WJC: 2021 Team USA Roster Talk

[Rubi]

Cmon mate. Obviously at this point you are not going to change your number one anymore. Specially against Finns who has been hardest opponent for us in recent years.

Canada is your hardest opponent... by long ways. Wolf isn't chopped liver. Your best bet is Wolf vs Finland and Knight vs Canada. Do you really want a tired Knight going up against the powerhouse Canadians?

 

[Howe Elbows 9]

Will Wolf play today and Knight tomorrow?

I don't think any of the final four teams will rest their starters for the semi-finals.

 

[bigdog16]

Canada is your hardest opponent... by long ways. Wolf isn't chopped liver. Your best bet is Wolf vs Finland and Knight vs Canada. Do you really want a tired Knight going up against the powerhouse Canadians?

They will ride Knight. I think there is a literal 0% chance Wolf starts

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Man I just can’t stop imagining how good this team might’ve been if Bordeleau and Beecher were here. I think Bords may have been in for a point per game perframance, and Beecher would’ve been the ideal 4C.

How about Robertson??? Dude would be lighting it up while being a monster on the forecheck.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

They will ride Knight. I think there is a literal 0% chance Wolf starts

Only way I see Wolf starting is for the bronze medal game, if Finland manages to pull off the upset.

 

[William H Bonney]

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

How about Robertson??? Dude would be lighting it up while being a monster on the forecheck.

Yeah that too, but he was always iffy if he was going to play.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

They will ride Knight. I think there is a literal 0% chance Wolf starts

It’s the chance that Knight gets hurt between now and then. Really low, but probably not 0%.

 

[William H Bonney]

It would be nice to beat Finland in a game that matters, just to mix things up.

Also, is it too much to ask for us to wear our nice jerseys? We have some classics, and yet we're always wearing these dreadful Nikes with the stupid sleeves.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Leaman is going to need to come up a plan to beat the Finland trap.

 

[NAD24]

First period thoughts :
D are being pressured heavily, need a center to support more in the D zone

Finland controlled alot of the 1st but the US had plenty of chances

Beniers is showing why he can be a top 6 guy... great hit in neutral zone than turns on wheels up ice

Anton Lundell has looked like a threat every shift so far... US looks like their matching with Beniers line

Knight looking steady... bailed us out a few times so far... looked stellar on Finlands PP

Am I harsh if I think Caufield needs to find a way to bury that first chance 30 seconds into the game?

Zegras looks good as usual, finding a way to make everyone around him better

Interested in seeing how they respond after the first, especially after dealing with Finland's constant pressure. This is the game Finland loves to play; as we have seen plenty of time in the past, close up until the end, then they bury one, and it's too late to crawl back. Hopeful for a different outcome.

 

[Sens With Benefits]

I haven’t been able to watch much of USA how has Sanderson looked?

 

[Jaykay]

This '01 group was always expected to be playing for a gold, not quite the group we expected and it's an uphill battle against Canada tomorrow, but it should be fun.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

Man, York does not look good in his own zone.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

Boldy not being named one of the top 3 players is a joke.

 

[Jaykay]

Boldy not being named one of the top 3 players is a joke.

Definitely, Zegras was the only right pick.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

Boldy not being named one of the top 3 players is a joke.

Agreed. Been the most complete player all tournament for the USA.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

Cam York getting the nod is criminal.

 

[bsu]

 

[KaseMeOutside]

Agreed. Been the most complete player all tournament for the USA.

I wish they'd try him with Zegras, Beniers is playing hard but isn't ready for a 2nd line role, and Caufield I'm not gonna get started on

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

I wish they'd try him with Zegras, Beniers is playing hard but isn't ready for a 2nd line role, and Caufield I'm not gonna get started on

Ha, I feel the exact same way. If I get started, I am not stopping.

 

[William H Bonney]

They're in the gold medal game, which is the goal, but that was a very uneven performance. Finland plays Team USA better than anyone, but if they play like that against Canada they're going to get pasted.

I actually thought the team started pretty well even though they weren't getting many shots on net. They only had like 5-6 shots before Turcotte's goal, but they were nearly all grade-A chances, they just kept missing the net. After Turcotte scored and Finland got the PP, the wheels fell off until a couple of shifts before Farinacci's goal.

In general, the team passed up way too many shots (two separate 2-on-1s with no shots), missed the net too much, or were relying on 60-foot breakout passes to stationary forwards.

Faber and York were a nightmare. Faber had innumerable unforced turnovers and both were lost in coverage. York looked like he was in a washing machine the way he was spinning in circles in the defensive zone.

People rag on Kaliyev, and yeah he skates like an aircraft carrier, but Boldy's goal doesn't happen without his hustle and he snipes one to save the team from blowing a lead.

I really liked Boldy tonight. He's been good all tournament, but he was competing hard and making things happen. It'll be exciting to see his puck protection ability in a few years when he's physically mature.

Farinacci was excellent again and has been one of our top 3 players despite our coaching staff choices. He's there for his two-way play, but his offense has been a huge bonus.

Slaggert is a liability. He can't win a face-off, he provides no offensive ability at this level, and he hasn't been effective on the forecheck. Why he was out there for the last shift over a guy like Farinacci or Turcotte boggles the mind.

I imagine the coaching staff had a much bigger role in mind for LaCombe than he's ended up having, but that was one hell of a pass for a guy that's barely played.

Turcotte hasn't had a complete game yet by his (high) standards, but he came up big tonight, especially with his pass at the end.

Knight as one of our 3 best players? The coaching staff must want to boost his confidence. He was okay at best tonight and the game-tying goal was incredibly weak. They won't do it, but I'd still consider starting Wolf in the gold medal game.

I'm surprised we lost the special teams battle to Finland and still won the game, but the refs were one-sided tonight. Yeah, you have to call the pucks out of play, but they let everything go by Finland, despite calling Team USA for tic-tacky ones. Just one example is Turcotte having his stick ripped out of his hands in the defensive zone by the Finnish forward when York was already without a stick at the end. Luckily they recovered and ended up scoring, but if you're going to let them play, let both teams play. The refs didn't do that tonight.

 

[Jaykay]

I thought Thrun was pretty brutal tonight as well.

 

[William H Bonney]

I'm very grateful we're able to watch this tournament every year now thanks to NHL Network, but good god are horrible player comparisons to Dave Starman what useless biographical information is to Pierre McGuire. Ville Heinola is like Cale Makar and Charlie McAvoy? Jesus. He makes these ridiculous player comparisons like half-a-dozen times a game and usually, they're not even remotely close, and he loves comparing one player to multiple players that are nothing alike. "Player X reminds me of Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon!" Oh, got it.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I'm very grateful we're able to watch this tournament every year now thanks to NHL Network, but good god are horrible player comparisons to Dave Starman what useless biographical information is to Pierre McGuire. Ville Heinola is like Cale Makar and Charlie McAvoy? Jesus. He makes these ridiculous player comparisons like half-a-dozen times a game and usually, they're not even remotely close, and he loves comparing one player to multiple players that are nothing alike. "Player X reminds me of Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon!" Oh, got it.

I've never seen an analyst with worse player comparisons lol. Just absolutely brutal.