GDT: [Official]: WJC Thread

[Taranis]

What a disgrace.

 

[Calculon]

Exciting game. Team Canada didn't look good or like a real team for the most part. Some really bad coaching too.

I remember when some fans wanted the Flames to draft Virtanen because of need. Good times.

 

[Bosnian Beast]

Exciting game. Team Canada didn't look good or like a real team for the most part. Some really bad coaching too.

I remember when some fans wanted the Flames to draft Virtanen because of need. Good times.

Agreed. Canada looked very average this tournament I thought, and I was not pleased with some of Lowry's coaching decisions, either.

 

[Anglesmith]

Am I the only one who thinks that Hicketts is overrated?

Who overrates him?

 

[Taranis]

Maybe Lowry's fantasy pool includes pims?

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

So much ugly

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Exciting game. Team Canada didn't look good or like a real team for the most part. Some really bad coaching too.

I remember when some fans wanted the Flames to draft Virtanen because of need. Good times.

That was my takeaway from my limited viewings this tournament. Lots of guys playing an individual game, and generally just a "meh" team overall.

Agreed. Canada looked very average this tournament I thought, and I was not pleased with some of Lowry's coaching decisions, either.

After watching his post-game interview where he said "we just didn't score enough" makes me question his future as a coach. Scoring 5 goals is plenty, maybe you need to look at some other things?

 

[Yung Rotini]

Hate this roster and hate Lowry. I hope Victoria and Kelowna meet in the playoffs so the Rockets can make the Royals and their "great" coach their ***** for the second straight year.

 

[Yung Rotini]

I'm salty as **** right now lmao

 

[Anglesmith]

If only they'd had Mick Nerkley on the team.

 

[Pirate King Luffy]

Canada isn't the top dog anymore. Means other countries are catching up.

 

[Yung Rotini]

If only they'd had Mick Nerkley on the team.

Exactly.

 

[Yung Rotini]

Real talk though, Merkley should have been there over Chartier and Quenneville. But it wouldn't have really made a difference, still would have lost in the quarters.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Canada isn't the top dog anymore. Means other countries are catching up.

Agree that other teams are catching up, but I pin our struggles mostly on Lowry. It was very obvious for most of the tourney that Canada had no real system in place, and Lowry had only just started cementing the lines in our final game.

 

[Pirate King Luffy]

Agree that other teams are catching up, but I pin our struggles mostly on Lowry. It was very obvious for most of the tourney that Canada had no real system in place, and Lowry had only just started cementing the lines in our final game.

Canada is a weaker team than some past teams. Other nations also have stronger teams than past seasons. Finland has unreal players, USA Has an amazing team. Sweden is a strong team. The Czechs got a huge boost from Pastrnak. Switzerland is now producing top prospects. 10 years ago, It was a no brainer to pick Canada. In the recent years, Canada isn't the top choice as often. Even if they had a "real system" in place they would still have to face strong teams.

It will be interesting what happens in another 10 years. In the end it's good for hockey.

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

Canada isn't the top dog anymore. Means other countries are catching up.

Sorry, but I don't believe this narrative at all. Put in Bennett/McDavid/Fabbri/Ekblad/McCann... and Canada becomes the clear cut favourite. However, they didn't go so it's moot. This Canadian team had the talent to win the gold, I'm not sure if you can say otherwise. This was a team that was held back by poor decision-making and coaching, which were all evident in the game against Finland. And in my opinion, the poor decision-making goes right back to the coach.

I really hope this is an eye opener for Team Canada and that things need to improve. This was probably the most disappointing tournament for Canada since 1998, when they lost to Kazakhstan and finished eighth place.

Canada started the game out extremely strong, with a better sense of a system and structure. Lowry had the team on short shifts, which resulted in every line producing towards a common goal. However, that all went to **** when Jake Virtanen took an extremely selfish penalty in the 2nd period. From that point on, selfishness and poor-decision making reigned higher than winning the game, and I think you can put this solely on Lowry's shoulders.

From the mid-point of the second period, players like Mitch Marner were taking 2+ minute long shifts, which also happened in the game against Switzerland when the team started panicking. Personally, I think this was Lowry's decision to put Marner out in order to try to tie the game. It's not needed though when the team has four scoring lines to put out. Area one of weakness in Lowry's coaching.

Another blunder Lowry had was not to pull Blackwood and put in McDonald. Three goals were direct results of Blackwood's poor play today, and he didn't look comfortable at all. Lowry should have pulled Blackwood either in the 2nd period or in the intermission.

