[GDT] Jan 5 - WJC Medal Games - Bronze: CAN vs RUS (7AM MT) & Gold: SWE vs FIN (11AM MT)

[Textcritic]

Excellent.

Suck it, Sweden.

[-TC-]

I'm sorry I missed the GM game, it sounds like it was awesome

[Calgary4LIfe]

I think too many Canadian kids just failed to really show up for whatever reason. The top line players played fine - top two lines I thought. Gauthier - aside from his faceoffs - I thought was fairly invisible. Anderson, Leir, Rychel and Hudon - I thought they just didn't step their game up. Yes, they were chosen for something other than offence, but I think in a tournament like this you need depth scoring. They simply didn't do it.

The entire team seemed hesitant and scared.

[SHOGUN]

TT played both on the PP and PK for Finland... that's all I have to say.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Kipru

Honestly I never understood why you Canadians and americans are making such a big fuzz about Junior WC'S.

I think it's a combination of things, and you really have to look back to the late-80s and early-90s for a lot of the reasons...

Back then, there was a significantly lower amount of hockey on tv than there is now. The World Jrs take place between Christmas and New Year's, so it's at a time when a lot of Canadians have time off, and it was a consistent source of televised hockey at the time.

Also, back then, there was hardly any junior hockey on tv, so this was also a chance to see players who were recently drafted actually playing. Now, within ten minutes of a kid getting drafted, someone has posted a YouTube video of his highlights, but 20 years ago, if a kid was playing in the Quebec league, he might as well be invisible to a fan in western Canada. If a kid was from Europe, you'd never have a chance of ever seeing a highlight.

Another factor is that 20-25 years ago, this was really the only annual "best vs best" hockey tournament in the world. The World Championships didn't have the best NHLers; the Olympics didn't have any NHLers; and the Canada Cup was held infrequently, whenever Alan Eagleson needed to steal some money from the players.

In 1987, there was the infamous "Punch-up in Piestany" which really fueled the "everyone is out to get Canada" mentality that existed (some would say still exists) in Canadian hockey circles. So, the level of interest for the 1988 tournament (held in Moscow) was very high across Canada. It was the first of 8 gold medals in a 10 year period. In 1991, Canada won gold for the first time on Canadian soil, and it's been a New Year's ritual ever since.


Now, it has become ingrained in Canadian culture, and TSN and the sponsors play that up for all it's worth.

[Resolute 14]

Also, junior hockey has been big in Canada for as long as hockey's been played. For whatever reason, we've always preferred the juniors to minor pros in most cases, and that has been true for a century. So we had the basis for it, the Punch-Up in Piestany made people take notice, and TSN did what TSN does.

[The Swedish Flame]

Originally Posted by Yamer

It also, apparently, had Olympic quality ratings in Sweden this year.

I think it's awesome that so much attention is paid to this tournament not only in NA, but also in countries like Sweden.

144k in total attendance over the tournament. A new record for the WJCs in Europe.

[stemit14]

This was the poorest performance I've seen from team canada in a long time... The last few years, their weakness has been goaltending. Plain and simple. When they out chance their opponents by a 2 or 3-to-1 margin and still lose, it's pretty obvious the other teams goaltender vastly outplayed ours... But this year, our goaltending was fine but our team game was terrible. This team had very little dominating puck possession the entire tournament. Much of the games they won were due to skill alone from a select few players and not due to the usual unending pressure and offensive cycle game that canada has done in the past.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by The Swedish Flame

144k in total attendance over the tournament. A new record for the WJCs in Europe.

They've got a long way to go to compete with North America's 444K record.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Originally Posted by Kipru

Great day for Finland. Its always nice to beat Sweden but more importantly we made it to the Volleyball World Championships. Honestly I never understood why you Canadians and americans are making such a big fuzz about Junior WC'S. Who won the junior soccer world championships, nobody knows, not even in Brazil. Or in Basketball, nobody, not even in Lithuania. These are just bunch of kids playing each other and the result is more random than a explosion in a Helsinki alpha-bits factory. Nevetheless, maybe I will take a second Koskenkorva for the Hockey Juniors and a third Ardberg for the Volleyball Team. Go Talvisota go go!

