2019 World Juniors

[blny]

Jan 3, 2019 1:17:44 GMT -5 habsorbed said:

Jan 2, 2019 22:55:10 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

I think Suzuki did what was asked of him and that was play a smart defensive game... Suzuki made a lot of sweet passes that were not converted. Canada lost because they had a coach with an old school mentality and no game changer on the roster.

I liked Suzuki's play and thought, game in game out, he was our most consistent player. Wasn't overly impressed with many in the lineup. Other than Glass, and maybe Tippett, I'm happy Habs have Suzuki. He reminds me of Paul Kariya - love his feel for the game and sweet passes. Similar to the Habs, I thought the 2nd PP unit with Suzuki was far more effective than the first PP - and like the Habs Hunter kept giving the first unit 90 seconds on the PP.

May have been the weakest D corp Team Canada has had in a long time. Brook was steady but we had no one who could rush on D and people talked about Bouchard's shot but I never saw it. and Bouchard had numerous brain cramps.

Is there a franchise that has a better trio in this tourny than Poehling, Suzuki and Romanov?

And Ylonen and Oloffson. A pretty fine quintet.

I didn't follow our cut down process closely this year. Having Vilardi and Anderson-Dolan would have helped a lot. Unhurt, they were shoe-ins. Formenton too. Joseph and Beaudin might have added more offense from the back end. It's hard to play the hindsight game, but there's no doubt scoring became an issue as the tournament wore on. It's as if they used up the goals they had in the game against the Danes.

[Skilly]

I wasn't impressed with Suzuki's shot ... It was a quick snap, more of a deflection/push puck toward the net that was not hard or fast. It was accurate but very easy for the goalies to stop. I thought his shot looked weak. He has great vision, can skate well. But I think he is weak both his shot and when checked. He will have to work on that.

As for Comtois. Totally unimpressed with his antics and beached whale impressions. Based on that alone, I would have chosen Cody Glass over him.

The team played a lot like the Habs. PP looked awful, stationary . They stayed to the outside when teams forechecked them hard (Russia and Finland). And they only went to the net in spurts.

The writing was on the wall ....after blowing out Denmark. They struggled against Switzerland. And never got back on track after that

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Jan 3, 2019 17:21:37 GMT -5 Skilly said:

The writing was on the wall ....after blowing out Denmark. They struggled against Switzerland. And never got back on track after that

I wonder if the negative feedback from that blowout affected the team psyche ... anything good associated with the win came with an asterix ... I read/felt a lot of embarrassment in Canadian Twitterverse and there were calls for changes to the tournament format ... TSN suggested a mercy rule ... great timing for Ryan Phoeling to put up MVP numbers and I now understand why the organization took Alexander Romanov in the 2nd round ... been hearing a lot of good things about Nick Suzuki all through the tournament ... they were the reason I was watching the tournament in the first place ... even with Canada gone, though, I want to see how the rest of our prospects do ...

Cheers.

[Willie Dog]

should be a good game at 4pm today

[NWTHabsFan]

Jan 4, 2019 8:55:52 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

should be a good game at 4pm today

It should indeed. These are the two best teams at this point in the tournament (that was not the case with the Americans earlier in the tourney, but they have been getting better). It also features our most prominent prospects in this year's event all going head-to-head: Poehling and Primeau vs Romanov.

If you cannot watch it live, PVR this sucker!!

[NWTHabsFan]

Primeau confirmed to be in net for the USA this afternoon. It seemed like a slam dunk to me, so glad to see it confirmed.

[Willie Dog]

US getting away with a lot of interference

[jkr]

U.S. has just beaten Russia 2-1 to move on.

[Willie Dog]

Primeau selected PotG for the US... as the game wore on the Russians panicked and started playing like individuals... had more turnovers in this game than in all other games combined... Americans studied the Russians and were able to frustrate them... lots of penalties not called that usually are in international hockey

[NWTHabsFan]

Two prospects playing for gold. Can Ylönen make it three later tonight?

[NWTHabsFan]

Ylönen shows off his quick release and hard shot on this goal last night. Got the things going for the Finns early, and they never stopped. Cinderella run by the Swiss was stopped in its tracks in dramatic fashion.