I'm also really pissed off about the terrible PK and Powerplay formation Lowry had. High-point umbrella Powerplay formation is probably the worst formation you could ever have and it was evident. I don't care if they scored two goals today on the PP as it was just Marner doing things by himself; it had no reflection of the PP itself. In terms of system play, there was none. Like I said earlier, there was no puck support on the strong side of the defenseman, which then resulted in the forwards either standing at the blue line and chipping the puck in or them criss-crossing and receiving the puck. This is soooo easy to defend and it showed in the game against the Swiss and Sweden.

Lowry's inability to put Konecny and Barzal in the top six and Sanheim in the top four but having the Marner line and Joe Hicketts out every other shift was disappointing. I just don't understand how Lowry didn't see that Konecncy wasn't one of the best forwards out there; he should have noticed this and put him on Marner's line. Then, after Jake Virtanen committed the double minor on a PP, Lowry puts him RIGHT back out after. I mean, how stupid can you be as a coach? Either way, a lack of self-evaluation of players allowed selfishness to creep its way into the roster which was our downfall IMO.

All in all, this team was good enough to win gold but was riddled with imperfections because of the coaching. I could point out so many more problems but I'd rather not. This team was extremely talented, but it was too bad Dave Lowry wasn't up for the challenge. With that said, Finalnd deserved the win!

I hope Lowry never touches a Canadian team again.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Great post and assessment Alpha!

 

[Volica]

I didn't watch the game, but it looks like our boy Mac never even saw the ice. Which is insane. Not sure how the goalie thing went, but it was pretty much:
Mac out against the US. Gives up two goals off terrible own-D deflections and loses. Called out for being mentally weak. Goes out and makes 10 saves on 11 shots against the Danes. Never sees the ice again.
Blackwood: ***** the bed in 2 straight games, is given the reigns for the QF game. Proceeds to **** said bed again.

I know I sound bitter because, but it's because our guy wasn't even given a chance. Doesn't look like Hickey had much of a role either, I didn't see the game today, but he was -2; did he even see the ice?

 

[moon*]

Hickey saw the ice likely more than he deserved.

He was very bad today which is unfortunate because I thought he had a decent tournament before today but today he was arguably Canada's worst defenseman.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

Exciting game. Team Canada didn't look good or like a real team for the most part. Some really bad coaching too.

I remember when some fans wanted the Flames to draft Virtanen because of need. Good times.

He was always a terrible choice for a top 10 draft pick. I doubt he'll bust, but I also doubt he ends up more than a third liner.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

I didn't watch the game, but it looks like our boy Mac never even saw the ice. Which is insane. Not sure how the goalie thing went, but it was pretty much:
Mac out against the US. Gives up two goals off terrible own-D deflections and loses. Called out for being mentally weak. Goes out and makes 10 saves on 11 shots against the Danes. Never sees the ice again.
Blackwood: ***** the bed in 2 straight games, is given the reigns for the QF game. Proceeds to **** said bed again.

I know I sound bitter because, but it's because our guy wasn't even given a chance. Doesn't look like Hickey had much of a role either, I didn't see the game today, but he was -2; did he even see the ice?

Hickey's -2 was directly his fault. Haha. But he gets decent ES/PK time. Just none on the PP, which is unfortunate because he's got an excellent shot.

 

[Ynnek]

I figured we would get Bronze I guess I was wrong.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Hickey saw the ice likely more than he deserved.

He was very bad today which is unfortunate because I thought he had a decent tournament before today but today he was arguably Canada's worst defenseman.

Hickey struggled tonight. No question.
He had a strong tournament except for this game. He needs to evolve as a puck mover through.
The guy that really impressed me was Ollas-Mattsson. Classic case of HF (myself included) having no idea how good some international players are

 

[DFF]

I didn't watch the game, but it looks like our boy Mac never even saw the ice. Which is insane. Not sure how the goalie thing went, but it was pretty much:
Mac out against the US. Gives up two goals off terrible own-D deflections and loses. Called out for being mentally weak. Goes out and makes 10 saves on 11 shots against the Danes. Never sees the ice again.
Blackwood: ***** the bed in 2 straight games, is given the reigns for the QF game. Proceeds to **** said bed again.

I know I sound bitter because, but it's because our guy wasn't even given a chance. Doesn't look like Hickey had much of a role either, I didn't see the game today, but he was -2; did he even see the ice?

Just to be honest, McDonald didnt really earn his ice time neither. He has been bad all year.
It was throw a coin and pick your poison. The only complain I have was Lowry should have pulled Blackwood at some point today.

Hickey...i am less positive about him after this tournament. He has a long way to go.

 

[Calculon]

He was always a terrible choice for a top 10 draft pick. I doubt he'll bust, but I also doubt he ends up more than a third liner.

He's Raffi Torres 2.0