Is building a “blue collar” team with the singular goal of competed against Canada the correct approach, now that it’s been proven to be disastrous at the World Cup?
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Good teams don’t make excuses they go out and make it right, they go out and fight.
That means there are still spots up for grabs – between Team North America, Sweden, Finland and Russian Federation – and a whole lot of jockeying for seeding.
In a game that didn’t have near the intensity or build up of last night’s World Cup of Hockey match-up between Canada and the USA. I don’t think he could even play anyway. Hull explained how all the checking in the world wasn’t going to put the puck in the net, seeming to suggest that the USA did not have sufficient scoring punch and he was 100% spot on. We don’t want to limit our role and our ability because we are the fourth line. They’re always really structured and play with a lot of poise. But this time, it was the Soviets who ran up the score, earning an 8-1 win and handing Canada what still stands to this day as its most embarrassing global loss.
Kessel had the fourth-most goals in the National Hockey League playoffs a year ago, 10, and added 12 assists.
“I feel like we let our country down, we let ourselves down”, defenseman Ryan Suter said.
For Canada, meanwhile, the first star had to be Jonathan Toews. They’ve got the puck almost all the time. It was a game where we hit a couple posts, they get some bounces and those games are going to happen against good teams.
Other offensively skilled players left off the team included Kyle Okposo, Tyler Johnson, Justin Faulk, Kevin Shattenkirk, Cam Fowler and Keith Yandle.
In fact, it sat like that, Canada leading 2-1, for the longest time, or until the Canadians caught a break of their own when Europe defenceman Roman Josi shattered his stick, trying to take a slap shot. It will help at future events to have players like Auston Matthews, Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Brandon Saad and Seth Jones, all of whom played on the 23-and-under Team North America and weren’t eligible for the US team. Canada scored the 4 goal on Price midway through the second period and later went on a power play for a delay of game. That’s right, one of the NHL’s most prolific scorers the last five years gets to get out of the press box along with his $8.275 million cap hit on his National Hockey League team and play a game.
All Toews does is win in a Team Canada sweater. “Obviously, they’re huge favorites at home, so we’ll try to surprise them”. Given that team U.S. was the first team well and truly eliminated, it remains America’s bright hope for the tournament.
Team Canada has trailed for all of 89 seconds at the World Cup of Hockey.
“Well, I think there’s a lot of pride, we’re fighting with them for first place in the pool, so there’s a lot riding on that”, responded Team Canada forward John Tavares, when asked how they avoid a letdown against Europe. That should be an exciting contest, and having made it farther than most expected, Europe will like their chances.
“I think he’s won three Stanley Cups, gold medals”. “You come into this not knowing how many more chances you’re going to get and to be out after two games is extremely disappointing”.
In each game Canada has played, from exhibition to the final preliminary game, a different player has stepped up. It’s what happened in Vancouver and Sochi.
The goal came at the high point of European resistance and even cut the Canadian lead to 2-1, but tensions never came close to even simmering.
“I thought we had a good start but gave them a couple of freebies and you just can’t do that”, said USA coach John Tortorella, who will have one more meaningless game in group play against the Czech Republic.
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TJ Oshie pulled one back late on in the tie but the damage had already been done as Canada booked their spot in the semi finals with fellow qualified Team Europe left to play to decide who wins the group. “I thought we had the assets to do better than we did, definitely“.