[NWTHabsFan]

SUI vs RUS (Romanov) Bronze medal game 4:00pm ET TSN

FIN (Ylönen) vs USA (Poehling, Primeau) Gold medal game 8:00pm ET TSN

[NWTHabsFan]

Romanov gets an assist and a bronze medal today. One heck of a stretch pass.

[NWTHabsFan]

Ylönen opens the scoring again today! What a blast on the PP. Poehling has been a beast down low.

[NWTHabsFan]

Good tourney for Poehling and Romanov, although the Finnish goalie was a good case for the mvp.

[drkcloud]

Finland wins on a late goal... however

Top forward of tornament named as Ryan Poehling

Top dman goes to Romanov

Pretty darn good

[NWTHabsFan]

Not sure if Habs fans will get another WJC like this again in terms of prospects profile. And to think the Finns top two centres could have been Kotkaniemi and Ikonen.

[blny]

Lots to be pleased with about this tournament, even if we didn't win. All reports indicate that Victoria did an excellent job supporting Pool B. Comments from players in that pool were very positive. We had a number of prospects take advantage of the opportunities given them. I still contend that in the grand scheme individual success at this tournament doesn't correlate to a pro career, but am pleased none the less. The fact we had 5 prospects our scouts selected in the tournament, and one the scouts would have pushed for in trade, is a good sign.

[mikeg]

[BadCompany]

So, uh, wow?

Previous winners of the Best Defenseman Award:

2003 – Joni Pitkanen
2004 – Sami Lepisto
2005 – Dion Phaneuf
2006 – Marc Staal
2007 – Erik Johnson
2008 – Drew Doughty
2009 – Erik Karlsson
2010 – Alex Pietrangelo
2011 – Ryan Ellis
2012 – Brandon Gormley
2013 – Jacob Trouba
2014 – Rasmus Ristolainen
2015 – Vladislav Gavrikov
2016 – Zach Werenski
2017 – Thomas Chabot
2018 – Rasmus Dahlin
2019 – Alexander Romanov

[BadCompany]

So I saw Romanov play twice. Which basically makes me, if not his actual coach, then certainly the best person to predict his eventual NHL career. Plus, you know, I internet. So that makes me pretty much a professional scout.

My opinions:

The comparison to Alexie Emelin is weak, in my opinion. Or lazy. Pick your adjective. He hits like Emelin, yes, and he’s Russian, but other than that I don’t see the same style of play. A more apt comparison, in my humble opinion (and I have the MOST humble opinions, believe you me), is Ryan McDonagh.

And that ain’t bad.

Romanov strikes me as freakishly and perhaps sneakily strong player, in that not only can he throw the big hit, but he wins battles. He’s also very mobile for somebody who gets classified as a stay-at-home defenseman, he has a big shot, and he’s pretty good at getting the puck out of his zone, either by passing or skating. But he’s not dynamic, per se. Meaning that he’s not going to dangle through 5 guys, he won’t be on your first power-play unit, he’s not going to put up 50+ points, he’ll never win a Norris. But to me he looks like a solid, 22+ minutes-a-night-ice-eater. You can throw him out there in any and all situations, and while he won’t dominate, he’ll be one of the better players. I can see 1B upside in him, in that while you’d like to have a Hedman/Doughty/Subban/Weber/Karlsson in front of him, it won’t be embarrassing to have him as your #1. Which is a round-about-way of saying that he should be a great #2 on a Cup contending team. You know, like McDonagh. #1 on the Rangers, #2 on the Lightning.

I really liked what I saw. And remember, I saw him twice, so… book it.

[seventeen]

Jan 7, 2019 14:51:54 GMT -5 BadCompany said:

So, uh, wow?

Previous winners of the Best Defenseman Award:

2003 – Joni Pitkanen
2004 – Sami Lepisto
2005 – Dion Phaneuf
2006 – Marc Staal
2007 – Erik Johnson
2008 – Drew Doughty
2009 – Erik Karlsson
2010 – Alex Pietrangelo
2011 – Ryan Ellis
2012 – Brandon Gormley
2013 – Jacob Trouba
2014 – Rasmus Ristolainen
2015 – Vladislav Gavrikov
2016 – Zach Werenski
2017 – Thomas Chabot
2018 – Rasmus Dahlin
2019 – Alexander Romanov

Who the heck was picking in 2012 and 2015?

