canada ice hockey men
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You're very welcome!
It was clear that Canada came to play. Those guys are true professionals and were fully prepared for the tournament. Not only were the players ready, the coaching staff scouted out their opposition to insure that they could make any and every adjustment necessary to insure that the opponents would always be on the defensive. It was a total team effort where everyone was Super Bowl ready even though it was pre-season.
Again I say, Kudos to Canada!
Not a great game for our guys yesterday. They were out of step and let the Europeans get the best of them there for awhile until the Crosby line woke up and got things going. Steven Stamkos finally got his first goal of the game off a great pass by Getzlaf. Still, they won the game and can win the tourney on Thursday. Hope they are quicker off the mark cause Team Europe obviously has the skill to keep them on their toes and sneak the odd goal by Carey.
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey has proved to be a successful experiment by the National Hockey League and NHLPA.
The World Cup is here to stay, this much we know. How it is structured for future tournaments remains to be seen, but the introduction of ‘gimmicky’ squads Team North America and Team Europe effectively turned detractors on their heads.
Team North America, although gone too soon, provided some of the tournament’s most exciting moments. Team Europe and its mix-and-match collection of players from eight different countries surprised the field and played its way to the final versus Team Canada.
While it could be three to four years before we see another World Cup, we got to thinking about other opportunities for the NHL and NHLPA to deliver a unique tournament experience.
A modest proposal: Relaunch the Canada Cup as an all-Canadian best-on-best tournament.
Build teams based on provincial boundaries for British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, and have a pair of prairie provinces grouped together with a Saskatchewan/Manitoba squad while the Maritimes absorbs Newfoundland and Labrador to complete the field with an Atlantic team.
Like initial personnel announcements for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, we've identified a total of 16 players per team to be named to preliminary rosters for a provincial best-on-best tournament if it were to start today.
Team British Columbia
The Pacific Province lays claim to the best goaltender in the world in Carey Price, and boasts a solid defence corps in front of him. One-time Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Benn leads a group of forwards that features a good mix of size and skill.
G Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
G Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks
G Andrew Hammond, Ottawa Senators
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
D Tyson Barrie, Colorado Avalanche
D Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks
D Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs
D Dan Hamhuis, Dallas Stars
D Cody Franson, Buffalo Sabres
F Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers
F Ryan Johansen, Nashville Predators
F Milan Lucic, Edmonton Oilers
F Andrew Ladd, New York Islanders
F Sam Reinhart, Buffalo Sabres
F Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres
Team Alberta
If there's an immediate weakness to Team Alberta it's between the pipes. Without a true No. 1 goaltender to carry into this fantasy tournament, it's on Winnipeg Jets prospect Eric Comrie to earn some playing time in the NHL. It's a veteran group.
Also, an opportunity for Taylor Hall to win something in his home province.
G Chad Johnson, Calgary Flames
G Ben Scrivens, HC Dinamo Minsk (KHL)
D Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
D Mike Green, Detroit Red Wings
D Dion Phaneuf, Ottawa Senators
D Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis Blues
D Johnny Boychuk, New York Islanders
F Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils
F Jarome Iginla, Colorado Avalanche
F Shane Doan, Arizona Coyotes
F Bryan Little, Winnipeg Jets
F Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Ennis, Buffalo Sabres
F Clarke MacArthur, Ottawa Senators
F Jay Beagle, Washington Capitals
F Joffrey Lupul, Toronto Maple Leafs
Team Saskatoba
Team Prairies features a Vezina Trophy winner in goal with Braden Holtby, not to mention a one-time nominee in Devan Dubnyk to back him up. There's no shortage of big-time tournament experience here with the likes of Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Ryan Getzlaf, and Patrick Marleau on board.
G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild
G James Reimer, Florida Panthers
D Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
D Ryan Murray, Columbus Blue Jackets
D Travis Hamonic, New York Islanders
D Michael Stone, Arizona Coyotes
F Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
F Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks
F Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators
F Jordan Eberle, Edmonton Oilers
F Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
F Patrick Sharp, Dallas Stars
F Max Domi, Arizona Coyotes
F Jaden Schwartz, St. Louis Blues
F Alexander Steen, St. Louis Blues
Team Ontario
Too. Much. Talent. Any opportunity to expand the field in this hypothetical tournament goes through Ontario, where the possibilities include splitting the province into Southern/Northern squads, or a Greater Toronto Area team. Whatever the case, we're looking at a team that could stand in for Team Canada.
