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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 3, 2023 12:49:07 GMT -5
The Canada USA game, to me, should come down to which team can better exploit their opponent’s defence. That seems like a pretty broad and safe generalization so let me expand a bit.
The USA have some very fast forwards. The Cooley line is on absolute fire right now and the USA will control line matchups with the last change. Canada has a big, but slow D that look at their most vulnerable when subject to speed and aggressive forecheck. Czechia did it to them on Boxing Day (along with atrocious lack of discipline and poor PK) and Slovakia did it for stretches last night. That and lights out goaltending from Gajan sent this game to OT, as Canada was not able to shut things down in their own end with the lead despite heavily outshooting Slovakia.
The Americans, by contrast, have a much more 2023 appropriate defense of mobile, puck moving guys who jump in the play and activate on offense all the time. However, they are vulnerable when they are turned around and forced back to defend. Case in point is what Slovakia did to them in group stage play. Give them time to move the puck though, and Hughes, Behrens, Ufko, Hutson, Peart and Mittlestadt are all very dangerous.
It may also come down to game plan and execution, and in game adjustments. We all have seen that Canada’s coaching staff seem rather stiff in sticking to one approach and hesitant to make “obvious” adjustments (get Beck out there to win a faceoff when the rest of the guys suck in a game). And despite Canada having a very deep offensive pool of forwards, getting five on five scoring from a line not involving Bedard has been way to hard. Those other guys have to start scoring or the USA’s last change could kill Canada.
Anyway, both teams have had erratic moments this WJC. If they are both on, this could be a beauty.
And on the other side, Sweden who was darn lucky to get past the Finns get to try and stop the consistently most dangerous team of the tournament in Czechia. If the Swedes start like they did yesterday, that game could get ugly for them.
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Post by Skilly on Jan 3, 2023 13:19:24 GMT -5
He's useless... reminds me of MTHead and Julien... What really scares me is the passivity of the PK. It gives talented players a lot of time and options with the man advantage. Czechia burnt us with it and now Canada must face a lot of American skill. If they do not stay disciplined and out of the box it won't be pretty. This coaching staff seems to fail to identify issues and fix them. The game plan reminds me of Will Farrell in Kicking and Screaming. “ What’s the game plan? Repeat after me “Give the ball puck to the Italians Bedard!” |
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Post by frozone on Jan 3, 2023 13:53:36 GMT -5
I have a bad feeling about Team Canada. Sure, we are "on-paper" strong, but I'm not seeing many offensive drivers. Our best WJHC teams always had several offensive drivers that bought into the team structure. Right now, we have Bedard and that's about it. Guenther has been good but he's more of a finisher than a generator. Stankoven and Roy have been good, but they're not exactly 1st round elite talents. The fact that Fantilli isn't buying into the team concept is really hurting us. Bedard has 21 points. The next closest is Stankoven with 9.
Way too much of our team's success is dependent on Bedard. He plays with an edge, which I love, but if I'm the USA coach I would have a gameplan to destabilize the kid and get him into penalty trouble. We know that this can be done.
One thing that we have going for us is that we are now a very recently pressure-tested club. Contrast that with the US team coming off of a very easy game, this might be a nice advantage for us going into a do-or-die game. But otherwise, I struggle to find advantages for Team Canada.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 3, 2023 15:32:32 GMT -5
You cannot win a faceoff, and the best faceoff guy in the OHL sits watching it all unfold. Nice coaching Williams. He seemed to shorten his bench as Schaefer, Bankier and Beck got very little ice time. Beck had (I think) only that one shift in the first period where he drew a penalty but I guess that wasn't enough. I don't know if the Slovak coach did the same thing, but you could tell at times that the Canadian team was tiring, and yet the 4th line got no ice time. As NWT says, you have an ace face off guy on your bench and you keep using other guys. I can appreciate that the coach prefers guys he's familiar with, and he wouldn't have a clue what Beck can do (though he should, since he had to be part of the group that selected him to replace Dach). I don't think there's an excuse other than old fashioned fear. Old style coaching. Don't take any risks, don't try anything new. The only thing that saved his butt was the usual...an exceptional player he's lucky to have on the roster. the Slovaks were no slouches, though. There were plenty of really good players besides Mesar, Nemec and Dvorsky. And, of course, their goalie stood on his head. What will be really interesting to see is if Gajan becomes Dominik Hasek or Steve Penney. It reminds me of the Olympic team game vs Latvia where we won 2-1 and it was all because of the Latvian goalie (was it Merzlikins?). If it wasn't, point made. Anyway, it turned into an exciting, heart attack threatening game. |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jan 3, 2023 16:32:29 GMT -5
What really scares me is the passivity of the PK. It gives talented players a lot of time and options with the man advantage. Czechia burnt us with it and now Canada must face a lot of American skill. If they do not stay disciplined and out of the box it won't be pretty. This coaching staff seems to fail to identify issues and fix them. The game plan reminds me of Will Farrell in Kicking and Screaming. “ What’s the game plan? Repeat after me “Give the ball puck to the Italians Bedard!”The expected dream team is now Bedard and his supporting cast. The draft of the century is now the Bedard Draft and others. I repeat my previous comment that my greatest fear is we win the first overall pick and Bedard has a bad interview and the Habs pass on him. I expected more from this junior team even if they go all the way. Waiting for Drouin to score reminds me of waiting for Haleys Comet to return. Gallagher is a great warrior but its time to retire instead of going out on your shield. Lots of untradeable pieces like the overpriced housewives of the OC that are grossly overpriced. |
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Post by seventeen on Jan 3, 2023 17:33:23 GMT -5
I One thing that we have going for us is that we are now a very recently pressure-tested club. Contrast that with the US team coming off of a very easy game, this might be a nice advantage for us going into a do-or-die game. But otherwise, I struggle to find advantages for Team Canada. That's an important point that occurred to me too. The best teams face adversity and overcome it. Those who don't face adversity may have to deal with it at the most critical time and that is risky. Also, how good is the US goaltending. Hell, if someone average had been in nets for Slovakia, that would have been a 5 goal victory. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 3, 2023 18:15:19 GMT -5
I One thing that we have going for us is that we are now a very recently pressure-tested club. Contrast that with the US team coming off of a very easy game, this might be a nice advantage for us going into a do-or-die game. But otherwise, I struggle to find advantages for Team Canada. That's an important point that occurred to me too. The best teams face adversity and overcome it. Those who don't face adversity may have to deal with it at the most critical time and that is risky. Also, how good is the US goaltending. Hell, if someone average had been in nets for Slovakia, that would have been a 5 goal victory. Augustine has not really been tested yet. Arguably, he has not been tested much yet this season as the US NTDP U18 team that plays in front of him is very strong and tends to win or tie all their games with him in net (he does not have a regulation loss yet). He is a top goalie prospect for the draft, but not sure if he has sniffed any adversity this season. I have never liked Mbereko, their older backup. If they have to go with anyone in their net than Augustine, they are hooped. It is his net to lose. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 11:29:18 GMT -5
Oh boy. 🤷♂️
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 12:22:11 GMT -5
Rohrer gets another assist on Austria’s first goal, late in the game, in a 4-1 loss that relegates them to division I next year.
