WC: USA vs Canada Semifinals Showdown

[ORRFForever]

I am proud of the Canadians who went over there to play. With Covid and a long NHL season, again, they're better Canadians than me.

It's nice to see Canada getting back on the right track after a half dozen years of meh drafts. We have some HIGH quality kids coming - and that's wonderful to see.

Anyway, thank you to Team Canada. Well done. Hope you win Gold!

 

[Czechboy]

It's a weak team because they barely qualified to even play for the medals.

They are in the finals... do the finals usually have the 2 weakest teams?

The first 3 games were a shitshow.. thatś when you want to have lousy games. Whatś it been like since then? 10 game tournament and youŕe focused on the first 3 games. Itś the next 7 that matter and Canada hasn lost in regulation in 6 of them. The 7th is tomorrow for Gold.

Just took out a very good Russian team and a very good US team (who beat you in those early 3 games.. which win do you want? The round robin one or the Semi one?).

 

[Czechboy]

I am proud of the Canadians who went over there to play. With Covid and a long NHL season, again, they're better Canadians than me.

It's nice to see Canada getting back on the right track after a half dozen years of meh drafts. We have some HIGH quality kids coming - and that's wonderful to see.

Anyway, thank you to Team Canada. Well done. Hope you win Gold!

Id say Canada has never looked better.

5 of the last 6 Worldś theye been in the final
won the last 3 best on bests
MacKinnon, Crosby and McDavid.
Fav for Gold in Beijing at next best on best
Price is playing like Price
and I forgot their names but those 2 kids at the U18 last month were ridiculously good!!!! (so was Michkov).

 

[1909]

Id say Canada has never looked better.

5 of the last 6 Worldś theye been in the final
won the last 3 best on bests
MacKinnon, Crosby and McDavid.
Fav for Gold in Beijing at next best on best
Price is playing like Price
and I forgot their names but those 2 kids at the U18 last month were ridiculously good!!!! (so was Michkov).

Bedard and Wright

 

[Pandaman11]

This year, MVP doesn't go to a player.

It goes to whoever had the genius idea to invite a player who was still playing NHL regular season games when the tournament started.

 

[ORRFForever]

Id say Canada has never looked better.

5 of the last 6 Worldś theye been in the final
won the last 3 best on bests
MacKinnon, Crosby and McDavid.
Fav for Gold in Beijing at next best on best
Price is playing like Price
and I forgot their names but those 2 kids at the U18 last month were ridiculously good!!!! (so was Michkov).

I agree.

Canada has been in a lull - talent wise. It's been about a half dozen years and it was inevitable - after all the talent we produced from 2004 until 2013.

Have we produced some top players in recent years? Of course, but not as many as usual. Again, a lull.

Fortunately...

* The 2019 Draft looks very promising for Canada.
* We dominated the first round of the 2020 draft.
* Looks like we may dominate the first round of the 2021 draft.

Then we have Power, Wright, Savoie and Bedard on the horizon - all with sky high potential, plus some other terrific high end talent, so we seem to be on the upswing again.

 

[Hasa92]

Canada will look better in the gold medal game but Finland will shut them down, mark my words.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Don't worry about that post. That poster loves to praise US Hockey and runs down Canadian Hockey. Same thing for 20 years now.

I do not run down Canadian hockey. In fact, as a senior sport administrator in Canada, one of my tasks is to grow the sport at the grass root levels and help build teams that play at the elite level. When I first started following the game in the 1950s, it truly was a 'Canadian' sport. Now it is a global game where many competing nations are producing elite level players. And you have to have your head in the ground not to see the incredible progress the U.S. hockey program has achieved. They are now producing almost as many McDavids and MacKinnons type/level players as Canada is. That progression will only continue. To assume that Canadian players have some type of monopoly on passion and the will to win is nonsense. As the demographics in Canada change, the number of boys playing hockey is declining. Cheaper to play and safer sports are undermining the feeder system as an ever increasing number of young athletes are pursuing other sport pathways. So you can live in your dream world, while the people in the know try to reverse the decline.

 

[jj cale]

Canada will look better in the gold medal game but Finland will shut them down, mark my words.

It better happen or there will be a lot of people who will make you remember this post.

 

[ORRFForever]

Canada will look better in the gold medal game but Finland will shut them down, mark my words.