G Brian Elliott, Calgary Flames
G Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
D Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
D P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators
D T.J. Brodie, Calgary Flames
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
D Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F John Tavares, New York Islanders
F Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
F Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings
F Ryan O'Reilly, Buffalo Sabres
F Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
Team Quebec
Regardez! La Belle Province is shaping up to be the trendy sleeper pick of the re-launched Canada Cup. Great goaltending, multiple puck-moving types on the blue line, and forward unit that can hold its own in all three zones.
G Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers
G Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
G Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
D Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose Sharks
D Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
D Jason Demers, Florida Panthers
D Francois Beauchemin, Colorado Avalanche
F Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Derick Brassard, Ottawa Senators
F Mathieu Perreault, Winnipeg Jets
F Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Alexandre Burrows, Vancouver Canucks
F P.A. Parenteau, New York Islanders
F Anthony Duclair, Arizona Coyotes
F Mike Ribeiro, Nashville Predators
Team Atlantic
Lord tunderin' Jaysus byes! What Team Atlantic lacks in depth it makes up for in blow-your-hair back top-end elite talent up front. You really want to bet against Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon putting this team on their backs and carrying it to the final? Heck, Brad Marchand can spear his way through the field if necessary.
G Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues
D Adam McQuaid, Boston Bruins
D Andrew MacDonald, Philadelphia Flyers
D Brandon Gormley, Colorado Avalanche
D Morgan Ellis, Montreal Canadiens
D Adam Pardy, UFA
F Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
F Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
F Alex Killorn, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Brad Malone, Washington Capitals
F Steve Ott, Detroit Red Wings
F Colin Greening, Toronto Maple Leafs
F Logan Shaw, Florida Panthers
F Teddy Purcell, Los Angeles Kings
F Eric Boulton, New York Islanders
Scott Lewis September 28, 2016, 12:16 PM
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/world-cup-of-hockey/provincial-best-best-canada-cup-look-like/
I am so onside with this idea. I really hope it gets off the ground.
The World Cup is here to stay, this much we know. How it is structured for future tournaments remains to be seen, but the introduction of ‘gimmicky’ squads Team North America and Team Europe effectively turned detractors on their heads.
Team North America, although gone too soon, provided some of the tournament’s most exciting moments. Team Europe and its mix-and-match collection of players from eight different countries surprised the field and played its way to the final versus Team Canada.
While it could be three to four years before we see another World Cup, we got to thinking about other opportunities for the NHL and NHLPA to deliver a unique tournament experience.
A modest proposal: Relaunch the Canada Cup as an all-Canadian best-on-best tournament.
Build teams based on provincial boundaries for British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, and have a pair of prairie provinces grouped together with a Saskatchewan/Manitoba squad while the Maritimes absorbs Newfoundland and Labrador to complete the field with an Atlantic team.
Like initial personnel announcements for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, we've identified a total of 16 players per team to be named to preliminary rosters for a provincial best-on-best tournament if it were to start today.
Team British Columbia
The Pacific Province lays claim to the best goaltender in the world in Carey Price, and boasts a solid defence corps in front of him. One-time Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Benn leads a group of forwards that features a good mix of size and skill.
G Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
G Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks
G Andrew Hammond, Ottawa Senators
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
D Tyson Barrie, Colorado Avalanche
D Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks
D Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs
D Dan Hamhuis, Dallas Stars
D Cody Franson, Buffalo Sabres
F Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers
F Ryan Johansen, Nashville Predators
F Milan Lucic, Edmonton Oilers
F Andrew Ladd, New York Islanders
F Sam Reinhart, Buffalo Sabres
F Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres
Team Alberta
If there's an immediate weakness to Team Alberta it's between the pipes. Without a true No. 1 goaltender to carry into this fantasy tournament, it's on Winnipeg Jets prospect Eric Comrie to earn some playing time in the NHL. It's a veteran group.
Also, an opportunity for Taylor Hall to win something in his home province.
