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Post by CentreHice on Dec 30, 2013 10:39:00 GMT -5
Thought a separate thread is appropriate.
Fucale gets the start today vs. Slovakia at 11:30 am ET....taking over from Paterson, who was less than spectacular vs. the Czech Republic.
Lots of pressure on ZaCHary today.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 30, 2013 11:28:06 GMT -5
Hudon will get full shifts today, alongside a Q line with Drouin and Mantha. Reway will be on show with the Slovakians.
Finland beat Russia today, but Lekhonen missed the game as a result of an injury.
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Post by CentreHice on Dec 30, 2013 12:41:03 GMT -5
Reway (pronounced "RE-vi", I just found out) roofed one on Fucale. Off the crossbar and in.
On a 5-on-3....Fucale had no chance. Great release and puck placement. He's only 5'8" and 170, though.
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Post by franko on Dec 30, 2013 12:47:32 GMT -5
On a 5-on-3....Fucale had no chance. Great release and puck placement. He's only 5'8" and 170, though. fits right in then |
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Post by madhabber on Dec 30, 2013 14:10:06 GMT -5
Right after we extend Gionta and trade Pacioretty.
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Post by CentreHice on Dec 30, 2013 14:20:03 GMT -5
4 unanswered goals gives Canada a come-from-behind 5-3 victory.
Fucale with a handful of clutch saves when the score was 3-1 and 3-2 for Slovakia...
Couple of crossbars for Slovakia, too....but Canada took it to them once the Canadians got out of penalty trouble.
All 3 Slovak goals on the PP, the second one on a 5-on-3, and the third just after a 5-on-3 ended.
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Post by blny on Dec 30, 2013 14:49:55 GMT -5
Germans did us a big favor beating the Czechs today, and Finland beat Russia. Huge game tomorrow.
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Post by seventeen on Dec 30, 2013 15:21:20 GMT -5
4 unanswered goals gives Canada a come-from-behind 5-3 victory. Fucale with a handful of clutch saves when the score was 3-1 and 3-2 for Slovakia... Couple of crossbars for Slovakia, too....but Canada took it to them once the Canadians got out of penalty trouble. All 3 Slovak goals on the PP, the second one on a 5-on-3, and the third just after a 5-on-3 ended. That seems to be a Fucale characteristic. He may not have the best stats but he tends to win and keep his team in the game or ahead. |
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Post by blny on Dec 30, 2013 16:44:13 GMT -5
4 unanswered goals gives Canada a come-from-behind 5-3 victory. Fucale with a handful of clutch saves when the score was 3-1 and 3-2 for Slovakia... Couple of crossbars for Slovakia, too....but Canada took it to them once the Canadians got out of penalty trouble. All 3 Slovak goals on the PP, the second one on a 5-on-3, and the third just after a 5-on-3 ended. That seems to be a Fucale characteristic. He may not have the best stats but he tends to win and keep his team in the game or ahead. A little bit of the Grant Fuhr trait perhaps. |
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Post by seventeen on Dec 31, 2013 2:56:38 GMT -5
Had a look at the game tonight and it seems Canada is improving as hoped for. They were initially too pumped for this game, at least a few of their guys were, including Drouin and McDavid as both still looked nervous. After he got back onto the ice, Drouin was better and then after his little tiff with the ref over that puck that hit something overhead, he started to play hockey and ignore the officiating and he produced as he can. McDavid also looked much better in the 3rd period and we're going to need him to be at his best against the US.
My focus was really on Fucale and I'm not sure what to say. He won, which was great, and he made a couple of important saves, but he really wasn't tested a whole bunch and those metal objects behind him helped him out a lot. Course, one could say he forced the shots to hit the posts because he was covering the rest of the net. Perhaps, or perhaps the Slovaks just didn't finish well enough. It wasn't a convincing enough performance for him to start against the Yanks, but who knows?
ON the negative side, I'm not sure just what Josh Anderson is doing on the team. He's on the checking line and he's a big guy who skates well, but he reminds me way too much of Mike Blunden. So this guy was an improvement on Max Domi, huh? Probably more like he fitted a certain role, but he sure hasn't impressed me much so far. That 4th line has been pretty blah. Laughton is a worthy guy and has played well, but Anderson and Gauthier have basically just worn down their opponents. they haven't shown anything that any number of other selections wouldn't have shown. If you need good checkers, fine, (and you do), but aren't there better than those choices? Leier is another guy who hasn't produced much at all. I know, easy in hindsight, but these guys were questions even before the tournament started. Missing out on Domi is a huge error IMO. He is dependable and very, very creative and is a great skater with good vision. CAn't see leaving him off for any of those 3 guys I just mentioned. Oh well, too late to change that now.