Hope it's a good game.

 

[ORRFForever]

I do not run down Canadian hockey. In fact, as a senior sport administrator in Canada, one of my tasks is to grow the sport at the grass root levels and help build teams that play at the elite level. When I first started following the game in the 1950s, it truly was a 'Canadian' sport. Now it is a global game where many competing nations are producing elite level players. And you have to have your head in the ground not to see the incredible progress the U.S. hockey program has achieved. They are now producing almost as many McDavids and MacKinnons type/level players as Canada is. That progression will only continue. To assume that Canadian players have some type of monopoly on passion and the will to win is nonsense. As the demographics in Canada change, the number of boys playing hockey is declining. Cheaper to play and safer sports are undermining the feeder system as an ever increasing number of young athletes are pursuing other sport pathways. So you can live in your dream world, while the people in the know try to reverse the decline.

You spew the same stuff year after year after year.

Can you give it a rest, please?

 

[Nosferatu]

Canada will look better in the gold medal game but Finland will shut them down, mark my words.

Nice jinx

 

[Great99]

Canada has never not made it to the QF if I recall hearing that correctly a few days ago since the playoff format was implemented.

That 2015 Team Canada was damn near a best on best caliber team. Slightly below, but that roster was stacked and they played so well as a team. That was an awesome tournament in the Czech Republic that year, I always like when the Czech’s host they do a great job.

The 2015 Team Canada team was probably the best team in the history of the WHC for any country. Maybe some of the Soviet juggernaut teams come close.

2016 team was also good

 

[Junohockeyfan]

I put this tournament on the back burner. Did Canada get relegated yet?

 

[ORRFForever]

I put this tournament on the back burner. Did Canada get relegated yet?

Me, too.

I use to watch the W.C. but I lost interest. Too long. Same old, same old.

When we started off 0 - 3, I actually got a kick out of it. Then, to see this team play this well, good for them.

I am jumping on the band wagon. My guess : A lot of people are.

 

[Jetland162702]

I'd have to think it's a long shot though.

I think he has a decent shot at Canada's olympic team. He has a nose for the puck and I think he would be an excellent third line player. I hope we get a chance to see.

 

[jj cale]

I think he has a decent shot at Canadas olympic team. He has a nose for the puck and I think he would be an excellent third line player. I hope we get a chance to see.

Well considering the depth of talent he will be up against it won't be easy is all i'll say.

He's certainly been a world beater for us here though, that's all the counts to me right now.

 

[ORRFForever]

I'd have to think it's a long shot though.

Yes. Very long. Too bad. Terrific player.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Nice to beat two rivals in Russia (wearing their mandated jerseys of shame) and then the US. Winning the gold would be gravy at this point, and yet it's what us Canadians expect every year.

 

[Jetland162702]

Well considering the depth of talent he will be up against it won't be easy is all i'll say.

He's certainly been a world beater for us here though, that's all the counts to me right now.

It goes without saying that making Canada's olympic team will be difficult for him and a lot of other players. I hope he has a big game tomorrow to further his cause.

 

[ORRFForever]

I wonder if TSN will replay the game?

 

[jj cale]

I wonder if TSN will replay the game?

They usually encore it somewhere later in the day.

 

[BlitzSnipe]

That's why Canada's No. 1 in the world at hockey. They're always contenders, no matter what lineup. And they bring results to the table.

 

[ORRFForever]

They usually encore it somewhere later in the day.

It will be too long. I'll have to settle with the highlights on TSN.

I reread the thread for the game. Thanks for the play by play.

 

[Czechboy]

I agree.

Canada has been in a lull - talent wise. It's been about a half dozen years and it was inevitable - after all the talent we produced from 2004 until 2013.

Have we produced some top players in recent years? Of course, but not as many as usual. Again, a lull.

Fortunately...

* The 2019 Draft looks very promising for Canada.
* We dominated the first round of the 2020 draft.
* Looks like we may dominate the first round of the 2021 draft.

Then we have Power, Wright, Savoie and Bedard on the horizon - all with sky high potential, plus some other terrific high end talent, so we seem to be on the upswing again.

Also... Makar! He looks better everytime I see him. He might get himself into the Hedman rarified air talk by the Olympics.