[seventeen]

Jan 7, 2019 16:40:48 GMT -5 BadCompany said:

So I saw Romanov play twice. Which basically makes me, if not his actual coach, then certainly the best person to predict his eventual NHL career. Plus, you know, I internet. So that makes me pretty much a professional scout.

My opinions:

The comparison to Alexie Emelin is weak, in my opinion. Or lazy. Pick your adjective. He hits like Emelin, yes, and he’s Russian, but other than that I don’t see the same style of play. A more apt comparison, in my humble opinion (and I have the MOST humble opinions, believe you me), is Ryan McDonagh.

And that ain’t bad.

Romanov strikes me as freakishly and perhaps sneakily strong player, in that not only can he throw the big hit, but he wins battles. He’s also very mobile for somebody who gets classified as a stay-at-home defenseman, he has a big shot, and he’s pretty good at getting the puck out of his zone, either by passing or skating. But he’s not dynamic, per se. Meaning that he’s not going to dangle through 5 guys, he won’t be on your first power-play unit, he’s not going to put up 50+ points, he’ll never win a Norris. But to me he looks like a solid, 22+ minutes-a-night-ice-eater. You can throw him out there in any and all situations, and while he won’t dominate, he’ll be one of the better players. I can see 1B upside in him, in that while you’d like to have a Hedman/Doughty/Subban/Weber/Karlsson in front of him, it won’t be embarrassing to have him as your #1. Which is a round-about-way of saying that he should be a great #2 on a Cup contending team. You know, like McDonagh. #1 on the Rangers, #2 on the Lightning.

I really liked what I saw. And remember, I saw him twice, so… book it.

It's annoying when someone else expresses your thoughts before you can. Sort of. But it's also easier cause you can just say, Yup, I agree. When he stood up that Canadian kid in the Challenge series while Romanov was basically standing still and the other guy was coming at him like a freight train, it showed just how strong he is and that's a great starting point for any prospect. Mark Stone for example, is way stronger than he looks. He hardly loses a puck battles. One typically thinks of brawny guys as not that bright, but that is not the case here. Romanov is solid in many, many ways. Excellent pick by Timmins. I'm looking forward to the re-draft articles in 3 years to see how high up the first round he should have been picked.

[NWTHabsFan]

Inspired by BC's sage-like assessment of Romanov, why not expand it to all seven prospects who participated? Let's do it, I say!

Ryan Poehling - By now folks know he was named the tournament MVP and to the all-star team (voted by media), as the tournament's top forward (IIHF voting) and one of the top three players on the USA team (his coaches). Ryan had 5G, 3A for 8pts in 7 games played. He will forever be remembered for his four point period, and natural hat-trick, against Sweden in the round robin. The point is that Poehling did more than just put up points. He was defensively sound and played hard in both ends of the ice. Although his production dried up in the medal games, his effort did not. He was strong in the gold medal game with a very effective game down-low and generated lots of good chances for his line that just were not converted. I think fans wanted to see if he had more offensive skill in him, and I think it is safe to say he showed more this tournament without compromising his strong two-way play.

Alexander Romanov - Yup, he got the all-star team nod and IIHF top defender award. And, Romanov led all defensemen in points. For some watchers, this was his coming out party. In actuality, he had a really solid World Junior A Challenge for Russia last fall and was fine at the U18s in April. That was when I first saw him play on tv. Anyway, this adds to his success this year. He made the top KHL team as an 18 year old, which is almost unheard of, especially on defense. He also made WJC as an 18 year old with a coach who historically favours his 19 year olds. And then he is the top defender in the tournament, as an 18 year old who is eligible to return next year. Romanov does not project to be a PP QB or big offensive defender in the NHL, but he can be a very reliable, defensively astute guy with decent mobility to transition the puck either through his good skating or a solid first pass. When in the offensive zone, he also has a solid shot. BC mentioned his strength. Just look at a clip I posted earlier in this thread when he sent three Canadian players onto the ice while standing still. He is not just a solid hitter, he is a very solid player.