G Chad Johnson, Calgary Flames
G Ben Scrivens, HC Dinamo Minsk (KHL)
D Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
D Mike Green, Detroit Red Wings
D Dion Phaneuf, Ottawa Senators
D Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis Blues
D Johnny Boychuk, New York Islanders
F Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils
F Jarome Iginla, Colorado Avalanche
F Shane Doan, Arizona Coyotes
F Bryan Little, Winnipeg Jets
F Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Ennis, Buffalo Sabres
F Clarke MacArthur, Ottawa Senators
F Jay Beagle, Washington Capitals
F Joffrey Lupul, Toronto Maple Leafs
Team Saskatoba
Team Prairies features a Vezina Trophy winner in goal with Braden Holtby, not to mention a one-time nominee in Devan Dubnyk to back him up. There's no shortage of big-time tournament experience here with the likes of Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Ryan Getzlaf, and Patrick Marleau on board.
G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild
G James Reimer, Florida Panthers
D Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
D Ryan Murray, Columbus Blue Jackets
D Travis Hamonic, New York Islanders
D Michael Stone, Arizona Coyotes
F Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
F Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks
F Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators
F Jordan Eberle, Edmonton Oilers
F Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
F Patrick Sharp, Dallas Stars
F Max Domi, Arizona Coyotes
F Jaden Schwartz, St. Louis Blues
F Alexander Steen, St. Louis Blues
Team Ontario
Too. Much. Talent. Any opportunity to expand the field in this hypothetical tournament goes through Ontario, where the possibilities include splitting the province into Southern/Northern squads, or a Greater Toronto Area team. Whatever the case, we're looking at a team that could stand in for Team Canada.
G Brian Elliott, Calgary Flames
G Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
D Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
D P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators
D T.J. Brodie, Calgary Flames
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
D Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F John Tavares, New York Islanders
F Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
F Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings
F Ryan O'Reilly, Buffalo Sabres
F Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
Team Quebec
Regardez! La Belle Province is shaping up to be the trendy sleeper pick of the re-launched Canada Cup. Great goaltending, multiple puck-moving types on the blue line, and forward unit that can hold its own in all three zones.
G Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers
G Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
G Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
D Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose Sharks
D Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
D Jason Demers, Florida Panthers
D Francois Beauchemin, Colorado Avalanche
F Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Derick Brassard, Ottawa Senators
F Mathieu Perreault, Winnipeg Jets
F Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Alexandre Burrows, Vancouver Canucks
F P.A. Parenteau, New York Islanders
F Anthony Duclair, Arizona Coyotes
F Mike Ribeiro, Nashville Predators
Team Atlantic
Lord tunderin' Jaysus byes! What Team Atlantic lacks in depth it makes up for in blow-your-hair back top-end elite talent up front. You really want to bet against Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon putting this team on their backs and carrying it to the final? Heck, Brad Marchand can spear his way through the field if necessary.
G Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues
D Adam McQuaid, Boston Bruins
D Andrew MacDonald, Philadelphia Flyers
D Brandon Gormley, Colorado Avalanche
D Morgan Ellis, Montreal Canadiens
D Adam Pardy, UFA
F Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
F Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
F Alex Killorn, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Brad Malone, Washington Capitals
F Steve Ott, Detroit Red Wings
F Colin Greening, Toronto Maple Leafs
F Logan Shaw, Florida Panthers
F Teddy Purcell, Los Angeles Kings
F Eric Boulton, New York Islanders
Scott Lewis September 28, 2016, 12:16 PM
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/world-cup-of-hockey/provincial-best-best-canada-cup-look-like/
I am so onside with this idea. I really hope it gets off the ground.
THIS IS OUR THRONE
AND TONIGHT IS OUR NIGHT
I BELIEVE! :canada:
GO CANADA GO!!!!!!!!!!!
AND TONIGHT IS OUR NIGHT
I BELIEVE! :canada:
GO CANADA GO!!!!!!!!!!!
I am just gobsmacked by how Team Europe is outplaying our guys. They have the first and only goal so far. Our PP gave up two break-aways. They have to wake up. Kudos to Team Europe they are playing a fabulous game.
End of the 2nd P and it's still 1 zip Team Europe who are doing their utmost to prove that they deserve the Throne of hockey. They are playing much better than our guys tonight. We keep giving up the puck and the best chance we had at a goal by Tavarres hit the post.......it's one of those nights. Halak is just outstanding as is Carey - if it weren't for him the score would be much higher for Team Europe. Great game, great hockey. Hope our guys can find a way past Halak.
Finally.................we tied the game with just over 2 minutes to go in the 3rd. Took a PP but we did it.
