GDT: WJC, Jan 2 QF, Cesko vs Canada, 8:30 EST

Good for Slovakia and hockey in general. This was a weak Canadian team that would've been beat anyway by Sweden or the USA. Kind of hard to win it every year when your best players are already in the NHL at 18 or 19.
 
I meant it in terms of prospects and star power.
Really? I don't think you did. At least that's not what you said.
To me it sounded like a WJC winner outside of Canada, Czechia, Russia, US or Sweden has to be a somekind of cinderella run in your opinion.
 
Really? I don't think you did. At least that's not what you said.
To me it sounded like a WJC winner outside of Canada, Czechia, Russia, US or Sweden has to be a somekind of cinderella run in your opinion.
Nope. I meant its usually the big powerhouses and then a team on a magical run.
 
The only thing worse than "Things would be different if Player X was here" is "Things would be different if Team X was here".

Who cares?

They aren't there, there are enough teams left to host a tournament.

It's certainly a better tournament missing Team X than it would be missing Team W, V, Y and Z which is what would happen if Team X was here.

You want to put an asterisk next to it? Ok, fill your boots.

Meanwhile everyone else gets on with their lives and watches the hockey.
Screw the Russians.
 
Would not care whatsoever because I’m only interested in seeing three games
USA - Canada
USA - Russia
Canada - Russia

Besides, Slovakia now has a neutral government so I’m pretty sure they’d still participate
Yet, Canada just got beat all over the ice.

Welcome to parity. Welcome to realizing that Canada, USA and Russia aren't the only ones who play junior hockey. They also aren't playing in the 90's and 00's anymore, where USA, Canada, and Russia dominated, mixed in with Sweden.

Kappppeeesh?
 
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Yet, Canada just got beat all over the ice.

Welcome to parity. Welcome to realizing that Canada, USA and Russia aren't the only ones who play junior hockey. They also aren't playing in the 90's and 00's anymore, where USA, Canada, and Russia dominated, mixed in with Sweden.

Kappppeeesh?

You do realize Canada won 4 of the past 6 tournaments before this one? (And have a good opportunity to win the next 3 if you look at the projected drafts) How's that different than the 90s?
 
Are we going to have this " the rest of the world is catching up" convo every time Canada doesn't win? I swear I've been hearing this for the last 15 years at various points. Remember when we went 7 years without winning and all the panic and " the world has caught up" talk? Then we went on a run of winning 5 in a row. Then another long drought and then coming into this tourney we had won 4 of the last 6 and 2 in a row. It's almost like things are cyclical and whenever Canada doesn't win it doesn't automatically mean that Canada is no longer the clear cut superpower or that the rest of the world has caught up.

Not to mention that Canada had Bedard, Fantilli, Benson and Korchinski that were eligible to play but didn't and the Czech team still barely scraped by on a fluke goal and shoddy goaltending.
 
You do realize Canada won 4 of the past 6 tournaments before this one? (And have a good opportunity to win the next 3 if you look at the projected drafts) How's that different than the 90s?
I would say Canada winning 4 of 7 and what like 1 of 8 before that is a far cry from winning five in a row.
 
I would say Canada winning 4 of 7 and what like 1 of 8 before that is a far cry from winning five in a row.

Last 20 years

10 x first place finish
4 x 2nd place finish
1x 3rd place finish

CANADA IS IN DECLINE.

(sarcasm)
I'm no fanboi, I'm just trying to debunk the myth of the decline, because the data doesn't show any such decline.

Now look at 1977 to 1989...
 
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Last 20 years

10 x first place finish
4 x 2nd place finish
1x 3rd place finish

CANADA IS IN DECLINE.

(sarcasm)
I'm no fanboi, I'm just trying to debunk the myth of the decline, because the data doesn't show any such decline.

Now look at 1977 to 1989...
Yeah Canada is the best hockey nation as everyone knows but 5 out of 15 is definitely worse than the 5 out of 5 immediately preceding it lol.
 
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Are we going to have this " the rest of the world is catching up" convo every time Canada doesn't win? I swear I've been hearing this for the last 15 years at various points. Remember when we went 7 years without winning and all the panic and " the world has caught up" talk? Then we went on a run of winning 5 in a row. Then another long drought and then coming into this tourney we had won 4 of the last 6 and 2 in a row. It's almost like things are cyclical and whenever Canada doesn't win it doesn't automatically mean that Canada is no longer the clear cut superpower or that the rest of the world has caught up.

Not to mention that Canada had Bedard, Fantilli, Benson and Korchinski that were eligible to play but didn't and the Czech team still barely scraped by on a fluke goal and shoddy goaltending.
Nice cope.
 
The real question is why European teams don't perform well in North America.
Was it 2019 when Finland won the gold, they went through Canada in the Semis and won the final against USA. That is something, considering playing on a small rink those guys have played their whole lives in.
 
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Yet, Canada just got beat all over the ice.

Welcome to parity. Welcome to realizing that Canada, USA and Russia aren't the only ones who play junior hockey. They also aren't playing in the 90's and 00's anymore, where USA, Canada, and Russia dominated, mixed in with Sweden.

Kappppeeesh?

Russia doesn't play junior hockey, most of our top kids play in the KHL and VHL... Alright, Demidov plays in the MHL, but it's another topic...
 
Not to mention, we'd rather see any American team win over a Canadian team in our conference.

I'm a little more supportive of the Western teams because the hatred isn't quite the same.
Yea nationalism in club sports doesn't make sense to me. I would root for isis over philly if they ever played each other in hockey
 

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