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World Cup

Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:22 pm
by TheLionKing
Canada opened the tournament with a resounding 6-0 victory over the Czech Republic. Carey Price got the shutout. In an upset, Team Europe shut out Team USA 3-0

Re: World Cup

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 5:23 pm
by BC 1988
I'm gradually getting interested in this, but it's been difficult. They started promoting it a year ago, and it just sounded so money-grab with the made up Team North America and Team Europe (and the ridiculous logos and unis for both). Also I kind of resent the NHL passing it off as a suitable replacement for the league's participation in the Olympics. The last thing that reduced my interest was the memory of 2004, which was all the hockey we saw in a thrown away lockout season.

Despite the lack of real Nation vs Nation competition, I'll pvr it and watch all the games. Do I cheer for the veteran Canada squad, the -23 Team NA (which is 11 out of 23 CDN)? Or maybe I should hope Sweden and Team Europe go home early, to give the 4 and 2 Canucks on those teams a chance of getting ready for the season injury-free? The organizers in the Centre of the Universe are sure hoping that happens too, there will be zero interest if Canada, USA, and Team NA are all eliminated before Oct 1st.

One thing that changed the vibe of this from All-Star-Game novelty is the fierce (some say dirty) play of Kesler in the exhibition games.

Re: World Cup

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 9:20 pm
by TheLionKing
I can't see how this can pass as a replacement for the Olympics. Tonight Team America defeated the Finns 4-1.

Re: World Cup

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:23 pm
by TheLionKing
Canada defeated their arch rival USA 4-2 in a fast paced entertaining game. With the loss the US is eliminated from the playoffs.

Re: World Cup

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 8:14 pm
by TheLionKing
Team USA finished the tournament winless, losing to Czech Republic 4-3 tonight. Canada meets Russia Saturday in the semi final

Re: World Cup

Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 3:51 pm
by BC 1988
The Best of Three final is set to begin Tuesday. Canada being there is no real surprise, since they easily swept away Russia last night 5-3. It was closer than it should have been through 2 periods.

The huge upset is Team Europe being the other finalist, after sending Sweden's heavily favored team packing 3-2 (with a goal that was ruled fair but may have been kicked in) in OT today. The 4 SWE Canucks get an extra week of training camp, when they'd much rather be playing for the Cup.

There was no one cheering for Europe in the ACC today, when the game was over it was like a tomb. Luckily for the organizers CAN advances, but it would have been more interesting Best on Best vs SWE. The round robin game vs Europe was an easy 4-1 victory, outshooting them 46-20, but we saw what Halak did today.

As far as this novelty team format of Team NA and Team EUR, I can't see the USA allowing that if there is another WC. If USA had Gostisbehere, Matthews, Eichel, Saad, and Gaudreau in their lineup, they would probably have made it out of the round robin. (Of course that depends on how badly managed the talent is).

Throughout this tournament, the broadcast team are discussing the NHL in 2018 South Korea and how there is no progress being made. (Maybe playing hard to get is just a ploy to get more money by the league). There's no way anyone except Canadian fans would be happy to have the WC in lieu of that. US TV ratings are completely in the tank. Ironically, the players really do want the 2 week Olympic break.
http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2 ... 67784.html

As an aside, the Scotiabank 5th Season ads of kids reenacting Bobby Orr 1970 Stanley Cup, Paul Henderson 1972 Game 8 Summit Series, Mario Lemieux 1991 Stanley Cup and Lanny McDonald 1989 Stanley Cup is well done. This article shows the attention to detail they went to in it's production.
http://www.thestable.com.au/gary-freedm ... come-true/

The only issue I have with it would be how unlikely kids of that age in 2016 would be to do this. I am old enough to remember seeing all the goals depicted live (I was just becoming a hockey fan in 1970) but I think Crosby Olympics 2010 would have made a lot more sense for today's kids.

