[GDT] Team Canada Olympic Roster Announcment (8am MT)

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Seriously, like which left wing is Kunitz bumping off that's such a travesty?

Hall
Neal
Skinner

Would any of you seriously take any of those guys over Kunitz who has instant chemistry with the best player in the tournament and is SIXTH in the league in overall scoring?

I'd take all three of them ahead of Kunitz because all three are better at hockey than Kunitz is. But that isn't really the point, because Claude Giroux, MSL and Thornton aren't on the team, and we're not picking just for position here. It's been a given since the start that natural centers would play the wing.

So, yes, I DO think that Crosby would be more productive with John Tavares on his left wing than Kunitz! I know, shocking, isn't it? This proposal would have the added bonus of allowing Canada to ice elite centre Claude Giroux elsewhere in the lineup, too!

They left three of their best players at home for three guys who are, it's not even debatable, worse at hockey. That was a mistake.

[East Coast Flame]

Duchene Crosby Stamkos
Tavares Getzlaf Perry
Benn Toews Sharp
Marleau Bergeron Nash

Kunitz Carter

God that looks so much better than having God Damn Kunitz on the first line mucking everything up.

Not sure where this revisionist history about Crosby taking time to "adjust" to players is coming from. The guy has made every player he has played with better.

[codynw]

I guarantee Crosby would rather play with Kunitz than any other player on this roster.

[moon]

Originally Posted by 19Yzerman19

They left three of their best players at home for three guys who are, it's not even debatable, worse at hockey. That was a mistake.

If guys are playing out of position then it is definitely debatable who is better at helping the team win games.

[Righteous1]

Just saw the team now..at first glance I do not like..

Nash, Marleau and Hamuis.

Has anyone attempted to assemble a team of players left off yet? (Haven't read any pages in thread yet)

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

You were laughing as well when I said the junior team had no chance too weren't you? How'd that turn out.

Russia, Sweden, Americans and possibly Finland. I see a 5th place finish for Canada.

But they did have a chance. A very good chance. They just failed.

[moon]

Originally Posted by East Coast Flame

Duchene Crosby Stamkos
Tavares Getzlaf Perry
Benn Toews Sharp
Marleau Bergeron Nash

Kunitz Carter

God that looks so much better than having God Damn Kunitz on the first line mucking everything up.

Not sure where this revisionist history about Crosby taking time to "adjust" to players is coming from. The guy has made every player he has played with better.

Marleau is worse than Kunitz not sure why he is in the line-up. Not a fan of playing Tavares on the wing either, don't see that as an upgrade upfront.

If the biggest whine is that Canada had to take the 6th leading scorer in the NHL on their team, a guy who has been a top 6 player on 2 Stanley Cup winning teams and a guy who has shown amazing chemistry with a fellow Canadian teammate then life is pretty good for the Canadian hockey fan.

[codynw]

They should just take the highest scoring players and play them out of position, completely ignoring chemistry or anything else that actually matters.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I'm suprised so many people want to put Tavares on the wing. His speed at center is too big an asset to put on the wings. Much rather have him coming up the middle than on the outside.

[automaton 3]

Duhatschek mentioned that Kunitz has familiarity playing with Getzlaf and Perry from his Anaheim days, which gives Babcock another option if he chooses to shake up the lines.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by moon

For this season Price and Luongo's numbers are right there with the other top guys and better than Lundqvist's.

Bobrovsky outside of 45 games last year is way behind the Canadian goalies and I don't Hillier comes close to beating out the 3 Canadian guys.

Price and Luongo have both shown they can be lights out and have the ability to be the best goalie in the tournament. The good thing for Canada is unlike other teams they don't need that from their goalies and only need them to be good.

I am so confused reading positivism from moon...

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I'm suprised so many people want to put Tavares on the wing. His speed at center is too big an asset to put on the wings. Much rather have him coming up the middle than on the outside.

Which center does he replace? I can't see him pushing out any of them.

[East Coast Flame]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I'm suprised so many people want to put Tavares on the wing. His speed at center is too big an asset to put on the wings. Much rather have him coming up the middle than on the outside.

I like having him on the wing as that gives Bergeron a regular shift, as opposed to making Bergeron the 13th forward

[LChoy]

TSN Suggested lines:

Forwards:
1. Kunitz - Crosby - Stamkos (pretty much everyone's top line)
2. Duchene - Toews - Sharp (2 Hawks, with Duchene who can play defensively)
3. Benn - Getzlaf - Perry (Benn is the finisher and smart to read off the 2 Ducks)
4. Marleau - Tavares - Nash (Carter can fill in at C, and Tavares can move up)
Bergeron / Carter

Defence:

Keith - Weber (shut down #1, primary D)
Bouw - Pietrangelo (Chemistry)
Vlasic - Doughty (Shut down #2)
Hamhuis - Subban (sub in when you need extra Offensive or Defense)

Special Teams: PP

#1: Piertrangelo (D), Crosby, Kunitz, Stamkos, Tavares
#2: Keith (D), Subban (D), Benn, Getzlaf, Perry

Special Teams: PK
#1: Keith (D), Weber (D), Toews, Sharp
#2: Doughty (D), Vlasic (D), Bergeron, Marleau

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

Why are they worse? Because their names aren't superstar names and some hard to pronounce? They're built like a team while Canada is built like an all star team whose pieces don't match.

No. That is what you are mad that they didn't do.

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I'm suprised so many people want to put Tavares on the wing. His speed at center is too big an asset to put on the wings. Much rather have him coming up the middle than on the outside.

Arguably Tavares's best asset offensively is his play off the boards and below the faceoff dots. It really doesn't matter which forward position he's playing in, so far as that's concerned. He's a left shot, I have no doubts about his ability to produce off the wing.

[codynw]

Why do so many people have Bergeron sitting out? Makes no sense to me whatsoever.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by codynw

Which center does he replace? I can't see him pushing out any of them.

He's easily on the crapiest team of the other players on the team, yet he's producing at an MVP level. I get that Canada is deep and he can translate to the wing easily, but outside Crosby there isn't a center playing better for Canada.

[LChoy]

Just because I was curious, the make up of Team Canada is 18 of 25 players come from the Western Conference. Subban is the only Defenceman from the East.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by fotze

Why doesn't Pittsburgh just play Malkin with Crosby the whole time, imagine the numbers.

They play on the powerplay a lot but they like having that 1-2 punch at even strength. Crosby with Kunitz, Malkin with Neal.