GDT: Gold Medal Game • Jan. 5 • Canada 5, United States 6 (OT) • Part #4

[flamesfan12]

Congrats to the States. They deserved it. Goaltending and team defence just wasn't good enough for the Canadians. Just to many mistakes and the Americans capitalized. I just hope the Canadians can get it back next year.

 

[Derick*]

Great tournament. World junior hockey is more entertaining than 80% of NHL teams. I know Canadians are the only people on Earth who know what modesty is and Americans are arrogant monsterssarcasm, but the American kids were really classy about the victory. After five straight gold medal wins and all this stuff about the tournament becoming meaningless, it's great to see the US win and earn it. I just hope the Olympics don't go the same way.

Does the world juniors award a first all-star team? Because the swiss goalie was the MVG for sure. The Canadian and American goalies completely dropped the ball. But that was part of what made it entertaining.

 

[Bert Marshall days]

Where can I find the home towns of the USA players?

 

[danisonfire]

I am actually glad the USA won. It isn't good for the sport when the winner is the same at a level every year. The loss showed Canadians, at least myself that at the end of the day the team that plays harder will win.

 

[Kiefer]

Great tournament. World junior hockey is more entertaining than 80% of NHL teams. I know Canadians are the only people on Earth who know what modesty is and Americans are arrogant monsterssarcasm, but the American kids were really classy about the victory. After five straight gold medal wins and all this stuff about the tournament becoming meaningless, it's great to see the US win and earn it. I just hope the Olympics don't go the same way.

Does the world juniors award a first all-star team? Because the swiss goalie was the MVG for sure. The Canadian and American goalies completely dropped the ball. But that was part of what made it entertaining.

I think the Swiss goalie got it. I got a glimpse at the end of some stream, but I'm pretty sure he got it.

EDIT: found this on the IIHF site:

The nominations to the Media All-Star Team were equally split between Canada, Switzerland and Team USA:

G – Benjamin Conz (SUI)
D – Alex Pietrangelo (CAN)
D – John Carlson (USA)
F – Jordan Eberle (CAN)
F – Derek Stepan (USA)
F – Nino Niederreiter (SUI)

 

[SML]

It's simply a population principle. Canada has a population of roughly 33 million, the US roughly 308 million. If 75% of Canadians love hockey, then there are 21.5 million canadian hockey fans. If only 8% of Americans love hockey then that mens that there are 25 million American hockey fans. That doesn't mean that passion for hockey isn't substantially higher in Canada than it is in the US, it undeniably is (and, for the record, I love that when I'm in Canada that I can talk about hockey to anyone in the street the same way I would talk to them about Baseball at home in New York), but the numbers are the numbers. Hockey will never have more than a modicum of the market share in American that it does in Canada, but the weight of numbers tends to even it out.

Well we'd better hope the Chinese don't start playing or we'll all be screwed.

 

[Derick*]

It's simply a population principle. Canada has a population of roughly 33 million, the US roughly 308 million. If 75% of Canadians love hockey, then there are 21.5 million canadian hockey fans. If only 8% of Americans love hockey then that mens that there are 25 million American hockey fans. That doesn't mean that passion for hockey isn't substantially higher in Canada than it is in the US, it undeniably is (and, for the record, I love that when I'm in Canada that I can talk about hockey to anyone in the street the same way I would talk to them about Baseball at home in New York), but the numbers are the numbers. Hockey will never have more than a modicum of the market share in American that it does in Canada, but the weight of numbers tends to even it out.

Concentration and intensity matters though. 20 000 hockey fans in a city of 25 000 and everyone there has their kid in the youth league which is the talk of the town. 20 000 hockey fans in a city of 300 000 and those 20 000 hockey fans likely don't know eachother or about the league and therefore don't put their kid into it.

If you like hockey a lot more, you're more likely to put your kid into it, even though it's the same number of eye balls in front of the TV.

Also, small sample sizes allow for more extreme distributions. The top 23 people out of a sample of 300 million is probably better than the top 23 people out of a sample of 30 million, but not ten times better. Which is why Americans, despite being on average no worse as athletes and equal or better infastructure to train them, don't have ten times as many olympic medals as Canada each year. Unfortunately for the higher population countries, it's not "entire country v. entire country."

 

[sensfan83*]

Are we moving towards 4 superpowers of hockey? The US keeps improving, Sweden is always good, Russia has that new junior development program or whatever, and Canada is Canada. Would be awesome to finally have some serious consistent competition between those 4 countries (until China comes along and wrecks us all).

 

[Paxton Fettel]

Are we moving towards 4 superpowers of hockey? The US keeps improving, Sweden is always good, Russia has that new junior development program or whatever, and Canada is Canada. Would be awesome to finally have some serious consistent competition between those 4 countries (until China comes along and wrecks us all).

are you talking about the juniors only or in general?