Re: World Cup

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:50 pm
by sj-roc
BC 1988 wrote:The only issue I have with it would be how unlikely kids of that age in 2016 would be to do this. I am old enough to remember seeing all the goals depicted live (I was just becoming a hockey fan in 1970) but I think Crosby Olympics 2010 would have made a lot more sense for today's kids.
But I think the intended audience for the ad are people who are old enough to recall most or at least some of those goals. It's an ad for a bank, after all. Granted the march of time leaves fewer and fewer folks who recall Henderson first hand, but what with that being the first truly best-on-best tournament — only two teams in that one, mind you, but they had pretty much their best rosters assembled notwithstanding NHL/WHA acrimony and the attendant absence of Bobby Hull — plus the Cold War politics of the time, that 1972 goal transcends any need to have personally witnessed it in order to identify with it as a Canadian.

Re: World Cup

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:22 pm
by sj-roc
BC 1988 wrote:As far as this novelty team format of Team NA and Team EUR, I can't see the USA allowing that if there is another WC. If USA had Gostisbehere, Matthews, Eichel, Saad, and Gaudreau in their lineup, they would probably have made it out of the round robin. (Of course that depends on how badly managed the talent is).
I was initially against the Team NA concept but on reflection, and I say this without even having watched any of their games but I think some good came out of the idea in the sense that this gave those younger players some great international experience, which, considering at least some of them will become contributors to future tournament teams, can only be a good thing. I recall in 2006 there were some who felt Crosby, then an NHL rookie and still only 18yo, should have been on our Olympic team that year; if something of this ilk had existed at that time (not gonna happen in an Olympic format, mind you), he would surely have been on such a team — not that his development was hindered all that much.

Re: World Cup

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:01 pm
by BC 1988
sj-roc wrote: I was initially against the Team NA concept but on reflection, and I say this without even having watched any of their games but I think some good came out of the idea in the sense that this gave those younger players some great international experience, which, considering at least some of them will become contributors to future tournament teams, can only be a good thing. I recall in 2006 there were some who felt Crosby, then an NHL rookie and still only 18yo, should have been on our Olympic team that year; if something of this ilk had existed at that time (not gonna happen in an Olympic format, mind you), he would surely have been on such a team — not that his development was hindered all that much.
Agree about Crosby.
A real problem they will have with the next WC Team NA is this. I can understand McDavid's POV, since he represented Canada last spring. This is not some All-Star-Game stunt--it's important from a patriotic standpoint.

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/nhl ... david-says
"TORONTO — One and done.
That’s the way Connor McDavid is viewing his experience for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey. The 19-year-old is one of three players — Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews are the others — who would be eligible to play for the 23-and-under team if a similar format was used for a World Cup tournament in 2020.
But by then, the Edmonton Oilers forward believes he should be playing for Team Canada.
“Honestly, for me in four years, I definitely hope I can represent my country,” McDavid said. “You only get a few chances to wear the Canadian logo and represent your country in events like this in best-on-best.
“When you grow up, I don’t think I would want to represent Team North America twice and not have the opportunity to represent my country. I’m sure Auston and Jack would say the same thing.”
The NHL and NHLPA have not said whether the current format of having six countries, Team Europe and Team North America would return the next time a World Cup is held. Some have suggested that if there is an 23-and-under team, players like McDavid would be exempt from participating twice.
That makes sense since the idea behind Team North America was to provide a chance for young players who probably wouldn’t make Canada or the United States’ rosters to participate in the World Cup. But that never really applied to McDavid.
Four years from now, he might be the best player on the planet. Heck, McDavid could have made Canada’s roster this year. And he is not alone.
The U.S. team will be salivating to use the talents of Eichel, Matthews, Johnny Gaudreau and Dylan Larkin in future competitions.
McDavid believes the concept was a good one and wouldn’t mind if it continued at the next World Cup — but not at the expense of the Olympics. The NHL has not decided whether or not it will participate in South Korea in 2018, but it’s clear which way McDavid is leaning.
“For a young guy like me who’s never had the opportunity to play in the Olympics, I would say 100 per cent,” he said. “That would be so exciting. If I was lucky enough to do that, I would definitely want that opportunity and would want to see the NHL guys there.
“I’m sure a lot of guys would say that.”