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Post by Tankdriver on Jan 4, 2023 15:45:04 GMT -5
Hope Czechia beats Sweden today.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 4, 2023 15:45:35 GMT -5
I can't recall a more confusing response from a head coach than this one. "He played great, he was awesome, incredible even. I can't say enough about that minute of Beck's (Imagine Woodcroft playing McDavid for 2 shifts)". The silly thing is that it sounds like Williams believes that one minute was all they should have gotten from him. That was his slot. He needed to rest his regulars, it was risky as hell and he didn't hurt them in that one minute. I sure wouldn't hire him as a coach. |
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Post by seventeen on Jan 4, 2023 15:48:44 GMT -5
Hope Czechia beats Sweden today. Good chance after Swedenn blew that 5 on 3. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 15:59:08 GMT -5
Sweden playing a very strong, tight checking defensive team game today…but that PP looks like it is coached by Burrows.
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Post by Willie Dog on Jan 4, 2023 17:00:36 GMT -5
I can't recall a more confusing response from a head coach than this one. "He played great, he was awesome, incredible even. I can't say enough about that minute of Beck's (Imagine Woodcroft playing McDavid for 2 shifts)". The silly thing is that it sounds like Williams believes that one minute was all they should have gotten from him. That was his slot. He needed to rest his regulars, it was risky as hell and he didn't hurt them in that one minute. I sure wouldn't hire him as a coach. WTF is that... Williams is a real dick and makes you not want to cheer for Canada because a moron like that shouldn't win anything |
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Post by CentreHice on Jan 4, 2023 18:49:33 GMT -5
States out strong. 1-0. 9-0 in shots 4 minutes in.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 18:50:41 GMT -5
Owen Beck sighting.
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Post by IamCanadiens on Jan 4, 2023 19:02:17 GMT -5
Well deserved 2-0 lead. They've dominated and kept Canada to the perimeter
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 19:06:44 GMT -5
Roy wins the faceoff. Del Maestro to Bedard. And Canada needed that big time.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 4, 2023 19:10:05 GMT -5
Thats a tough play by Bedard. Elevating that pass over the goalie’s pad from that close in is real skill.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 19:13:04 GMT -5
At least Williams has figured speedy Beck can help more than “a minute” in a very fast game.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 19:14:42 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 19:18:03 GMT -5
Beck getting regular shifts with Fantilli and Bankier it looks like.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 4, 2023 19:22:53 GMT -5
Allen has been a problem this tournament. Seems a step tooslow, especially reading the play .
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 19:32:50 GMT -5
Allen has been a problem this tournament. Seems a step tooslow, especially reading the play . There are a few of them that don’t read and close the gap quickly enough. Against a fast team like the USA, not sustainable. If you are intentionally going big and a bit slower rather than mobile on D, then they better constantly punish the opposition and make them wary of venturing deep. But you still need some mobility for that. |
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Post by seventeen on Jan 4, 2023 19:44:53 GMT -5
Beck’s looking pretty good.
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Post by jkr on Jan 4, 2023 19:45:24 GMT -5
I can't recall a more confusing response from a head coach than this one. "He played great, he was awesome, incredible even. I can't say enough about that minute of Beck's (Imagine Woodcroft playing McDavid for 2 shifts)". The silly thing is that it sounds like Williams believes that one minute was all they should have gotten from him. That was his slot. He needed to rest his regulars, it was risky as hell and he didn't hurt them in that one minute. I sure wouldn't hire him as a coach. WTF is that... Williams is a real dick and makes you not want to cheer for Canada because a moron like that shouldn't win anything I read some Twitter comments & most people agree - Williams is clueless. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 4, 2023 19:48:51 GMT -5
Roy follows up his second assist with a stunning PK shift. Oh, and Beck sets up a great chance with speed and forecheck.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 4, 2023 19:50:13 GMT -5
Why do we keep giving the puck to the US? Slow down your head and hands a little and make the right play.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 4, 2023 19:51:34 GMT -5
Fantilli finalky uses that elite skill. What a roof!
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Post by seventeen on Jan 4, 2023 19:52:12 GMT -5
Allen ices it.
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