Canada vs USA styles - Bob McKenzie

Sep 19, 2008
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McKenzie is a great analyst and I enjoy his work on the World Juniors pre-game shows

In fact he even has a HF account ;)
 

doakacola*

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Feb 12, 2009
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If you want to know so badly, just look it up yourself.

For example, for the University of Minnesota on the roster of 26 players, 25 of them are American and the other one is Finnish.

On the other hand the University of North Dakota's roster this year has 23 players, 11 were American and 12 were Canadian.

The last example let's look at Cornell, an Ivy League school. Out of the 24 skaters, only 10 of them were American with 13 Canadians and one Belorussian.

So in short, I don't think the "majority" of the players are Canadian like the original guy said, but certainly a very large chunk.

BC and BU are both heavily US, I don't think the % are very close between US/Canadian players.
 

Rabid Ranger

2 is better than one
Feb 27, 2002
31,015
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Murica
IMO the US team basically relied upon goal-tending and that was it. The silver medal was a more than flattering finish for them.

Sure thing.....The U.S. was neck and neck with Canada in the gold medal game and could have easily won (Joe Pavelski had a glorious chance just prior to Crosby's goal). Get off your obnoxious high horse.
 

doakacola*

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Feb 12, 2009
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Canada seems to play a more team centered game, hardwork along the boards first and after a pounding they induce their skill.

American players tend to play more selfishly, always looking for the highlight reel play.

On a NHL size rink its moronic to play a fast break type game against Canada. The problem for the US was they lacked mobility on D and lacked any creative centerman.
There were no Carlsons or Fowlers on D (Faulk was the best, but not in the class of those two) and no Stepans or Schroeder in the pivot. In fact they didn't even have a Johnson up front. Also don't kid yourself, Canada has tremendous speed and skill, more than the US for sure.

You obviously need skill and speed in hockey or just about any team sport. However hockey is a unique team sport due to one overriding factor. It has by far the most turnovers of any team sport. That means you need to go and get it back frequently, which means you often times need strength and sandpaper to make your game complete and effective. Knowing how to protect the puck on the boards requires skill and sandpaper also, something the Canadians have in spades and the US not as much.
 

doakacola*

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Feb 12, 2009
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Sure thing.....The U.S. was neck and neck with Canada in the gold medal game and could have easily won (Joe Pavelski had a glorious chance just prior to Crosby's goal). Get off your obnoxious high horse.

Sorry RR, I'm from Boston and hate with a passion the Canadian hockey fans (not the players) and would have loved watching the US win in OT. However Pavelski's chance was not "glorious" by any means. Pavelski is no way known for an overpowering shot
and given his body positioning on the shot wasn't capable of a dangerous game winning goal. The only way he could have scored was for Luongo to blow the shot. Incidentally I will say Luongo was capable of choking on that shot as he did look like
he was soiling his underwear late in that game.:laugh:

Incidentally to our neighbors to the north, you never beat the US in real hockey in the Olympics, 5 on 5.;)
 

Gump Hasek

Spleen Merchant
Nov 9, 2005
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Sure thing.....The U.S. was neck and neck with Canada in the gold medal game and could have easily won (Joe Pavelski had a glorious chance just prior to Crosby's goal). Get off your obnoxious high horse.

LOL. The US wasn't likely to even be in the final were it not for their goalie. IIRC correctly, Ryan Miller & his gigantic chest protector were the Olympic co-MVPs. Take another look at the highlights. He was wearing massive shoulder protection that put NFL lineman's protection to shame, comparatively speaking.

The more logical final would have probably been Canada/Sweden or Canada/Russia.

The reason I said the silver medal was flattering was because the USA eclipsed their (at the time) IIHF men's ranking of #6 in the world.

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/championships/world-ranking/mens-world-ranking/2010-ranking.html

Good for you!
 

Dump and Chase

Hand of God
May 6, 2010
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Bob McKenzie isn't re-inventing the wheel here. This has been discussed lots in the Canadian hockey media since before this years team was selected.


The size and physical style of this Canadian team was a strategic decision to create a favorable match-up with team USA. US was the team to beat. Canada built their team to accomplish that goal.


The US had an amazing team to run and gun. Why try and beat them at their own game when you can choose a contrasting style that you are very capable of that will give them fits?





The fact is that either team could win on any given day. The US could have popped a couple of quick goals on some turnovers early, deflated the Canadians and taken control of the game. On this day that is not what happened.


The Canadian team pounded the hell out of the US, controlled the puck in the corners and controlled the game with physical dominance making the US slow down and consider the hit that was coming more than winning races to the puck. Once you get inside a teams collective head like that it is all over but the crying.
 

doakacola*

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Feb 12, 2009
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LOL. The US wasn't likely to even be in the final were it not for their goalie. IIRC correctly, Ryan Miller & his gigantic chest protector were the Olympic co-MVPs. Take another look at the highlights. He was wearing massive shoulder protection that put NFL lineman's protection to shame, comparatively speaking.

