WC: General Talk '12 — U.S.A.
- Thread starter AmericanDream
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AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
InjuredChoker
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SimplySensational
Heard of Hough
AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
yeah he looked a bit tentative out there, but that would be common sense...hope he doesnt bruise up/stiff up and really be in pain tonight/early tomorrow
Hey American Dream, did I call moving Ryan onto a line with Smith or what.
Still prefer to see Brown with Pacioretty.
Still prefer to see Brown with Pacioretty.
AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
still not a big fan of it to be honest, but as long as they can contribute and not just spread out guys for the sake of it...it will be fine with me.
all lines looked excellent today and Kyle Palmieri was buzzing out there.
I guess this team has enough speed and grit to make life a living hell for some of these defenses...
Cant wait to see what Carlson does on this blueline....I would pair him up with Goligoski or Faulk to be honest
magic school bus
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William H Bonney
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I liked the lines today. I thought they were good changes. You have 3 big guns and Ryan is a guy that's always shown in Anaheim he can carry a line by himself. Allows the scoring threats to be spread out among the top 6 and I liked how Gordon was rotating in the water bugs on the second line as well.
Sean Garrity
Quack Quack Quack!
SmokeyDuck
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Fowler has looked really good imo. Nothing flashy, but playing with confidence, moving the puck well, and making smart plays. The JJ-Fowler pair has been amazing.
InjuredChoker
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Sojourn
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Pretty much the exact reason, if I'm the US coach, I like Carlson on the 2nd pairing with Faulk if I can get it. You want to take advantage of an addition like Carlson, but you don't want to mess with the good things you've got. The Johnson-Fowler pairing has been money on the breakout, moving the puck, and they just seem to read each other well in all three zones.
I think the US might find themselves having two top pairing caliber lines, if Carlson and Faulk can click. Then you've got Petry, Goligoski, and I'm guessing Butler(Braun should be the odd man out in this scenario).
William H Bonney
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I agree with both of you. Faulk, Fowler, and Johnson have all been the best d-men. All three have suffered from overconfidence and sloppiness at times, though, but that's not unexpected. Players of their skating and offensive abilities typically can overestimate the time and space they have on the bigger ice and it takes time to adjust. Fowler, like the others, has been a bit too lackadaisical at times when he could just use his skating to more easily effect the game but he's been good.
I think Fowler is showing his defensive game here though. Like all young players he has plenty of room to grow there but he's been strong here. His game has reminded me of when he was on the WJC team. He took the back seat offensively there to guys like Carlson and Donovan (and here he's doing the same to Faulk and Johnson) but he's been steady defensively and that's needed. Impressed with him and excited for his future. Still TONS of room for growth in his game.
If Carlson were to go, and I'm guessing he's not given we haven't heard anything yet (he's also an RFA), I'd split them up to have a lefty-righty on each pair, say Johnson - Faulk, Fowler - Carlson. A problem with the 1st PP unit is that Gordon is throwing out Fowler-Johnson and it makes it easy to defend when you know one guy cannot one-time anything. Too easy to set up and take away those lanes defensively in that situation.
That said, I have no problems with the defense. Most of their issues so far in the tournament have been self inflicted. When they move the puck like they did today and drop the forced long breakout passes, they've dominated.
William H Bonney
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It was just hopeful banter at this point. I've seen nothing so far. And given the other Caps that have already joined (Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom), I figure we would have heard something on Carlson by now if he was going. It would be awesome if he joined and was already on his way. If he could get there in time for the Swiss game and get in the flow of things it would be huge. But I don't think he's going to play.
Sojourn
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Fowler seems to be going through a period where, to put it simply, I'm not sure he realizes just how good he is/can be at the highest level. This goes along with him having the ability to influence the game more than he is. It's been the same way in Anaheim too, and it all seems to factor in to his confidence. I'd like him to play with a bit more, well, cockiness I guess.
I also agree on the defensive side. He's got a good stick, fantastic mobility, and impressive vision. This all lends itself to good defense when used appropriately. Fowler's D game has been very underrated by those who haven't seen much of him. He's showing why a lot of Anaheim fans have been saying that, despite a regression in his offensive numbers, he still took big strides this season. I'm looking forward to seeing him put everything together.
This US team has been a lot of fun to watch so far. I imagine USA Hockey is going to want to take lessons from this tournament in regards to the Olympic. They've done a lot of things right with this team, and have really defined how they want this team to play and be successful on big ice.
Sojourn
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AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
hahaha, probably me, as I was asking what flight he was on!!
I guess if I believe he is coming...well ya know, he will come....kind of like a field of dreams thing..
if Ovechkin and Semin can come to play for Russia, Carlson should come play for the US....if the US even wants to fill that spot which is all speculation on our part
William H Bonney
Registered User
Caps reporter Tarik El-Bashir confirmed that Carlson was asked and declined. Injury that needs addressing and he's also an RFA.
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