Cayden Primeau - He definitely stole the starting job from Keyser after the first three games, with Keyser's shaky performance against the Swedes in game three pretty well sealing the deal. He ended up this WJC with an impressive 4-1 record, 1.61 gaa, and .936 save %. After Primeau's amazing NCAA rookie season last year, this should reinforce that he is a very legitimate goalie prospect. There are still a few technical areas where he can improve, but that is the case with every teenage goalie. It is all coachable, but his demeanour seems to set him up to succeed.

Jesse Ylonen - Given the RW depth (Tolvanen, Kakko), he played most of the tournament as the 3rd line RW and 2nd pairing PP on the left wall/wing. He still managed 3G, 3A for 6 pts in 7GP. He had big goals when they counted, with him opening the scoring in both the semi final against the Swiss and the Gold Medal game against the US. He still needs to get some strength and bulk up on his skinny frame, but this kid can fly, has good offensive instincts and has a great shot.

Ryan Suzuki - I see lots of posters in other places saying he had a disappointing tournament. Maybe they were underwhelmed by his 3 pts in 5GP, because my assessment is based on watching his games not just stats watching. He is a very smart offensive player with good defensive acumen. I think he tended to look pass too much in this tournament for my liking, as he has scored in both his OHL since returning from the WJC after only recording assists at the WJC level. He needs to use his strong shot more. I did expect him to dominate a bit more, but he did not get the top line or top PP time that were reserved for others, and he did have rotating linemates quite more than others. Overall, it was a decent performance given the limited opportunities afforded to him.

Josh Brook - Speaking of limited opportunities, how about no PP time and playing on your opposite side for the tournament in a shut-down role rather than your normal go-to role at Moose Jaw. Given all that, I though he worked well with the opportunities given him. If any player on Canada deserved more ice time that was given to other less productive guys, it was Josh Brook. What does he do his first game back with MJ? He racks up a three point night, including two PP assists. Kaboom!!

Jacob Olofsson - With no points in 5 games, on a Swedish team that really struggled to score from its forwards, you would have to rank this experience as less than what was projected from him. His coach spoke very highly of him coming into this tournament, but I don't think he came close to living up to those expectations. He is only 18, so will almost assuredly be back next year. Here is hoping he can combine his solid responsible defensive play with more offensive upside. He needs to start getting some offense going and get some points though.

My final thoughts are that this was a great success for the Habs and its drafting crew. With 7 players, they were tied with two other teams for the most participants. They would have blown it away had Kotkaniemi been available and had Ikonen not been injured. Both likely would have been the top two centres for that pesky Finnish team that seem to do okay without them. I cannot remember a more enjoyable WJC in terms of both quantity and quality of Habs' prospects to follow. It was fun, including my two live games: one in each of the two venues.

[BadCompany]

Great write up NWT!

I was a little disappointed in Ylonen, to be honest with you. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high. I was expecting (hoping) for the Finnish Flash re-incarnated, somebody with blazing speed coming down the wing, sniping shots left and right. He got the points, and he can definitely shoot, but I didn't see the separation gear that I thought he had. Oh well.

I'm not sure what to make of Suzuki's tournament. "Does all the little things" wasn't really what I was hoping for. Granted, that seemed to be the role assigned to him (and for that matter Brook), and I guess he did what was asked of him, but like you I was hoping for a Domi-like dominance at some point. Even when he had the puck I didn't get the feeling he was controlling the play.

[Tankdriver]

I am disappointed in Olofsson. I fear another Jacob De La Rose.

[Willie Dog]

Jan 8, 2019 10:58:58 GMT -5 BadCompany said:

Great write up NWT!

I was a little disappointed in Ylonen, to be honest with you. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high. I was expecting (hoping) for the Finnish Flash re-incarnated, somebody with blazing speed coming down the wing, sniping shots left and right. He got the points, and he can definitely shoot, but I didn't see the separation gear that I thought he had. Oh well.

I'm not sure what to make of Suzuki's tournament. "Does all the little things" wasn't really what I was hoping for. Granted, that seemed to be the role assigned to him (and for that matter Brook), and I guess he did what was asked of him, but like you I was hoping for a Domi-like dominance at some point. Even when he had the puck I didn't get the feeling he was controlling the play.

I think both of them did what was asked of them... Hunter had a preconceived notion of the role a certain player should play and he never wavered from it... It was very old school imo