Team Canada '98: What do you change?

[Big Phil]

This is probalby the worst team Canada has ever had at the top level IMO. They didnt even make the finals and lost to the Czechs and then a querstionable Finland team for the Bronze medal. How do you make changes?

Goal

Roy
Brodeur
Joseph

Nothing changes here. Roy wasnt at fault at all for the loss. He was very solid. He played in every game. The next best goalie at that time was Belfour and he wouldnt have made a difference.

Defense

Bourque
Pronger
Blake
Stevens
Foote
Desjardins (Niedermayer)
MacInnis

Not much to change here but why in the world was Niedermayer not on that team? I wondered that then even. Desjardins over him? They needed speed form the back end which they didnt have. Blake, Pronger were both offensive but no one could skate like Niedermayer and lead the rush. Bourque and MacInnis were too much into their twilight to be counted on offensively. Other than that a pretty solid defense.

Forward

Lindros
Sakic
Gretzky
Shanahan
Recchi
Yzerman
Fleury
BrindAmour
Linden (Turgeon)
Corson (Friesen)
Zamuner (Peca)
Nieuwendyk
Primeau

First off Kariya was hurt and then replaced by Recchi. Then Sakic got hurt for the medal round. Take Sakic out of there and you've got a very depleted offense. Zamuner had no right to be there and shouldnt have even been a stick boy on that team. Put Peca the Selke winner on there. Corson had a hot start to the season and seemed like a smart pick but he wasnt. Any offense he had in his game over his career was gone by then. I'll put Friesen in his place. That team badly needed some speed. Also Linden was never the same after '96 and shouldnt have been there. That team needed some creativity so believe it or not I liked Turgeon on that team.

Marc Crawford coaching wasn't a bad idea but I wished Bowman had been in there somewhere too.

Overall that team lacked offense and believe me a '98 Messier would NOT have given them a shot in the arm in that dept. That team was just flat out slow in general.

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[Tricolore#20]

Quite simply, we essentially lost because of Hasek. We outplayed the Czechs that game, but they had the best goalie in the league in that tournament. He played perhaps the best I've ever seen a goalie play.

That said, I think the roster would have been improved with Sakic and Kariya (arguably the best player at the time) healthy, particularly in the shootout. Although again, with the way Hasek was playing, even those two may not have been enough to overcome him.

 

[Nazzy-19]

I put the greatest player ever to lace them up in the shootout.

 

[arrbez]

putting Bourque in the shootout was just dumb IMO. I don't care how great he was at hitting targets, a defenseman should never be put in a shootout situation because they are simply not used to being 1-on-1 with a goalie.

 

[reckoning]

I put the greatest player ever to lace them up in the shootout.

Not this again. I respect Gretzky as much as anyone, but by that stage in his career, while he was still an elite playmaker, his goal- scoring abilities were a shell of what they once were. Even in his prime he wasn`t particularly good on breakaways. There`s no way he would`ve scored on Hasek.

Also Linden was never the same after '96 and shouldnt have been there.

Linden was the only Canadian to actually score against Hasek in that game. Maybe he should`ve been in the shootout.

 

[CHareth]

Not this again. I respect Gretzky as much as anyone, but by that stage in his career, while he was still an elite playmaker, his goal- scoring abilities were a shell of what they once were. Even in his prime he wasn`t particularly good on breakaways. There`s no way he would`ve scored on Hasek.

I agree with this. If Gretzky was in there, I would have bet money that he would have (a) taken a slap shot (it seemed to me that he did this a lot towards the end of his career), and (b) been stopped cold by the best goaltender on the planet at that time.

 

[Oilers1*]

I disagree. I don't care if he was washed up, or if he wasn't good on shootouts, or even if his freaking stick was broken. He's Wayne goddamn Gretzky and with the game on the line, the coach has a chance to put the puck on his stick and he passes???

Anywho. . .you could make a few changes to that roster but they would be primarily cosmetic. Fact is, the late 90s was one of the lower points for Canadian hockey internationally, and it just wasn't going to be a great team with Sakic and Kariya injured.

 

[salzy]

How long before some clown says "give the C to anyone but Lindros"?

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

How long before some clown says "give the C to anyone but Lindros"?

"Give that damned "C" to anyone but that stinking Lindros...



Just kidding, Salzy, I just wanted to fulfill your prophecy

 

[Hedberg]

Rob Zamuner and Shayne Corson

 

[Oil_slick9416*]

Rob Zamuner and Shayne Corson

Amen

 

[canucksfan]

Besides taking out Zaumner, Corson and Linden there isn't much you would change. This team didn't have the offence. The worst Canadian team ever offensively. Also I don't know why they would pick Bourque to take the pentaly shot.

