WC: General Talk '14 — Canada

[PZA*]

Monahan only played 5:31... what's the point of him even dressing?

 

[tigervixxxen]

Big game coming up tomorrow vs. Sweden. We've looked good since the France game but Sweden's a big test and who wins that game wins the group.

I agree. Canada is looking at a 1 or 2 finish and I think that means facing USA or Finland in the QF. If I understand it correctly it's 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3 from the other group.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

I like this team. Young and hungry! The loss to France..???... France is young and hungry as well. Last year they beat Russia. Who's next? Until then, go Canada.

 

[Mehar]

Guys- excuse my ignorance but can Canada still add some players? I seen that Malkin is joining Russia, so i was wondering if Canada can still add a forward or two.

 

[Systemfel]

Guys- excuse my ignorance but can Canada still add some players? I seen that Malkin is joining Russia, so i was wondering if Canada can still add a forward or two.

Canada has 20 skaters. They can add two more.

 

[Mehar]

Canada has 20 skaters. They can add two more.

Thanks for this. Hopefully they can get some decent players to join the team.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Thanks for this. Hopefully they can get some decent players to join the team.

If they are not on their way yet I doubt it.

 

[1Gold Standard]

If they are not on their way yet I doubt it.

Ya, I don't see any realistic chance of further additions this late in the tournament when there's really nothing up for grabs other than IIHF rankings. They'll shorten the bench and play it out...and if they play for and take a medal, then I think HC will be happy with that outcome.

 

[tony d]

Game just started, hopefully we win this. as I said before the winner of this game wins the group I think.

 

[nags]

Very unlikely. But I would love to add one star defenseman and one star forward. Say, Doughty and Carter. Make it happen Getzlaf!


Btw, I would change our line-up a bit.

Hodgson - Kadri - Brouwer
B.Schenn - Scheifele / Monahan - Burrows
Huberdeau - MacKinnon - Ward
Chimera - Turris - Read

Basically change MacKinnon for Scheifele. He could be more comfortable and productive at center. And he had a good chemistry with Huberdeau once they played together for Canada, if I remember. B.Schenn should be ok with playing on the wing.

OR, maybe MacKinnon will get better with time and his line will work, who knows.

Agree with moving Scheifele between Huberdeau and Ward. Not because he can't work with the two other wingers but I think he has shown more chemistry with Huberdeau and Ward. Everytime he has been on the ice, which isn't much, he has done nothing but good things.

Don't really agree with Tippet's bench management so far. Seems to be leaning on some guys who really don't warrent the ice time they are receiving and because of penalties and powerplays there are a lot of guys not seeing the ice. Sorry but it is up to the head coach to figure out how to get everyone engaged and he really isn't doing that good a job at this point.

I understand the need to get better quickly in this tournament but you still need to use all 20 guys.

 

[JackSlater]

Now that I've actually seen this team play, there are a few things that I know I like. Huberdeau looks good out there. He seemed a bit lost during the few Florida games I saw this year, but he was competing hard and obviously has great stick skills. MacKinnon will be incredibly dangerous if/when he grows stronger. He's already very impressive in this area for an 18 year old and will get smarter, but developing more physically would make him unstoppable in a tournament like this, at least. I just like watching Ellis play internationally. I don't expect him to ever play at a big tournament, but he can play at this tournament and provide offence for the next decade easily. Last, I really liked the attitude displayed by the players. They played hard throughout, and also their energy on the bench clearly demonstrated that they were into the game and wanted the win. Something missing from some Canadian teams over the years.

 

[1Gold Standard]

Now that I've actually seen this team play, there are a few things that I know I like. Huberdeau looks good out there. He seemed a bit lost during the few Florida games I saw this year, but he was competing hard and obviously has great stick skills. MacKinnon will be incredibly dangerous if/when he grows stronger. He's already very impressive in this area for an 18 year old and will get smarter, but developing more physically would make him unstoppable in a tournament like this, at least. I just like watching Ellis play internationally. I don't expect him to ever play at a big tournament, but he can play at this tournament and provide offence for the next decade easily. Last, I really liked the attitude displayed by the players. They played hard throughout, and also their energy on the bench clearly demonstrated that they were into the game and wanted the win. Something missing from some Canadian teams over the years.

All true...but still a lot of their game bugs the **** out of me...nothing more so than the d-man in the offensive zone attempting back-handed saucer passes over an opposing player's stick...never works and it is going to bite them in the ass in an elimination game. Tippet still can't manage the bench..but we'll see it where it goes..
Kudos to Scrivens though. dude was solid.

 

[JackSlater]

All true...but still a lot of their game bugs the **** out of me...nothing more so than the d-man in the offensive zone attempting back-handed saucer passes over an opposing player's stick...never works and it is going to bite them in the ass in an elimination game. Tippet still can't manage the bench..but we'll see it where it goes..
Kudos to Scrivens though. dude was solid.

