What happened to Canada's high powered offense?

[kris]

What happened to Canada's offense? Mr and Mrs Slavin nearly 31 years ago decided that little Jacob was born for this moment. Thats what happened.

Slavin might have been the best player on the ice last night

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Nothing happened to it. Played well in game one - without the softies given up Canada would've won in regulation - and it looked okay to start game two.

Then we gave up a softie and let in another. US went into a shell and Canada failed to adjust. When a team starts trapping and clogging the defensive zone, you need to adjust and crash the net. I think they'll adjust for next game.

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Tanev should have made the team over Paryko. Weegar over Sanheim. Need to favour PMD who can skate well and move the puck up the ice quickly in a fast paced tournament like this. Canada loses Theodore right away and all of a sudden their blue line isn't near as mobile. Harley surprised me, he was very good last night.

Holy contradiction. Tanev is slow moving, slow IQ, slow thinking, and can't move the puck. He would get dominated in this tournament.

 

[DuklaNation]

Goes back to roster construction (they would benefit from 1 or 2 purely north/south wingers). Although I think Canada is in a downturn on dmen and goaltending which won't last.

You don't draw conclusions from 1 sample.

 

[Limeyjim]

I'm rooting for team Canada, but what I saw in last nights game was a team who's biggest star players are really showing their age. Crosby looks like a 4th line winger at best, and Marchand looked completely over powered. McDavid never comes through in big games.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I think at some point you have to point a finger at coaching. Plain and simple I felt they got outcoached in the USA game

Yeah but the good news is that they can adjust for the next game.

 

[Flair Hay]

Americans really clamped down the neutral zone well 2nd and 3rd period.

McDavid and MacKinnon trying to do a bit too much by themselves. US defense is too good to play hero ball and score multiple times.

Avs beat Jets and torched Helle in the playoffs by using a ton of screens, tips, rebounds on top of some amazing individual efforts. Canada needs to get back to basics and get pucks on net from the point with two guys screening. Once US has to respect that, then some room will open up for their all world stars.

Right now they are looking for the perfect play and the US team defense is too good for that.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I'm rooting for team Canada, but what I saw in last nights game was a team who's biggest star players are really showing their age. Crosby looks like a 4th line winger at best, and Marchand looked completely over powered. McDavid never comes through in big games.

Whaaaat?

McDavid is one of the best playoff players of all time. He has two goals in two games in this tourney and has easily been our most dangerous player.

 

[Primary Assist]

I'm rooting for team Canada, but what I saw in last nights game was a team who's biggest star players are really showing their age. Crosby looks like a 4th line winger at best, and Marchand looked completely over powered. McDavid never comes through in big games.

I have a hard time agreeing with your last point. McDavid had a huge solo effort and opened the scoring. For all the flak Matthews is getting this tournament, he's showing that he really is all-world at 200 foot play and he shadowed McDavid immaculately last night (along with amazing efforts by Slavin and Helle)

 

[Tutu to]

They are still figuring out the chemistry for the lines. The Reinhardt-McDavid-Marner line is particularly bad. The Swedish and American D were able to box them out with help from their Centers. If Finland can do the same with their AHL defense that would be extra sad.

 

[Heldig]

Great defense nullified star offensive players.

Let's see if Canada has an answer in the final game.

 

[Fatass]

Very individual play. One guy racing around with the puck (McDavid and McKinnon) while others standing around watching. Not a team. Plus, their D (without Makar) ain’t so good.

Great defense nullified star offensive players.

Let's see if Canada has an answer in the final game.

Canada has to make it to the Final. Finn’s have Lankonen. He could stand on his head.

 

[Soundwave]

The real question is why is Canada settling for a freaking .897 starter. Because the GM is the Blues GM and he wants “his guy” in net. It’s idiotic, he’s allowed at least one bad goal in both games.

 

[Grifter3511]

This sounds like a stellar jinx thread.

As usual, people on HFboards jump to instant conclusions and think they have everything figured out after a game.

You're aware the tournament is far from over and the stars can still explode in the remaining games, right?

Will be sure to bump this thread when appropriate.

Canada lost to USA in 2010 Olympics during round robin and corrected course for the final.

 

[Reality Check]

It's clear to me and should be clear to everyone else.

Sidney Crosby is in cahoots with Mike Sullivan.

 

[Grifter3511]

Whaaaat?

McDavid is one of the best playoff players of all time. He has two goals in two games in this tourney and has easily been our most dangerous player.

He has 1 goal.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

He has 1 goal.

Sorry, right he got an assist game one.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Well Makar is arguably their 2nd or 3rd best offensive player and they didn't have him last night. Losing him made them one dimensional.

 

[nORRis8]

Well....I just think Canada was out coached.
Cooper is an excellent coach, no doubt, but he overplayed the crap out of McDavid line throughout the game. At times in the 2nd period he switched back and from the 1st and 2nd line which was weird ignoring the 3rd and 4th lines.

Plus McDavid.....shoot it dude!
For all that time (22:44) on the ice he had just 3 shots. Passed it offs few times while owning a lane.
Sam Bennett's icetime (7:41) was much shorter yet had 3 shots and was second in hits (4)
I'm not saying play Bennett more, but I appreciate the shots on net.

Does Canada go with Hill? Not sure if Binnington was the issue. I'd stay with him. But I'd accept the switch as well.

One thing we do know...
Hill has a Cup ring.
Binnington has a Cup ring.
Hellebucyk doesn't. His playoff record...less remarkable. So can he win the big game? Time will tell.

 

[DuklaNation]

They had a perfect opportunity to reunite Montour/Weegar and they blew it.

 

[Soundwave]

Neither US or Canada's big guns really brought it last night offensively aside from maybe McDavid (he overpassed on a glorious chance though).

It was a 2-1 game and at least one, if not both of US's goals were a bit soft. That's on Binnington.

 

[BruinDust]

It's a Don Sweeney built forward group no one should be surprised it's having a hard time generating offense.

 

[ValeriKamensky]

They are Legion of dwarfs.
Where are Scheifele and Wilson?

 

[Czechboy]

In fairness, they haven't played Finland yet. I don't think anyone would argue that the Swedish and USA core are not elite? Might still go up but 4 goals in 2 games seems low for a team with this much power.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Does Canada go with Hill? Not sure if Binnington was the issue. I'd stay with him. But I'd accept the switch as well.

One thing we do know...
Hill has a Cup ring.
Binnington has a Cup ring.
Hellebucyk doesn't. His playoff record...less remarkable. So can he win the big game? Time will tell.

They absolutely should go with Hill for tomorrow but they won't because the management have a love fest for Binnington, thinking that he's still 2019 Binnington. Just like Cooper has a man crush on Marner and won't ever dare to take him off McDavids wing despite them being terrible together.