This post gave me a wild ride of emotions. I didn't expect half of what you said. Alpha-Bits, world junior soccer, happy about volleyball?

[The Swedish Flame]

Originally Posted by Yoho

They've got a long way to go to compete with North America's 444K record.

Oh no! Whatever shall we do!

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

I think Bob is dead on the money - The Canadian team looked paralyzed out there against Finland yesterday (as in scared to make a mistake). You can't play well when you're tighter than a snare drum.

Sounds like a Brent Sutter coached team to me

[Hockeyguy15]

Sutter deflecting blame?

http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/01/05...to-team-canada

I still am in the camp that thinks they picked the wrong players, and shouldn't have invited less players in the first place.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Sutter deflecting blame?

http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/01/05...to-team-canada

I still am in the camp that thinks they picked the wrong players, and shouldn't have invited less players in the first place.

I agree with him.

[moon]

In 2012, the draft the majority of the 95 births would go in, the highest Canadian forward taken was Tom Wilson at 18th and he is no offensive superstar.

I am not sure if it is a whole Canadian problem because we have produced a ton of top level talent lately, more than any other country still, but for that 95 year there certainly was an issue and it was a down year for Canada. Much like how the 1985 was a ridiculous year for Canadian hockey talent.

People whined about taking too many guys the previous years and inviting guys that weren't going to make it now they invited to few guys. Finland invited a few guys and it worked for them. US invited a few guys last year it worked for them. Canada invited a big number and it worked in the past. Last year they invited a big number and it didn't work. The camp make-up likely means very little at the end of the day.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by moon

In 2012, the draft the majority of the 95 births would go in, the highest Canadian forward taken was Tom Wilson at 18th and he is no offensive superstar.

I am not sure if it is a whole Canadian problem because we have produced a ton of top level talent lately, more than any other country still, but for that 95 year there certainly was an issue and it was a down year for Canada. Much like how the 1985 was a ridiculous year for Canadian hockey talent.

People whined about taking too many guys the previous years and inviting guys that weren't going to make it now they invited to few guys. Finland invited a few guys and it worked for them. US invited a few guys last year it worked for them. Canada invited a big number and it worked in the past. Last year they invited a big number and it didn't work. The camp make-up likely means very little at the end of the day.

To be fair... in 1995 there were 8 defensemen taking in the top 10. Just doesn't look like a great year for forwards in general.

[mikeecho]

The only reason there was a lack of skill is because Brent and his group decided not to bring the skill, but that's what happens when you're hell bent on winning games 2-1 as opposed to 4-3.

On the flip side, the skill players that were on the team didn't look much the part. To me, that is on the coaches re: motivation, systems, preparation, so yes I think Brent is doing some serious deflecting.

[Stay Golden]

Too many Canadian kids played like they thought the competition would just roll over for them and Sutters PP was a joke. Very little movement too much emphasis on fixed positions.
Only saw the last 2 games and I didn't notice many fwds fighting through the checks and just simply chose to play on the outside and had very little presence in front of the goalie.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I think too many Canadian kids just failed to really show up for whatever reason. The top line players played fine - top two lines I thought. Gauthier - aside from his faceoffs - I thought was fairly invisible. Anderson, Leir, Rychel and Hudon - I thought they just didn't step their game up. Yes, they were chosen for something other than offence, but I think in a tournament like this you need depth scoring. They simply didn't do it.

The entire team seemed hesitant and scared.

Yeah these guys were brought to bring energy, and they failed to do that all tournament, and I think a lack of energy was something the team suffered from all tournament.

[MissTeeks]

Sounds like Dumba is going to be assigned to Portland:

“@Russostrib: As of now, Matt Dumba hasn't officially been assigned to Portland, but sounds like it's close. #mnwild GM Chuck Fletcher "leaning that way"”