[GDT] 2026 Olympics Game #4: Quarterfinals - Canada vs. Czechia

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Kidding me?

Line mates went for a change. I expected Suzuki to dump it in deep and change, but he kept possession and got it deep and kept it until help arrived

He deserves credit for not just the tip, but for making that play happen

Deserves more praise, not less

100%. And that tip was friggin' crazy - wasn't that shot going well wide?

[Enoch Root]

Best 5 players in the leagues (in no order):

McDavid
MacKinnon
Makar

are pretty indisputable. Others up for debate include:

Celebrini
Hughes
Kucherov
Draisaitl
Kaprisov
Crosby

I would choose Celebrini and Kucherov, personally, but others will have different opinions of course. None the less, the top 3 and probably 4 of the top 5 players in the world are Canadian. The US has maybe 1, and IMO, zero (I would have Hughes behind every player listed above). Yes, the US has a better overall D corp, and deeper goaltending. But as long as you're getting good goaltending, depth is irrelevant in a tournament like this.

The Canadian forward group is indisputably, and significantly better than the US. It is important to remember that ALL of the players on both teams are stars - there is little to choose from, when comparing the 6th through the 22nd players on each team. The difference is in the best players. Put McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, Celebrini and Makar against the top 5 from the US, and the difference is GLARING.

I think it's fair to say that the teams are close overall, but I don't think there is any doubt that Canada is deeper and more talented. Suggesting the US is the best team in the tournament is a pretty hot (and incorrect, IMO) take.

[Bingo]

Here's a question ....

US Women - Cdn Women <> Cdn Men - US Men

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Kidding me?

Line mates went for a change. I expected Suzuki to dump it in deep and change, but he kept possession and got it deep and kept it until help arrived

He deserves credit for not just the tip, but for making that play happen

Deserves more praise, not less

Nice little article on Suzuki's goal and head space to make those couple of plays.

Inside the Nick Suzuki decision that kept Team Canada’s Olympic hopes alive

Interesting insight both on Suzuki being motivated by his earlier mistakes and missed open net and some coaching from St. Louis:

When Suzuki was younger, when he first started working with Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis, he would regularly extend shifts to try for one more offensive opportunity. It took some time and persistence from St. Louis to get Suzuki and his regular linemate Cole Caufield to stop doing that and instead just put the puck deep and get off the ice when it was time for a change.

But when Suzuki hit that red line, he knew Stone and Marner were already close enough to the Canada bench to get the change in safely, and so he remembered something else St. Louis has been preaching to him in Montreal.

He extended his shift, yes. But he did it in a smart, calculated way, in a way that St. Louis always preaches to his players: when you have multiple options available to you, don’t simply choose a good option, choose the best option.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Here's a question ....

US Women - Cdn Women <> Cdn Men - US Men

Probably very close (unless you place a lot of weight on the difference in goaltending for the men, thus shrinking that gap)