4 Nations Face-Off
- Thread starter Frank E
- Start date
herman
Well-known member
Matthews was solid defensively, but only generated a handful of good looks (post and fumbled pucks), which is basically his floor when playing through injury. Pretty sure he's not nursing a new injury, just the wear and tear of the old one.
Nylander has been their top offensive driver, from the wing. Sweden doesn't get many looks but they're mostly started by him, and between every whistle he is gameplanning the faceoffs for the rookies and veterans alike. Their roster is simply outclassed against the CAN/US defenses especially with their top offensive pivots mired in some sort of injury/illness/emotional funk. Probably looks like a different tourney if he wasn't starting with Zibanejad and Rakell, instead of Bratt+Pettersson/Carlsson.
Marner has been solid defensively as well, but as per my usual, is it very different if we subbed in Alex Kerfoot for him on this roster? He is very a poor match with McDavid's speed and puck hogging as a high forward and non-shooter, which means he is also a poor match with MacKinnon, and the asshole line (Marchand-Bennett-Konecny). If Crosby was less injured and playing centre, there'd be more of a match there. This is probably more an indictment on Canada's selection process; yes McDavid requested Marner, but I think most coaches should be able to see what playstyles complement and work accordingly, say Tavares instead of Cirelli as their checking centre. When you have Canada's depth, why not make 3 first lines, instead of 2 1s and 2 4ths?
Scheifele-McDavid-Point
Crosby-MacKinnon-Reinhart
Marner-Tavares-Stone
Marchand-Bennett-Wilson
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I hope you're watching because it's the best hockey played anywhere in a long time.
I’m not. Because I don’t care.
Bill_Berg
Active member
I did end up watching the US/Canada game, but I also care very little. I am more worried about Leaf players getting hurt than the game itself. Tough to enjoy the hockey for me. If it wasn't for the current political climate, I probably wouldn't have watched that game even.
herman
Well-known member
A bit more yikes
That's too bad, he was incredible versus Canada, he was vicious and it was clear he would do anything to win. Wish he was on our team.
In hindsight, Scheifele really should have been on the team. I think him and Marner could have formed a hell of a 3rd line behind the big boys in the top-6.
Soooo many righty's really does cause a problem though I think. Guys like Stone and Reinhart have had to play on the left and think they've struggled there. A lesson for the Olympics I guess.
Zee
Well-known member
I was sort of hoping that :
a) players don't get injured or re-aggravate existing injuries
b) all the Leafs players did really well and use that as a springboard for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs
Ozzie
Active member
This is the best hockey i have seen in years and in some cases, unprecedented.
It blew away all my expectations (and I bought finals tickets upon release).
Crosby is a hero. McDavid is an Alien that is unmatched on a field of the world's elite. And MacKinnon showed us the dawg that a leader needs to drive a win.
And I am also appreciative of how amazing the Fins played and the Swedes.... and particularly the US. They played Canadian style with fights and hits and total defensive shutdown of Canada's best.
But what I'm most grateful for is that Canadians can know what it is to be Brazilian. Like Brazilians to international soccer, we have superhumans that are some of the greatest on the planet and drive into two extra gears when it's best on best and nation vs nation on the line. McDavid's goals are like God is flowing through him. And if you haven't been watching that Brilliance over the past week.... then you are missing an integral part of our national lore.
dappleganger
Well-known member
Please, no more Cirelli's with a career high of 45 points. It's hard to score in these tournaments. Bring the players who can do the offence. All the offensive players can play solid defence in situations like these best-on-best tournaments when they're trying really hard.
The start of Saturday's game was mind-blowing for my 11 and 13-year-old. They had never seen anything like it. I had to explain to them that the Canadian experience of international best-on-best goes beyond today. They had never seen that extra gear before. This has been some exceptional hockey.
Sure, the booing of their anthem would fire them up but that's where it ends.
Is now a good time to wonder why the U.S. Center for SafeSport never released the findings of their investigation into allegations of Guerin potentially covering up sexual assault claims while he was with the Penguins?
What a time to be alive.