Team Europe is getting a PP with 1:50 left in the P
Europe is on the PP and Canada just a got a short-handed goal!!!! WE WON!!!! I really can't believe it .............looked like it was Team Europe all the way...........they outplayed us, they out-shot us and somehow we won.
Huge Kudos to Team Europe............outstanding simply outstanding team.
And the hero of the game is ............wait for it..............BRAD MARCHAND...........what a tournament and what a huge goal for Team Canada. Kudos Brad........you done good kid.
The MVP award goes to .............Sidney Crosby. He didn't have a great game tonight but he's the tournaments highest scorer and holds the most points so he's well deserving of the award.
With this win Mike Babcock just entered the newly minted quadruple Gold Medal coaches club. Congrats to the one of the greatest coaches Team Canada has ever had.
Canada is now the holder of every single World title in the game of hockey. Not too shabby for our little nation.
Team Europe is getting a PP with 1:50 left in the P
Europe is on the PP and Canada just a got a short-handed goal!!!! WE WON!!!! I really can't believe it .............looked like it was Team Europe all the way...........they outplayed us, they out-shot us and somehow we won.
Huge Kudos to Team Europe............outstanding simply outstanding team.
And the hero of the game is ............wait for it..............BRAD MARCHAND...........what a tournament and what a huge goal for Team Canada. Kudos Brad........you done good kid.
The MVP award goes to .............Sidney Crosby. He didn't have a great game tonight but he's the tournaments highest scorer and holds the most points so he's well deserving of the award.
With this win Mike Babcock just entered the newly minted quadruple Gold Medal coaches club. Congrats to the one of the greatest coaches Team Canada has ever had.
Canada is now the holder of every single World title in the game of hockey. Not too shabby for our little nation.
:canada:
Team Canada’s Patrice Bergeron celebrates his goal against Team Europe with teammates Brent Burns and Steven Stamkos during third period World Cup of Hockey finals action in Toronto on Thursday night. (Frank Gunn/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Canada scores two down the stretch to beat Europe, win World Cup
Eric Duhatschek
TORONTO — The Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Sep. 29, 2016 10:53PM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Sep. 29, 2016 11:24PM EDT
Until the final night, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey felt more like a coronation than a competition. Canada was trying to duplicate its undefeated gold-medal run at the Sochi Olympics with another romp through the World Cup field.
But Europe had other ideas and for more than 57 minutes, gave the Canadians all they could handle. A hybrid team made up of players from eight of the lesser hockey nations played with the powerful Canadians, shift to shift, stride for stride.
In the end, however, the Canadians found a way, as they always seem to do. Patrice Bergeron scored a power-play goal with only 2:53 to go in regulation to tie the game for Canada and then his Boston Bruins’ linemate Brad Marchand scored the winner – short-handed – with 43.1 seconds on the clock to give Canada a heart-stopping 2-1 victory.
It was Canada’s 16th consecutive win in best-on-best competition and gave Canada the best-of-three final series in two consecutive games.
But Europe proved to be a worthy opponent that played a smart, organized, poised game, doing to Canada what Canada had done to pretty much everybody else previously the tournament.
Of course, any team that took Europe lightly did so at their own peril, right from the tournament opener, where it defeated the United States and started the Americans on a downward spiral and an early exit from the tournament.
A first-period goal by Zdeno Chara got the Europeans on the board and from there, they did a good job of frustrating Canada’s high-octane offence.
Europe coach Ralph Krueger promised that his team would clean up the handful of turnovers that ultimately cost it in a 3-1 loss two nights earlier, and the Europeans mostly did just that, until the bitter end.
Chara, who made one of those egregious errors (which led to the winning goal by Steven Stamkos) played yeoman’s minutes alongside fellow Slovak Andrej Sekera.
Canada had only trailed twice previously in the tournament and on both those occasions, managed to get the tying goal on the board in two minutes or less. This time, it took longer, which also made the finish sweeter, not exactly the same drama of Sidney Crosby’s golden goal in the 2010 gold-medal game – but close.
Until the fabulous finish, which raised the decibel level at the Air Canada Center to its highest levels of the tournament, the single word to describe Canada’s overall performance here was probably clinical. The Canadians were clinical in their approach, clinical in their execution.