Pouliot was sure good and Dumba is a higher risk guy than I thought. Petan has come on as has Lazar. Should be very interesting tomorrow against the US, but I'm not so sure I want us to win all that badly. If we're going to beat them, I want it to be in the medal round, when it counts. That's what they did to us last year.
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Post by blny on Dec 31, 2013 9:18:28 GMT -5
17, your point about Domi is one I scratch my head at year after year. It's a product of Hockey Canada's desire to plug holes on a roster instead of icing the best group possible.
Last year, they took Drouin and MacKinnon to the tournament only to keep the #1 overall pick in a 4th line role for nearly the whole tournament. Drouin only got a whiff of 2nd line action when things got desperate. Shameful.
IMO, in a tournament like this you need to take as many offensive weapons as you can. You never know who will, and won't, gel. To take more than 3 'defensive specialists' is poor tactics.
We'll see if the team steps up tonight, but I think we're ripe for being thumped.
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Post by seventeen on Dec 31, 2013 11:37:07 GMT -5
The Domi choice is the biggest head scratcher. Not that I'm a professional scout, but it was obvious just how good he is from the Memorial Cup games I've seen him play. He was often London's best forward. It's not as if he's defensively weak either. The only issue I can see is that he's a centre, but they're overloaded with centres anyway, so that's not much of an excuse. I'm not so sure it's the process as it is who is doing the picking. I don't mind they shortened the selection process as the players need time to get used to each other, and you do need some 'specialists' for PK duty and faceoffs, but you also need, as you pointed out, players who can score. Anderson and Leier especially, have not come through for the team. Let's hope they do so in the coming games.
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Post by halihab on Dec 31, 2013 13:34:53 GMT -5
Fucale just stops 2 break-aways. Pretty awesome performance - Kept them in the game in the first period.
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Post by CentreHice on Dec 31, 2013 13:36:08 GMT -5
Fucale with a great leg extension save to stop the U.S. on a breakaway, preserving a 3-1 lead.
A similar save earlier....plus a goal-line save.
And now he can't catch a wrist shot...and it falls into the crease...and is knocked in by his own d-man.
3-2 with 2:45 to go.
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Post by halihab on Dec 31, 2013 13:36:24 GMT -5
Fucale just stops 2 break-aways. Pretty awesome performance - Kept them in the game in the first period. Just as I stopped typing - USA scores.  |
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Post by CentreHice on Dec 31, 2013 13:45:43 GMT -5
Fucale the Game MVP....3-2 Canada.
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Post by halihab on Dec 31, 2013 13:47:49 GMT -5
Fucale the Game MVP....3-2 Canada. He seems to come up big in huge games. Gotta like that if you are a habs fan. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 31, 2013 14:03:06 GMT -5
And DLR scored the game winner late for the Swedes against Russia earlier today. Good day for our most recent second rounders!
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Post by seventeen on Dec 31, 2013 14:34:34 GMT -5
And DLR scored the game winner late for the Swedes against Russia earlier today. Good day for our most recent second rounders! Especially gratifying to see him scoring. I liked everything else about him, but was seriously concerned about scoring ability. Hopefully he's broken through the "Cone of Shutout" |
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Post by seventeen on Dec 31, 2013 14:39:08 GMT -5
Fucale was very deserving of his star today. I think the whole team took a slight breather after the 3-1 goal. The US kept playing hard and when the Canadians weren't as mentally sharp, they got a few odd man rushes and could have scored if not for Fucale.
I'm not absolutely sure I'm happy with the win. I find it very hard to cheer for a loss, but one hopes this loss doesn't give the US incentive for any other games against Canada. I hope they run into Sweden first and both teams beat the crap out of each other. In any case, the late goal by the US will, I think, keep Canada from getting too smug about their win.