The more logical final would have probably been Canada/Sweden or Canada/Russia.

The reason I said the silver medal was flattering was because the USA eclipsed their (at the time) IIHF men's ranking of #6 in the world.

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/championships/world-ranking/mens-world-ranking/2010-ranking.html

Good for you!

You are a joke of a poster, the US crushed the Finns in the prior game and beat Canada earlier, in case you forgot the US scored 4 goals with a goalie in your net pal during the round robin. Me thinks you completlely underestimate how well the US
dcorp played in the Olympics. After Canada's dcorp no one came close to the US as
Johnson & Johnson, Orpik, Rafalski and Suter were easily superior to any other D corp after Canada, its not even close. The US would have shutdown Russia or Sweden and come 2014 will do it again. You're a tool dude.

I said at the time that Miller, Suter, Rafalski & Orpik would have made a combined US/Canada Olympic squad. Thats 4 of the 8 playing spots on a combined team. Go join The Gumper, please.
 

Gump Hasek

Spleen Merchant
Nov 9, 2005
10,167
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You are a joke of a poster, the US crushed the Finns in the prior game and beat Canada earlier, in case you forgot the US scored 4 goals with a goalie in your net pal during the round robin. Me thinks you completlely underestimate how well the US
dcorp played in the Olympics. After Canada's dcorp no one came close to the US as
Johnson & Johnson, Orpik, Rafalski and Suter were easily superior to any other D corp after Canada, its not even close. The US would have shutdown Russia or Sweden and come 2014 will do it again. You're a tool dude.

Was Ryan Miller not the star of the US team, and was he not named the 2010 Olympic MVP? Were the US not ranked #6 by the IIHF?

Some are able to debate sans name calling. I guess hearing the truth hurts you though.
 

doakacola*

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Feb 12, 2009
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Was Ryan Miller not the star of the US team, and was he not named the 2010 Olympic MVP? Were the US not ranked #6 by the IIHF?

Some are able to debate sans name calling. I guess hearing the truth hurts you though.

What truth? Why does anyone care about the IIHF rankings. Want to seriously argue
that the US wasn't at least the 2nd best team in the 2010 Olympics? Miller was lights out in one game (US 5 Canada 3), I don't think he was the MVP, to me it was Toews.
Incidentally, you didn't respond to my point on the G and D. Mine would be as follows"

G - Miller (Clear cut)

D - Doughty, Weber, Keith, Pronger, Suter, Rafalski, Orpik, (If you don't like Orpik, I choose E. Johnson in his place)
 

thomasincanada

Registered User
Mar 7, 2005
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London, ON
Somebody missed the Olympics last year...(I know Canada won, but you could definitely argue that the US squad had more "heart")

I would agree.. I get a little embarassed when a fellow Canadian suggests nobody else has heart. It's insulting and not true.

The main reason the US competed so well with Canada in the Olympics was heart.. talent-wise we had a big edge.
 

thomasincanada

Registered User
Mar 7, 2005
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London, ON
Sure thing.....The U.S. was neck and neck with Canada in the gold medal game and could have easily won (Joe Pavelski had a glorious chance just prior to Crosby's goal). Get off your obnoxious high horse.

I find myself agreeing with the Americans in this thread..scary.. Canada winning too much makes some Canadians obnoxious I think.

The US was the best team in the tournament right up until the last game. Before the tournament started I wouldn't have given them a chance against Canada.. that's heart.
 

doakacola*

Registered User
Feb 12, 2009
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I would agree.. I get a little embarassed when a fellow Canadian suggests nobody else has heart. It's insulting and not true.

The main reason the US competed so well with Canada in the Olympics was heart.. talent-wise we had a big edge.

I would love to see a Canada - US game instead of the All-Star game this year.
Having Buff, Martin & Booth available while you guys have Stamkos is fine by me and I believe you'd see another thrilling game. The talent disparity is not as great as you think.
 

thomasincanada

Registered User
Mar 7, 2005
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London, ON
D - Doughty, Weber, Keith, Pronger, Suter, Rafalski, Orpik, (If you don't like Orpik, I choose E. Johnson in his place)

This is very subjective.. and would be dependent on who is choosing the team.

Nieds was there because of his experience and place amongst NHL defensemen greats.. nobody on the US can replace that so maybe he still makes the team.

Seabrook was there because he was 1/2 of the best defensive pairing in the NHL and the chemistry he has with the best defensmen in hockey. Again, nobody on the US has that.
 