 

[Pierre Gotye]

Great tournament. World junior hockey is more entertaining than 80% of NHL teams. I know Canadians are the only people on Earth who know what modesty is and Americans are arrogant monsterssarcasm, but the American kids were really classy about the victory. After five straight gold medal wins and all this stuff about the tournament becoming meaningless, it's great to see the US win and earn it. I just hope the Olympics don't go the same way.

Does the world juniors award a first all-star team? Because the swiss goalie was the MVG for sure. The Canadian and American goalies completely dropped the ball. But that was part of what made it entertaining.

Simply not true. A Canadian came to our facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?tab=2#/group.php?gid=226715187012 Talking all kinds of garbage, only to end up eating his own words. A lack of arrogance internationally is not something border specific.

Weren't you Canadians also pumping this 6th straight stuff too?

 

[sensfan83*]

are you talking about the juniors only or in general?

i guess both...

 

[Derick*]

Not only was it hyperbolic exaggeration, I actually used the sarcasm smiley! Come on!

 

[Kitten Mittons]

Holy crap, there are only 33 million people in Canada? Wow, that is low!

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Congrats to the US team, nationality bashing aside.

Both these teams deserve loads of respect and admiration, as they went to war with eachother and left everything on the ice, it was amazing seeing two teams show such resiliency against eachother.

These teams seemed pretty neck and neck but make no mistake the better team won last night, and the better team are the defending Gold medalists of this tournament. As for the Canadian side, hell of a run, and you guys have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, you all put everything into this tournament for your country and we thank you for that.

 

[filek]

well.. it's probably good for the sport that someone else than canada won, but go to any US sports website - this gold does not get any publicity at all

aside from some die hard fans and hfboards posters America probably coudlnt care less about the whole event

 

[UvBnDatsyuked]

Hockey won tonight. No need to fight or bring things up. For the sport to truly become global US is a must. Like it was mentioned on TSN a lot of American players came from non hockey states like
Nevada. Isn't that great?
Posted via Mobile Device

Yes it is great! Minn, Mich, Mass, New York will continue feeding good players into the NHL but the key for US Hockey is to have states like Florida, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, start to add to the system. When you pull from a wider base, players from those area's start to believe their abilities.

 

[Cory Trevor]

I was so glad the US was able to pull this game out. I thought for sure they were going to be too down to win this one after giving up two goals but their resiliency was great to see and Carlson with a great shot to win the game.

I wanted to say thank you to any of the Canadian fans who were at the game last night too. Much respect to those fans who applauded the US National team's win. great sign of respect. Thank you again!

 

[Petey21]

This was an epic hockey game and maybe the best game I've watched since the '87 Canada Cup finals. It ended at around 5 AM local time but I just couldn't get enough of it and had to spend the whole night watching it! Just awesome!

 

[Lexus]

doesn't work?

 

[DFF]

Yes it is great! Minn, Mich, Mass, New York will continue feeding good players into the NHL but the key for US Hockey is to have states like Florida, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, start to add to the system. When you pull from a wider base, players from those area's start to believe their abilities.

The Stars have some good fans in Dallas but i dont see too much minor hockey here...if they can only draw from the football population

 

[TCNorthstars]

Holy crap, there are only 33 million people in Canada? Wow, that is low!

And 90% of them live within 100 miles of the U.S./Canada border.

 

[UvBnDatsyuked]

The Stars have some good fans in Dallas but i dont see too much minor hockey here...if they can only draw from the football population

Dallas has very good youth hockey. Cason Holhman (spelling?) will be a very good forward for US teams going forward. I think he is going to BU next year (maybe BC)

 

[Ban Hammered]

very good post!! I agree. I don't like it when Canada starts eating their young. I remember what poor M.A. Fleury went through after his loss.

There are American fans (especially those from his own school) eating Lee for his performance so it happens here too.

 

[TCNorthstars]

The Stars have some good fans in Dallas but i dont see too much minor hockey here...if they can only draw from the football population

Doesn't the Dallas area have 20+ sheets of ice? I am sure they aren't building all of those for ***** and giggles.

 

[Ban Hammered]

ok i'll try again, why didnt campbell get the start?

also, why are the majority of americans not into hockey? its a crazy sport. curious as to americans opinions on why that is.

1. Lee played for Blais in Fargo last year and Blais trusts Lee
2. Lee was pretty good against Sweden and Finland in medal round
3. Campbell is just 17

Those are some likely reasons, yes Campbell stepped up and played well but Lee was expected to be the starter and for the most part, got the job done. I doubt he'll be losing sleep over his performance considering what he had around his neck after the game.