They adhered closely to the system installed by coach Mike Babcock and his highly decorated crew of assistants, getting contributions from throughout their line-up.
They were greater than the sum of the individual parts, no mean feat when you consider the individual parts were all pretty good.
Krueger described Canada as a team with four No. 1 lines, and it wasn’t an exaggeration or hyperbole, although the one, led by Crosby, was the most dominant of the group.
Crosby, Bergeron and Marchand combined for 22 scoring points in five games going into the finale; and added the two decisive goals when it mattered most. Crosby was chosen the tournament’s MVP.
One of the strengths of Canada’s team throughout this event – and in the past couple of best-on-best competitions – was having the patience not to panic when they were being thwarted by a quick defensively sound opponent. That poise bubbled to the surface again, with the game on the line.
All that’s left now is to dissect what happened and what can be better next time.
The next best-on-best on the international hockey calendar is the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeonchang, South Korea and earlier this week, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he expected a decision, one way or another, by the end of the calendar year.
Currently, the International Ice Hockey Federation and president Rene Fasel is acting as the intermediary between the NHL and the International Olympic Committee, which wants to amend the parameters of the NHL’s participation this time around, and not pay the costs associated with transporting 175 or so of its players to Asia or insuring billions of dollars of contracts.
The matter is stuck in an accounting black hole, a negotiation that could go down to the wire.
The only thing for certain is that the World Cup will not come back in its current format in four years. The appetite, even amongst the players, for a Team North America and a Team Europe, is limited, though both proved to be fun to watch and extremely competitive collections of talent.
But the resistance to hybrid teams seemed to increase as the event moved along and several players have said they are more comfortable wearing the flags of their country rather than the symbols of a continent.
Toronto is one of the largest hockey markets in the world, but the competition for the sports dollar was divided here this month, with the Toronto Blue Jays in a playoff hunt. The small gathering for the viewing party on the first night of the final was discouraging. Bad weather permitted the league to cancel Thursday night’s event, and it was probably a good thing.
Follow Eric Duhatschek on Twitter: @eduhatschek
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/canada-scores-two-down-the-stretch-to-beat-europe-win-world-cup/article32160479/
Canada scores two down the stretch to beat Europe, win World Cup
Eric Duhatschek
TORONTO — The Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Sep. 29, 2016 10:53PM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Sep. 29, 2016 11:24PM EDT
Until the final night, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey felt more like a coronation than a competition. Canada was trying to duplicate its undefeated gold-medal run at the Sochi Olympics with another romp through the World Cup field.
But Europe had other ideas and for more than 57 minutes, gave the Canadians all they could handle. A hybrid team made up of players from eight of the lesser hockey nations played with the powerful Canadians, shift to shift, stride for stride.
In the end, however, the Canadians found a way, as they always seem to do. Patrice Bergeron scored a power-play goal with only 2:53 to go in regulation to tie the game for Canada and then his Boston Bruins’ linemate Brad Marchand scored the winner – short-handed – with 43.1 seconds on the clock to give Canada a heart-stopping 2-1 victory.
It was Canada’s 16th consecutive win in best-on-best competition and gave Canada the best-of-three final series in two consecutive games.
But Europe proved to be a worthy opponent that played a smart, organized, poised game, doing to Canada what Canada had done to pretty much everybody else previously the tournament.
Of course, any team that took Europe lightly did so at their own peril, right from the tournament opener, where it defeated the United States and started the Americans on a downward spiral and an early exit from the tournament.
A first-period goal by Zdeno Chara got the Europeans on the board and from there, they did a good job of frustrating Canada’s high-octane offence.
Europe coach Ralph Krueger promised that his team would clean up the handful of turnovers that ultimately cost it in a 3-1 loss two nights earlier, and the Europeans mostly did just that, until the bitter end.
Chara, who made one of those egregious errors (which led to the winning goal by Steven Stamkos) played yeoman’s minutes alongside fellow Slovak Andrej Sekera.
Canada had only trailed twice previously in the tournament and on both those occasions, managed to get the tying goal on the board in two minutes or less. This time, it took longer, which also made the finish sweeter, not exactly the same drama of Sidney Crosby’s golden goal in the 2010 gold-medal game – but close.
Until the fabulous finish, which raised the decibel level at the Air Canada Center to its highest levels of the tournament, the single word to describe Canada’s overall performance here was probably clinical. The Canadians were clinical in their approach, clinical in their execution.