 

[Phanuthier*]

I honestly wouldn't change a damn thing. I think this was the best team Canada could have iced.

Kinda wish Sakic and Kariya were healthy, but they weren't.

 

[Malefic74]

I might've found a way to get Claude Lemieux in there. He has always excelled in clutch situations and he had just won the Conn Smythe Trophy, was the leading goalscorer in the playoffs the previous season and was off to a good start in Colorado (he would eventually score 39 goals and 71 points.)

Plus he plays with an edge and was a good forechecker. His omission was always a mystery to me.

 

[reckoning]

Maybe they lost because there weren`t enough Quebec-born players on the team.

Surely Benoit Brunet would`ve made all the difference.

 

[espo*]

The only thing i'd change is having both Kariya and Sakic in the lineup.The 98 team continues to get a bad rap.In Canada (to be ecpected) they've made the team out to be the worst ever when it sure as heck was'nt.We took care of a strong U.S and Swedish team but ultimately lacked the neccessary guns (sakic and kariya) to get past a trapping team backstopped by dominek hasek) give me kariya and sakic and we most likely go home with the gold medal.The finnish game? Who cares about that one...........................the players did'nt.................hence the loss in that meaningless(to canuck hockey players) game.Bronze don't mean jack**** here.

another thing i'd change is that damn shootout..............we were all over them in o.t............................let the game play and i almost garuntee victory for Canada.................especially with Sakic and Kariya in the lineup. Let's face it.......very few teams can lose thier two best offensive players and take that competition home.Apart from a few bad breaks and a pathetic "play for the tie" gameplan from the czechs we most likely would hvae won. :It was a nice blended team with great defense....................until Suter cheapshhotted kariya and sakic went down with a knee injury.But that team was a good team no question.I'll go to the grave saying it.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Corson had a great start that season. That's why he was on the team. He struggled shortly afterwards. He shouldn't have been picked.
Peca should have been there ahead of Zaumner. Zaumner was still a top-notch defensive forward at that time, but Peca brought physical and offensive dimensions beyond Zaumner's potential.
Linden's my all-time favourite player, but there were more deserving candidates. Still, he was the only one who managed to beat Hasek in the semi-final.
Kariya was hurt before the tournament. Recchi took his place. Yzerman was hurt before the tournament, and only came back before the Olys. Sakic was hurt in the semi-final.
Clarke used his role as GM to push his own players, like Sather did in 1996. Lindros shouldn't have been captain, he wasn't ready for such a responsibility. After this tournament, Canada switched to the three-man committee (Gretzky, Lowe and Tambellini) for choosing rosters.
What people forget about the Canada-Czech game is the Czechs controlled most of the game. Canada only got its act together in the final 10 minutes of the third, tied the game, nearly won the game in the waning moments of regulation, and controlled overtime. Canada probably would have won if overtime continued, but there's no guarantee. That's the nature of overtime.

In the end, Canada likely had the most talented team in the tournament. Mistakes were made, but Canada was one shot away from reaching the gold medal game. It was a disappointing result, but Canada has learned from their mistakes, and the development program has been better since.

 

[gr8haluschak]

I put the greatest player ever to lace them up in the shootout.

What was almost as great as that was seeing Yzerman next to him watching

 

[GKJ]

How long before some clown says "give the C to anyone but Lindros"?

First thing I would have done was not make Eric Lindros the captian. A team with Sakic, Gretzky, Yzerman, Linden, Bourque, Blake, MacInnis, Foote, Stevens and Brind'Amour shouldn't have Eric Lindros as the captian.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Rob Zamuner and Shayne Corson

That and Gretzky in the shootout. The Czechs probably still win, but at least you give Canada the best shot possible.

 

[19nazzy]

That and Gretzky in the shootout. The Czechs probably still win, but at least you give Canada the best shot possible.

If Sakic was not injured he would've been put in by Crow for sure. And Sakic has scored before on Hasek on a penalty shot.

 

[Ronald Pagan]

Mario Lemieux.

Even though he was 'retired' at that point they should have given him an invite anyway. Mario would have scored on Hasek. No problem.

 

[salzy]

First thing I would have done was not make Eric Lindros the captian. A team with Sakic, Gretzky, Yzerman, Linden, Bourque, Blake, MacInnis, Foote, Stevens and Brind'Amour shouldn't have Eric Lindros as the captian.

You really think with that kind of leadership in the room it really mattered who had a silly little red letter on their shirt?

 

[JDB3939]

Mario Lemieux.

Even though he was 'retired' at that point they should have given him an invite anyway. Mario would have scored on Hasek. No problem.

Couldn't have said it better myself. No way Hasek stops Lemieux in that shootout. I've never seen Mario stopped on a breakaway except when he misses the net/hits a post.