GenerationalTalent

Registered User
Aug 18, 2010
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I can't believe everyone keeps saying that Canada doesn't have a skilled team. In most people's ranking of the World Junior Forwards there will be two canadian forwards in the top, Johansen and Schenn, Both top 5 picks in there NHL draft, they are defintley superstars in the making. Just like Eberle wasn't a superstar until he played in this tournament. Tavares I will give you was already a player on the rise, everyone knew he was but, how often do we get players like that.. Crosby is the last one I can think of and they weren't even that great at the World Juniors because of there age. Schenn is one of the best forwards Canada has had in the World Juniors and everyone goes on about no skill. When Ellis made the team 3 years ago, we talked about all his skill, now we talk about how he is a leading a blue collar team. The thing that messes people is Canada has a lot of skill but, is also always the biggest and strongest team and they take over games physically but, they still have a ton of skill to excute on offense. Very rare is that there is anymore then, one team in the tourament with more skill then, Canada.
 

thomasincanada

Registered User
Mar 7, 2005
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0
London, ON
I would love to see a Canada - US game instead of the All-Star game this year.
Having Buff, Martin & Booth available while you guys have Stamkos is fine by me and I believe you'd see another thrilling game. The talent disparity is not as great as you think.

I don't think the gap is big on defense and right now the US probably has the advantage in net.. but forwards we still have a large GAP imo.. one only needs to look at scoring leaders to see that.

11 of the top 20 scorers in the NHL this season are Canadian.. there is one American - and he's a defenseman. Scoring isn't the only factor obviously but it's a pretty glaring discrepancy.
 

FanHabtic*

Guest
The primary difference between the US and Canada is depth. The US can field one competitive Olympic roster and Canada can field 3 that all have legitimate chance at gold.

In a best on best, the gap is closing between the US and Canada, primarily because you can only field a roster of 23 players. The are producing more and more star quality players.

In the 80's, the US could barely field a star-studded roster. 90's was the US coming out party in international best on best tournaments.
 

thumper73

Registered User
Feb 8, 2007
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Toronto
Sorry RR, I'm from Boston and hate with a passion the Canadian hockey fans (not the players) and would have loved watching the US win in OT. However Pavelski's chance was not "glorious" by any means. Pavelski is no way known for an overpowering shot
and given his body positioning on the shot wasn't capable of a dangerous game winning goal. The only way he could have scored was for Luongo to blow the shot. Incidentally I will say Luongo was capable of choking on that shot as he did look like
he was soiling his underwear late in that game.:laugh:

Incidentally to our neighbors to the north, you never beat the US in real hockey in the Olympics, 5 on 5.;)

"...hate with a passion the Canadian hockey fans....". Wow, thats a pretty wide brush to paint with. Lumping millions of hockey fans with a few moronic d-bags on a Hockey board is unfair and ignorant....I guess that's where the general opinion of many BOSTON sports fans comes from though.
 

McGuillicuddy

Registered User
Sep 6, 2005
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Ythe US scored 4 goals with a goalie in your net pal during the round robin.

I don't want to get involved in your little argument, but that statement above is definitely debatable. Martin Brodeur was considerably less effective than a plastic shooter-tutor that game. I lay that loss very squarely at his feet.
 

McGuillicuddy

Registered User
Sep 6, 2005
1,296
198
"...hate with a passion the Canadian hockey fans....". Wow, thats a pretty wide brush to paint with. Lumping millions of hockey fans with a few moronic d-bags on a Hockey board is unfair and ignorant....I guess that's where the general opinion of many BOSTON sports fans comes from though.

I see what you did there :naughty:
 

doakacola*

Registered User
Feb 12, 2009
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I don't want to get involved in your little argument, but that statement above is definitely debatable. Martin Brodeur was considerably less effective than a plastic shooter-tutor that game. I lay that loss very squarely at his feet.

But alas you did, lol.
 

doakacola*

Registered User
Feb 12, 2009
9,263
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"...hate with a passion the Canadian hockey fans....". Wow, thats a pretty wide brush to paint with. Lumping millions of hockey fans with a few moronic d-bags on a Hockey board is unfair and ignorant....I guess that's where the general opinion of many BOSTON sports fans comes from though.

Well let me be clear thumper73, I hate with a passion the alleged few moronic d-bags on a hockey board with a passion.;)
 

doakacola*

Registered User
Feb 12, 2009
9,263
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The primary difference between the US and Canada is depth. The US can field one competitive Olympic roster and Canada can field 3 that all have legitimate chance at gold.
In a best on best, the gap is closing between the US and Canada, primarily because you can only field a roster of 23 players. The are producing more and more star quality players.

In the 80's, the US could barely field a star-studded roster. 90's was the US coming out party in international best on best tournaments.

That is complete BS. If you tried to field a legit B team the US A team would be prohibitive and I mean prohibitive favorites. Stop the nonsense.
 

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