The defence picked for this team is pretty inappropriate. Smarts and skating are the most important attributes for this kind of hockey, and some of these players just don't have it. Canada still has an older generation of defencemen who are effective more due to size and strength than anything else. Luckily the best young Canadian defencemen (25 and younger) all tend to be very good in terms of skating. Smarts can come afterward. I wasn't impressed with what Tippett has implemented, and it is clear that Canada is lucky with how much the opposition lacks in talent.

 

[Stats01]

I doubt they add someone, there is max 4 games left. Literally no point at this juncture.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I liked Huberdeau with MacKinnon and Schenn today. Hope they keep that line together.

 

[ps241]

Glad to see Scheifele with the sexy assist on the game winner. He will play any roll for this team no matter how minor with a smile on his face and is a zero maintenance teammate, but he has the skill and poise and will rip your heart out if he gets a chance so good on the big kid for doing his part to help Canada.

Although as they said on the Jets board today Cooter would have gone bar down

 

[glue]

Hi guys can someone confirm this for me. If Canada beats Norway on Tuesday (fingers crossed, they should) and clinch 1st place, based on the format of this tournament it would mean Canada plays the 4th place team in our division in the QF. And if we win in the QF, our semi-final would be the winner of the 2 vs 3 seed in the other division. Either way, I guess what I'm getting at is that we would avoid playing both Sweden and Russia until the gold medal game, is that right??

If so, beating Norway on Tuesday in regulation will be huge.

Edit: I looked this up and although I'm correct about the fact that a win against Norway in regulation means no Sweden or Russia until the Finals, I'm not fully correct. In the QF Canada will play the 4th place team in the 'other' division (Div B), not our division (Div A). If we get through to Semis, we will play the winner of the 2nd seed in Div B vs 3rd seed in Div A. If we get to gold, the likely scenario will be a Final against Russia or Sweden.

 

[tony d]

Good win yesterday by the team. Good confidence boost too to comeback vs. a team like Sweden. I think if we beat Norway tomorrow we win the group and draw a pretty easy Round 1 opponent (Latvia it looks like now)

 

[Namejs]

Good win yesterday by the team. Good confidence boost too to comeback vs. a team like Sweden. I think if we beat Norway tomorrow we win the group and draw a pretty easy Round 1 opponent (Latvia it looks like now)

Nope, Latvia still has 2 games left vs. Belarus and Switzerland.

Finland or Belarus are more likely to be the 4th seed.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Nope, Latvia still has 2 games left vs. Belarus and Switzerland.

Finland or Belarus are more likely to be the 4th seed.

Group winner plays 4th place seed in his own group.
Semi is winner from 2nd/3rd in other group.

Looks like it'll be Canada vs. France Quarters, then winner plays one of US/Latvia/Belarus in semis.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Well the boys are used to the big ice now, and there aren't any doomsayers complaining about the opening loss to France now. Good to see. Go Canada!

 

[1Gold Standard]

Group winner plays 4th place seed in his own group.
Semi is winner from 2nd/3rd in other group.

Looks like it'll be Canada vs. France Quarters, then winner plays one of US/Latvia/Belarus in semis.

I don't think that is correct. That was the case when there were 2 countries Co-hosting the event. But in this case, the crossover begins in the 1/4 final match-ups.

Just looked it up...

The 16 teams are divided into two groups for the Preliminary Round.
The top-four ranked teams of each group advance to the quarter-finals that will be played cross-over. The first-place team in each preliminary-round group plays the fourth-place team of the other group, while the second-place team plays the third-place team of the other group. 1A-4B, 2A-3B, 1B-4A, 2B-3A. The winning teams advance to the semi-finals.

 

[tigervixxxen]

From what I can determine, Canada's most likely QF opponent is Latvia. An outside shot at Finland if Latvia loses to Switzerland or USA if they lose to Germany.

 

[JetsOilersfan]

So has the #1 goalie been determined yet or are they still rotating? To me I think it's Scrivens

 

[Hammer Time]

The last gold-winning Canadian WC roster. They got a bit lucky that year with defending champions Carolina not making the playoffs.

Cammalleri - E. Staal - Williams
Nash - Lombardi - Doan
Chimera - McClement - Mayers
J. Staal - Toews - Armstrong

Brewer - Commodore
Hamhuis - S. Weber
Phaneuf - Schultz
Murphy

Ward
Roloson

That's basically the level of team we have to bring to have a good shot at gold.

The thing is, European teams have some advantages (e.g. a permanent national team coach, familiarity with big ice) that we don't have. So even if the names on paper look about equal, that's a victory for the European team. If we want to win, we need to either bring significantly superior rosters that can overcome the disadvantages we face with talent alone ...


or we could just re-vamp the national team program. Hire a permanent coach and have the team get together weeks before the WC (basically as soon as the regular season is done) to play exhibition games to build chemistry. Sort of like how the Canadian Olympic team used to be put together in the 70s and 80s.