He’s got elite puck skills and vision. He’s maybe even better as a set up guy than a scorer?

Yeah, NO

 

[canuck2010]

Americans are so far are the most impressive in the tournament.

They have an advantage of continuity and familiarization built on their development model. Some of these players have played together for few years.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Dave Starman is the worst

I don't mind Starman. I think people are too hard on his commentating. I don't think you are going to get the US broadcast to match Good and Ray, the best duo in the game, but Starman isn't as bad as people say.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Because Caufield has been bad.

That doesn't make sense. If a player is struggling, you change things up to get him going. Putting him with a player who he plays really well with makes a lot of sense.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Did Caufield and Kaliyev get on this team USA squad based on their high draft positions? Neither have done much in these past 2 1/2 games to justify their inclusion, Kaliyev more so than Caufield...

I hope you're joking. They more than earned spots on the team. They could throw the puck into their own net each game, and they'd have earned spots on the team.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Brink > Caufield

Brink > Caufield

I'm sorry, but that's an atrocious take.

I credit Brink for having a great game, but the US broadcast has really oversold his grit because he plays on a line with two guys who have grit. He's as perimeter as it gets. He's as small as Caufield, and a slower skater. Avoids contact. Caufield's game has a much better chance of translating to the NHL.

 

[Canes]

Americans are so far are the most impressive in the tournament.

We've beaten Austria and Czech Republic and laid an egg vs Russia. The other teams must be really bad if we're the most impressive.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Didn't they lose to Russia quite handily in their first game? We putting that one mostly on Knight?

Two goals were definitely on Knight in the Russia game. That’s not to say Russia didn’t deserve or play well enough to win. Gotta make a quick decision on the a bad performance like Knight had.

 

[Canada4Gold]

sorry so if usa is winning by 1 why would they pull the goalie? or are you saying they wouldn't

Doesn't matter now. But I was talking about the Czechs. Normally you would pull the goalie down 1. But in the case where Sweden beat both Russia and USA losing by 1 v losing by 2 would have been the difference between 2nd in the group and 4th in the group for the Czechs. I was curious if they would indeed play normally and pull the goalie down 1 or if they'd play it safer because giving up an empty net goal in that spot could have been the difference between 2nd and 4th if Sweden won all their games.

Now that they lost by 7 they're going to lose the 3 way tiebreaker in that case anyway, and the only way they don't finish 4th is if it's a 2 way tie at 2-2 with Russia(Sweden beats Russia, USA beats Sweden) which they would get 3rd on head to head. Or the unlikely case where Austria beats someone.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

We've beaten Austria and Czech Republic and laid an egg vs Russia. The other teams must be really bad if we're the most impressive.

I think all the top teams have looked less than stellar in at least one game in this tournament, aside from maybe Sweden.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Kaliyev reminds me of Draisaitl

That's insulting to Draisaitl. Maybe the passing/shooting. The rest isn't close.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I find it funny how much hatred Caufield gets

So many of the people reacting to this tournament are people trying to criticize prospects on rival teams or people who are reading based on the only games they'll see a player play all year. This tournament is rife for overreactions.

And then throw in that Caufield is a controversial player to begin with.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

So we cheer for Sweden to beat Russia right?

Yes, I want to end their streak.

 

[Number 57]

I'm sorry, but that's an atrocious take.

I credit Brink for having a great game, but the US broadcast has really oversold his grit because he plays on a line with two guys who have grit. He's as perimeter as it gets. He's as small as Caufield, and a slower skater. Avoids contact. Caufield's game has a much better chance of translating to the NHL.

Not just the US broadcast, because Button on TSN also praised Brink's physical game and even compared with to Ryan Callahan

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Wasn’t so sure if Zegras should play in the NHL this year. I think he could and should now. It’s not about the production, either. He’s added some muscle and improved his shot. Give him time in the top 6.

AHL would be better. You'd rather have him playing top line, first PP against worse players in his first games as a pro than thrown into probably a third line role in the NHL where he'll probably be used as a winger, might not get big minutes or situations, and is learning the pro game on the fly.

The Ducks have no reason to rush him.