They adhered closely to the system installed by coach Mike Babcock and his highly decorated crew of assistants, getting contributions from throughout their line-up.
They were greater than the sum of the individual parts, no mean feat when you consider the individual parts were all pretty good.
Krueger described Canada as a team with four No. 1 lines, and it wasn’t an exaggeration or hyperbole, although the one, led by Crosby, was the most dominant of the group.
Crosby, Bergeron and Marchand combined for 22 scoring points in five games going into the finale; and added the two decisive goals when it mattered most. Crosby was chosen the tournament’s MVP.
One of the strengths of Canada’s team throughout this event – and in the past couple of best-on-best competitions – was having the patience not to panic when they were being thwarted by a quick defensively sound opponent. That poise bubbled to the surface again, with the game on the line.
All that’s left now is to dissect what happened and what can be better next time.
The next best-on-best on the international hockey calendar is the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeonchang, South Korea and earlier this week, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he expected a decision, one way or another, by the end of the calendar year.
Currently, the International Ice Hockey Federation and president Rene Fasel is acting as the intermediary between the NHL and the International Olympic Committee, which wants to amend the parameters of the NHL’s participation this time around, and not pay the costs associated with transporting 175 or so of its players to Asia or insuring billions of dollars of contracts.
The matter is stuck in an accounting black hole, a negotiation that could go down to the wire.
The only thing for certain is that the World Cup will not come back in its current format in four years. The appetite, even amongst the players, for a Team North America and a Team Europe, is limited, though both proved to be fun to watch and extremely competitive collections of talent.
But the resistance to hybrid teams seemed to increase as the event moved along and several players have said they are more comfortable wearing the flags of their country rather than the symbols of a continent.
Toronto is one of the largest hockey markets in the world, but the competition for the sports dollar was divided here this month, with the Toronto Blue Jays in a playoff hunt. The small gathering for the viewing party on the first night of the final was discouraging. Bad weather permitted the league to cancel Thursday night’s event, and it was probably a good thing.
Follow Eric Duhatschek on Twitter: @eduhatschek
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/canada-scores-two-down-the-stretch-to-beat-europe-win-world-cup/article32160479/
congratulations to team Canada, now lets get on with the season, this tournament
must be held at a different time of the year next time, sept doesn't make sense to me.
February during the all star break time would be good, unless it is an Olympic year.
must be held at a different time of the year next time, sept doesn't make sense to me.
February during the all star break time would be good, unless it is an Olympic year.
Saturday will be a fun day for me and my daughter. We're going to the NBA game Golden State Warriors vs Toronto Raptors. Our seats are 19 rows behind the Golden State bench. My daughter is a huge Warriors fan. This is her dream team. Following that we're going to the Lions game. Can't wait.
Didn't know where else to put this and saw no point in starting a new thread.
Canada just won the Spengler Cup for the 2nd year in a row. Zach Fucale was outstanding in net for Canada. It is the 14th time that Team Canada has won the trophy which ties them with Davos for most wins.
This is not a popular tournament with many Canadians but I like watching it as it pits well established European teams against a Canadian team that is pulled together specifically for the tournament but with no prior team play. Our Canadians showed their metal throughout the tournie with only 1 loss.
ROCK ON TEAM CANADA....................GREAT WIN GUYS!
Canada just won the Spengler Cup for the 2nd year in a row. Zach Fucale was outstanding in net for Canada. It is the 14th time that Team Canada has won the trophy which ties them with Davos for most wins.
This is not a popular tournament with many Canadians but I like watching it as it pits well established European teams against a Canadian team that is pulled together specifically for the tournament but with no prior team play. Our Canadians showed their metal throughout the tournie with only 1 loss.
ROCK ON TEAM CANADA....................GREAT WIN GUYS!
Canada just beat France 3 - 2. The guys are now 4 - 0. GO CANADA, GO!
So, spammie..........how many NHL players whose teams have been eliminated do you think are headed over to the Worlds? Think we will see Ovi, Henrik, and a few Canadians pop up on the teams?
So, spammie..........how many NHL players whose teams have been eliminated do you think are headed over to the Worlds? Think we will see Ovi, Henrik, and a few Canadians pop up on the teams?
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after this last game they could use more players from the eliminated teams. :shock:
