2023 World Junior Championships

[Willie Dog]

Dec 25, 2022 9:58:54 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

You know you are having a good day when some kid named Bedard throws some praise your way.

I read that... very nice to see Roy get some praise

[NWTHabsFan]

Games start tomorrow on Boxing Day. Here are the games featuring Habs prospects (all four games!).

🇫🇮 (Kapanen) Vs 🇨🇭 11:00am ET

🇸🇪 (Engström) Vs 🇦🇹 (Rohrer) 1:30pm ET

🇱🇻 vs 🇺🇸 (Hutson) 4:00pm ET

🇨🇿 vs 🇨🇦 (Roy) 6:30pm ET

All games are on TSN main channel.

For draft watchers, I will do a post later today on what draft eligible players to keep an eye on given the Habs will be in the hunt for high end players next summer with two firsts and counting.

[NWTHabsFan]

Captain Kapanen.

[NWTHabsFan]

It is almost go-time for the first of four games today.

[Willie Dog]

Wow... Swiss win in OT over the Finns

[Willie Dog]

Is Rohrer even playing for Austria or is it he being punished for being the only one playing in North America?

[NWTHabsFan]

10 of the draft eligible kids to watch:

Connor Bedard, C, Canada - If you have been in a deep sleep for the last few years, you may not know anything about this 17 phenom from BC. Otherwise, watch and enjoy!

Adam Fantilli, C/W, Canada - The grad of the Chicago Steel hockey factory, he is now ripping it up at University of Michigan in the NCAA. He likely projects as a winger in the pros, but his size, speed, and great shot have him in the #2 conversation for the draft and most likely to challenge Bedard. I say, close, but no cigar.

Leo Carlsson, C, Sweden - Carlsson has moved up into pretty well the consensus top four conversations, but he likely would go third if the draft was held now. He plays against men in the SHL, and is holding his own due to size, skill, and vision.

Alex Sandin-Pellikka, RD, Sweden - After the Hlinka this summer, the top defender on lists was Cameron Allen from Canada who was great in that tournament. So was ASP, but he was nowhere to be found. Fast forward to late December and it is a total role reversal. The skilled and smooth skating RHD is now the top ranked defender on most public lists, and Allen’s slow start sees him now in second round discussion. Watch him QB the Swedish defence and see something the Habs definitely could use.

Dalibor Dvorsky, C, Slovakia - The big Slovak has been on the radar screen as a top 2023 for a while. He has slipped a bit due to a bit of average play in Allsvenskan in Sweden and the great play of other prospects. The Slovakians have a young team with some good draft eligibles to watch, lead by Dvorsky who hopefully can raise his game this tourney.

Eduard Šalé, LW, Czechia - He has enjoyed very good international success with a good past U18s and Hlinka-Gretzky. When he is on his offensive game, he is definitely in the top ten conversation. He should be a big part of Czechia’s offence.

David Reinbacher, RHD, Austria - The big mobile defender is blasting up draft charts with his great play in the Swiss league. Right now, he looks to be in the bottom third of a number of public draft lists, but that could change with an effective tourney on the weakest team in the event.

Alex Ciernik, W, Slovakia - The gifted winger is a great playmaker and should be a big part of driving the offence for the Slovakians. He already plays against men in the second tier Allsvenskan in Sweden like national team mate Dvorsky.

Charlie Stramel, W, USA - Stramel who plays at Wisconsin in the NCAA is a grad of the NTDP and definitely brings some much needed size to a smaller USA lineup. Like Brindley, he is likely going to be on the radar of teams in the bottom third of the draft.

Gavin Brindley, C/W, USA - He is a team mate of Fantilli’s at U of Michigan. He is a small and shifty offensive player who is likely on the USA’s fourth line this year. A bit of a surprise that the USA went with two college guys in Brindley and Stramel over arguably the more talented draft eligible duo from the NTDP: Smith and Leonard.

[Willie Dog]

Austria needs to be relegated... they're brutal... their goalie is playing great though

[NWTHabsFan]

Dec 26, 2022 14:11:15 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

Is Rohrer even playing for Austria or is it he being punished for being the only one playing in North America?

Sick with a bug. Missing today.

[NWTHabsFan]

Dec 26, 2022 14:14:01 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

Austria needs to be relegated... they're brutal

Without Kasper and with Rohrer missing with a bug, they are a bad team.

[Willie Dog]

Dec 26, 2022 14:14:54 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Dec 26, 2022 14:11:15 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

Is Rohrer even playing for Austria or is it he being punished for being the only one playing in North America?

Sick with a bug. Missing today.

Ahhh ok... their D is atrocious... their forwards aren't much better

[NWTHabsFan]

Sweden exploded for six in the second. Engström chipped in with two assists. 8-0 heading into the third.

[seventeen]

Paying attention to Hutson. His first play, was a bit soft on a pass along the boards in his own end and lost it to a Latvian forward. What surprised me was he went right back at him, was really strong on his stick and took the puck back. Fir a guy his suzy, strength is really important. That was a good first impression. Then he made a 120 foot pass right on a forward’s stick. So far my only question is why he’s on the third pairing? Having to carry Casey?

[NWTHabsFan]

An update on Rohrer. Austria plays again tomorrow.

[seventeen]

Missed a chunk of the US game but back for the late 3rd. Another example of Hutson doing what MSL is preaching. “Don’t just make a play, make the best play”. After recovering the puck (a teammate’s mistake) Hutson breaks up the ice. He’s got the left winger wide open but delays, moves sideways to open a gap and hits the centre on the tape. Its now 3 on 2 but the centre loses the puck and nothing happens. Much tougher to defend when the puck is in the middle. More options for the attacking team. The kid is really smart.

[seventeen]

So far, this seems one if those games where very little is going right for Canada. Lots of things just off by an inch. Czech goalie ok but not stupendous as there haven’t been many clear chances. Broken sticks, loose pucks just out of reach etc.

[Willie Dog]

Very impressed by Bedard, tons of skill... looks like Canada took them for granted

Other than the tip on the PP Wright looked awful... Fantilli looked lost... and the rest of the team wasn't any better

[NWTHabsFan]

Games involving Habs prospects on Day two (Tuesday):

🇫🇮 (Kapanen) Vs 🇸🇰 (Mešár) 11:00am ET TSN

🇩🇪 Vs 🇸🇪 (Engström) 1:30pm ET TSN

🇨🇿 Vs 🇦🇹 (Rohrer - if fit to play) 6:30pm ET TSN

[CentreHice]

Don't mind Canadian hockey hubris getting an early wake-up call.

The hype surrounding this team is off the charts.

Goaltending's gotta be better in a short tournament. The killer 5th GA was beer-league weak.

[Willie Dog]

Dec 26, 2022 21:57:15 GMT -5 CentreHice said:

Don't mind Canadian hockey hubris getting an early wake-up call.

The hype surrounding this team is off the charts.

Goaltending's gotta be better in a short tournament. The killer 5th GA was beer-league weak.

That 5th was brutal

[seventeen]

Dec 26, 2022 21:57:15 GMT -5 CentreHice said:

Don't mind Canadian hockey hubris getting an early wake-up call.

The hype surrounding this team is off the charts.

Goaltending's gotta be better in a short tournament. The killer 5th GA was beer-league weak.

All along I have been unsure of Canada's defense. I thought the goaltending might hold up, but all the hype and drama has been about the forwards. I was quite thrilled when Clarke was added, because I'm jut not sure about the rest of the defense, mostly defensively. I watched one play in the last pre-season game and #2 went back for the puck in the corner. I expected him to tap the puck to his partner behind the net and instead he turned up toward the blue line and lost the puck. Simple play and he blew it. I didn't know who it was at the time, (Allen) but thought it was foolish. Zellweger is quite good offensively, as is Clarke, but I haven't seen enough of the others to judge how they're like defensively. I'm still miffed at them cutting Beck and maybe that's making me biased. Caedan Bankier has done nothing so far and he's probably the guy who beat out Beck. When management does something like that, it tends to make me lose confidence in them.

I'm not sure they took Czechia for granted. It was just ONE of those games. If we played them 6 more times, we'd win all 6 and by 3 goals minimum each game. Bounces. Sometimes the hockey gods just want to take you down a peg. That 5 minute major swung the momentum and it wasn't a good call. If any Canadian player draws a penalty on any kind of hit, they should look like they've been axed and head for the dressing room. The refs use that in their judgment calls. It's completely wrong of course, but if that's how they're going to call it, use it until they change.

I taped the game and watched some early parts but could tell right away that things were out of phase. So many near possibilities. We had a pass come from one dman to the other for a first timer on the PP and his stick explodes on the shot. Othmann (?) is on the side of the net with an open side and fails to roof the puck (how many times does this have to be hammered home?) and the goalie got his pad on it. Great save? No. Poor shot. Roy gets an early break away and doesn't quite get off the shot he wanted. Good backchecking, but not quite the execution you'd like, or the spacing you'd want.

You can't give a team life and Canada did that today. Nuff said. Germany up next and we have to bear down the next 3 games. Frankly I don't care where we finish as long as it's in the knock out stage. I love it when you beat all the good teams after a bad start.

[CentreHice]

Good points about the D, seventeen. Is it just the Dmen, or the D-zone coverage/awareness as well? On Czechia's 1st goal, nobody picked up Spacek who raced in to an open slot. We also left a straight lane to the net for their left D to fall behind 3-1.

