[GDT] Ongoing 2025 WJC Game Day Thread

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

This is incorrect as pointed out. But it also needs more attention because some of these stains on our country are the coaches with massive egos like Mike Babcock.

Ole Babcock was going to be the hero to bring gold back to Canada, his great system and winning ways going to teach these players. He had an agenda from day 1 to bury Iginla putting on the 4th line and turning him into a plugger.

His ego almost cost the team, but finally relenting and putting together Iginla-Crosby-Nash. And guess who wins it for us Crosby and Iginla in OT.

Babocock is trash and I am so glad he is out of the league. Some of these Canada coaches are too much.

This. I remember the first game of the olympics against Germany… pretty sure it was still 0-0 after the first period and Iginla was amongst the lowest in ice time… only seeing the last few seconds of a couple powerplays. Iginla ended up opening up the scoring for team Canada in the 2nd period once he got some real opportunity on the powerplay. Incidentally… he had a hat trick that game.

Felt like no matter how well Iginla played, Babcock had little interest in giving him ice time in those Olympics. Drove me nuts. We all found out later the weird mind games Babcock played with players throughout his career. Couldn’t help but think he did things like that in the Olympics too.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by stemit14

This. I remember the first game of the olympics against Germany… pretty sure it was still 0-0 after the first period and Iginla was amongst the lowest in ice time… only seeing the last few seconds of a couple powerplays. Iginla ended up opening up the scoring for team Canada in the 2nd period once he got some real opportunity on the powerplay. Incidentally… he had a hat trick that game.

Felt like no matter how well Iginla played, Babcock had little interest in giving him ice time in those Olympics. Drove me nuts. We all found out later the weird mind games Babcock played with players throughout his career. Couldn’t help but think he did things like that in the Olympics too.

He did. He told Iginla that he wanted him to be a 4th line grinder. One of the premier forwards in NHL at the time, who played all situations for a much better coach in Darryl Sutter, was told by Mike Babcock we need you go play 6 minutes and just hit guys.

[activeStick]

And despite Iginla being the fierce competitor he is, we know he almost certainly accepted Babcock's direction with a smile and did exactly what was asked, because he's that good of a guy.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by activeStick

And despite Iginla being the fierce competitor he is, we know he almost certainly accepted Babcock's direction with a smile and did exactly what was asked, because he's that good of a guy.

He did.

On the other hand, in 2014, Martin St. Louis threw a fit because Yzerman left him off Canada and requested a trade from Tampa.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

This is incorrect as pointed out. But it also needs more attention because some of these stains on our country are the coaches with massive egos like Mike Babcock.

Ole Babcock was going to be the hero to bring gold back to Canada, his great system and winning ways going to teach these players. He had an agenda from day 1 to bury Iginla putting on the 4th line and turning him into a plugger.

His ego almost cost the team, but finally relenting and putting together Iginla-Crosby-Nash. And guess who wins it for us Crosby and Iginla in OT.

Babocock is trash and I am so glad he is out of the league. Some of these Canada coaches are too much.

That's my point, Iginla made the team as a 4th liner, but he's still Iginla and the coach, as stubborn as he may be, still has that option later in the tournament to move Iginla up.

I brought it up because this junior team doesn't have any gamebreakers, left them at home, so that flexibility will not be available when they get stuck in the quarterfinals and beyond.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

That's my point, Iginla made the team as a 4th liner, but he's still Iginla and the coach, as stubborn as he may be, still has that option later in the tournament to move Iginla up.

I brought it up because this junior team doesn't have any gamebreakers, left them at home, so that flexibility will not be available when they get stuck in the quarterfinals and beyond.

He didn't make the team as a 4th liner. He was always projected as the #1RW.

[Karl]

Hope Kazakhstan can avoid getting blown out...

[activeStick]

Slovakia is completely dominating. Pretty passing plays.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

He didn't make the team as a 4th liner. He was always projected as the #1RW.

He played up and down that lineup all tournament and wasn't penciled in next to Crosby right away.

There was lots of discussion on Calgarypuck (and the media) at the time complaining about Babcock and him playing Iginla on the lower lines and how when Babcock would move Iginla up he was producing, only to then start the next game on the "4TH" line again.

Game 1 vs Norway: 4th line https://forum.calgarypuck.com/archiv...p?t-87145.html

Game 2 vs Switzerland: Crosby Line https://forum.calgarypuck.com/archiv...p?t-87268.html

Game 3 vs USA: 4th Line https://forum.calgarypuck.com/archiv...p?t-87145.html

It was then in the knockout round that they went to Staal-Crosby-Iginla and that seemed to stick a bit, but there were still times when Iginla was moved off the line and moved to the Toews line with Nash moving to the Crosby line, or flip with Morrow who was 13th forward that could dress.

But it's still the right point from GirlySports...outside of maybe Morrow that team didn't take any designated checkers or grinders. So you had the option to move Iginla/Bergeron/Toews/Richards (he was still P/PG great 200ft forward at this time) around the lineup as you required.

[Karl]

Kazakhstan gets on the board. 3-1.

But can they avoid giving up let's say 10 goals against to the Slovaks? That's my wonder.

[dammage79]

Go Borats!

[Tbull8]

Damn what a third period by Kazakhstan. Force ot but lose on a breakaway goal

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by devo22

even without factoring in guys like Parekh and Yakemchuk, having a guy like Bonk playing the PP QB in the first games when he never plays that in London is nuts ... and then you see his London teammate Dickinson on the roster and it just gets more insane.

if Dave Cameron had assembled the best players and had them play to their strengths, they'd waltz through this stage of the tournament. Now he has them grind down nations like Latvia and Germany ... I mean, if that's what you want to do, knock yourself out. But it should be different.

It just screams over-coaching. This is a short tournament, it's about maximizing whatever chemistry you can get in the shortest period of time. You build a system with the players you have available, you aren't building a style for a long season and a playoff push. It's making things so much harder than they need to be.

You have three London Knights players who operate a pretty good powerplay. How does a coach not look at them and use them in the roles they play there and get a couple other guys to fill in the gaps? It's not like he's shying away from over-using Cowan. Then have the audacity (!) to talk about keeping it simple.

[GirlySports]

Germans up 2-0 on Latvia. They need to win in regulation.

Latvia, imagine beating Canada and still being sent to relegation.

[GirlySports]

Latvia tie it up 2-2. 12 minutes left.

Germany must win in regulation. We could see a tied game goalie pull!

[Sandman]

Bruno Osmanis just got a stick in his left eye from a follow-through on a shot....

He's one of Latvia's best players....

[dammage79]

Now a Latvian Penalty. Hold on kids. Hold on.

[GirlySports]

Way too early to pull the goalie, that was dumb. Shorthanded team can ice it.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I don’t know if the additional benefit of the extra attacker as worth that risk when they already had the power play

[dammage79]

Omg this ending is dramatic AF. Go Latvians! Hang on bros.

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