Goaltending was the single real difference in the game.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 31, 2013 14:46:29 GMT -5
Fucale was very deserving of his star today. I think the whole team took a slight breather after the 3-1 goal. The US kept playing hard and when the Canadians weren't as mentally sharp, they got a few odd man rushes and could have scored if not for Fucale. I'm not absolutely sure I'm happy with the win. I find it very hard to cheer for a loss, but one hopes this loss doesn't give the US incentive for any other games against Canada. I hope they run into Sweden first and both teams beat the crap out of each other. In any case, the late goal by the US will, I think, keep Canada from getting too smug about their win. Goaltending was the single real difference in the game. Canada should not have to face the USA unless both advance to the final...at least that seems to be my take based on how Bobby Mac explained how the quarters and semis line up for Canada. Next up...the Swiss in two days. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Dec 31, 2013 14:47:56 GMT -5
And DLR scored the game winner late for the Swedes against Russia earlier today. Good day for our most recent second rounders! Especially gratifying to see him scoring. I liked everything else about him, but was seriously concerned about scoring ability. Hopefully he's broken through the "Cone of Shutout" They are showing a replay of the SWE-RUS game on TSN2 right now for those who missed it early this morning. |
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Post by franko on Dec 31, 2013 15:13:58 GMT -5
Goaltending was the single real difference in the game. Canadiens, Canadians . . . what seems to be the difference? |
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Post by Tankdriver on Dec 31, 2013 20:06:34 GMT -5
A quick question. Is McCarron playing for team USA? Also, wasn't Anthony Mantha chosen by Detroit after McCarron?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 1, 2014 0:38:09 GMT -5
A quick question. Is McCarron playing for team USA? Also, wasn't Anthony Mantha chosen by Detroit after McCarron? McCarron is not on Team USA. He was at their summer camp, but his slow start this season kept him off the final team. Mantha was picked 20th. 5 spots ahead of McCarron. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 1, 2014 1:14:17 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 2, 2014 12:07:35 GMT -5
A piece on yacky Zachary. www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/story/?id=440168Finland through to the semis, and Lekhonen was back in the lineup today. So, he is the first Hab prospect through to the final four. Fucale and Hudon playing now trying to punch their ticket too. SWE-SLO later. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 2, 2014 13:30:29 GMT -5
Hudson's arm/shoulder must still be bothering him, as he did not play much after earning that regular forward spot a few games ago. Fucale with a solid game, with that deflection goal with one second left in the second being the only one that got past him today.
Next up is Finland, who will play a tough team game against us.
Sweden (DLR and Collberg) vs Slovakia (Reway) up next. At least one prospect will be going home after that game.
If Sweden wins, and they should, that will be five of our six prospects through to the semis. Impressive.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jan 2, 2014 15:47:39 GMT -5
Fucale was very deserving of his star today. I think the whole team took a slight breather after the 3-1 goal. The US kept playing hard and when the Canadians weren't as mentally sharp, they got a few odd man rushes and could have scored if not for Fucale. I'm not absolutely sure I'm happy with the win. I find it very hard to cheer for a loss, but one hopes this loss doesn't give the US incentive for any other games against Canada. I hope they run into Sweden first and both teams beat the crap out of each other. In any case, the late goal by the US will, I think, keep Canada from getting too smug about their win. Goaltending was the single real difference in the game. Was able to listen to the game while driving home from Sudbury. Picked up TSN 1200 out of Ottawa, just the other side of Mattawa (check out Hwy 17, West) and I only lost it about 3/4 of the way down Hwy 41 (Pembroke to Napanee). Great coverage. Liked hearing Fucale's name being chanted by the Canadian fans. Also picked up Sportsnet 590 out of TO a little ways from Napanee, ON. Tougher challenges ahead. Can't take the Finns lightly whatsoever. The Russians and the Czechs are highly talented and relentless. Then there's Sweden ... Cheers. |
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Post by seventeen on Jan 4, 2014 14:14:41 GMT -5
Canada's finally getting their legs going against the Finns and the refs are taking over the game. Drouin goes to make a hit, the Finn ducks down so Drouin ends up pushing him in the head rather than the chest and Drouin gets a minor and misconduct. I think we need to duck down every time someone checks us so we get the arms in the head and the other team should get a penalty each time. It's such a stupid call. Call it if it's intentional, but not if the hittee deliberately creates it. 2-1 Finland after a really unlucky bounce off the boards got the Finns started.
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