Perhaps just "one of those games", but our entire D-zone coverage must improve. Early enough to fix that, one would hope.

[NWTHabsFan]

Kapanen won a faceoff that lead to a Kemell goal. No assist, but a big faceoff win after an icing.

And then he followed up with this beauty of his own.

[NWTHabsFan]

And Kapanen wins a faceoff on the PP, and it is 4-1 Finland. He gets an assist on that latest goal. Solid game so far. Strong on faceoffs, solid two way play, and a goal and assist.

[Willie Dog]

Wow... the Slovaks could certainly use more oomph... Slaf?

[NWTHabsFan]

Engström gets a shot through very late in the first to open the scoring. It deflects off a German player and maybe another guy, but Adam’s goal for now. Third point in four periods regardless.

[Skilly]

Dec 26, 2022 14:12:45 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

10 of the draft eligible kids to watch:

Connor Bedard, C, Canada - If you have been in a deep sleep for the last few years, you may not know anything about this 17 phenom from BC. Otherwise, watch and enjoy!

Adam Fantilli, C/W, Canada - The grad of the Chicago Steel hockey factory, he is now ripping it up at University of Michigan in the NCAA. He likely projects as a winger in the pros, but his size, speed, and great shot have him in the #2 conversation for the draft and most likely to challenge Bedard. I say, close, but no cigar.

Leo Carlsson, C, Sweden - Carlsson has moved up into pretty well the consensus top four conversations, but he likely would go third if the draft was held now. He plays against men in the SHL, and is holding his own due to size, skill, and vision.

Alex Sandin-Pellikka, RD, Sweden - After the Hlinka this summer, the top defender on lists was Cameron Allen from Canada who was great in that tournament. So was ASP, but he was nowhere to be found. Fast forward to late December and it is a total role reversal. The skilled and smooth skating RHD is now the top ranked defender on most public lists, and Allen’s slow start sees him now in second round discussion. Watch him QB the Swedish defence and see something the Habs definitely could use.

Dalibor Dvorsky, C, Slovakia - The big Slovak has been on the radar screen as a top 2023 for a while. He has slipped a bit due to a bit of average play in Allsvenskan in Sweden and the great play of other prospects. The Slovakians have a young team with some good draft eligibles to watch, lead by Dvorsky who hopefully can raise his game this tourney.

Eduard Šalé, LW, Czechia - He has enjoyed very good international success with a good past U18s and Hlinka-Gretzky. When he is on his offensive game, he is definitely in the top ten conversation. He should be a big part of Czechia’s offence.

David Reinbacher, RHD, Austria - The big mobile defender is blasting up draft charts with his great play in the Swiss league. Right now, he looks to be in the bottom third of a number of public draft lists, but that could change with an effective tourney on the weakest team in the event.

Alex Ciernik, W, Slovakia - The gifted winger is a great playmaker and should be a big part of driving the offence for the Slovakians. He already plays against men in the second tier Allsvenskan in Sweden like national team mate Dvorsky.

Charlie Stramel, W, USA - Stramel who plays at Wisconsin in the NCAA is a grad of the NTDP and definitely brings some much needed size to a smaller USA lineup. Like Brindley, he is likely going to be on the radar of teams in the bottom third of the draft.

Gavin Brindley, C/W, USA - He is a team mate of Fantilli’s at U of Michigan. He is a small and shifty offensive player who is likely on the USA’s fourth line this year. A bit of a surprise that the USA went with two college guys in Brindley and Stramel over arguably the more talented draft eligible duo from the NTDP: Smith and Leonard.

If you saw the Fantilli interview today. Then he should be getting the same treatment as Wright from Montreal management. His interview was all “I , I, I …”

[NWTHabsFan]

Rohrer is playing for Austria today and wearing the “C”.

[NWTHabsFan]

A lighter schedule today, but both games offer some Hab prospects in action:

🇸🇰 (Mešár) Vs 🇺🇸 (Hutson) 4:00pm ET TSN

🇨🇦 (Roy) Vs 🇩🇪 6:30pm ET TSN

Dave Reid had an interesting observation during one of the intermissions yesterday. The host asked him what Canada needs to do differently this game to get a better result. He basically said they all need to play like Joshua Roy has. He comes in as the league’s defending scoring champ, but just accepts his role as solid two way forward who does so many little things right every shift. Doesn’t play for himself, but plays the right way for his line and his team. He said with 20 Roy’s out there they will do fine.

Well, maybe 19 Roy’s and one Owen Beck. 😉 I saw this great post/tweet after Canada’s loss. It said something like “Canada cuts Owen Beck. Canada now Owen One.” 😆

[NWTHabsFan]

Fun fact about Tuesday’s action. Two Habs prospects had GWGs in their games: Kapanen 🇫🇮 and Engström 🇸🇪.