USA celebrates gold (image from USAToday.com)
The World Junior Vodcasts, sadly, have come to a close. Fortunately, we went out with a good long review of the medal games – hope you enjoy.
We hit on:
* Jordan Binnington’s tough start
* Yakupov’s great game
* John Gibson’s amazing performance
* Canada’s first non-medal since 1998
* And much more
You can listen to it here:
…and download it here.
You can't imagine how much fun we're having (CP)
“I think we’re the best team.” – Seth Jones, Dec. 20, 2012
Of course the guy that everyone points to after the U.S. beat Sweden 3-1 to win its second gold medal in the last four years at the IIHF World Junior Championship (two more than Canada, for those scoring at home) is John Gibson. Hard to argue that he should have been anything less than tournament MVP.
He allowed just nine goals on 202 shots in seven games, good for a save percentage of .955 and a GAA 1.36. As he sparkled against the Canadians, he similarly shined against the defending gold medal-winning Swedes, making 26 saves on 27 shots. Not too many of those shots really troubled him as much as those in the semifinal did, and perhaps that’s to be expected, but nonetheless, he was the rock upon which Phil Housley built his gold medal-winning team.
What will get mentioned less often than Gibson, who really cannot be mentioned enough, is how well the U.S. defense played not only in this clinching gold medal game, but throughout the tournament. They gave up three goals just once, in a game in which they still beat Slovakia by six and barely broke a sweat. But those defenders earned their freight against Canada and, especially, Sweden. Jacob Trouba, in particular, struck me as being especially effective, not so much because he was diving to block shots like Mark Scheifele does at the slightest contact, but because he displayed an overwhelming amount of defensive awareness. The number of rushes he broke up with a quick stick and a little shove can’t be counted on fingers and toes alone, and that was more or less indicative of just how good the whole blue line was for the vast majority of the tournament.
Every team in the tournament votes for their own best three players. From the outside looking in, we tend to look at things like “boxcars” (goals, assists, points), but that doesn’t give the true value of a player to a team. They know which guys were most consistent within the team system, rallied the team when it was most needed, and did the little things basically only coaches and scouts care about. So, these should hold some merit. Here are the three best players on every team in the World Juniors, as voted by their teams:
(Click twice enlarge, clarify)
My personal top three for the tournament: Read the rest of this entry »
Nichushkin scores a nice goal, taking the puck across the net (image: CBC)
Today’s final installment of “Bourne’s Notes” (at least until an NHL season starts) focused on Canada’s final game against Russia, in which the scoring chances were An Unreasonable Amount to All of Them. Congrats to Russia. As always, my post-game thoughts are in italics. Without further ado – because there’s a lot of them – here’s the muck that ran through my head while watching the game.
Image from TSN.ca
Well, here we are again. I have to admit I’m almost more disappointed that Canada lost in the semis and required us to play at 4 in the morning again than I am that we lost in the semis and denied our chance for gold. I am a selfish person. But while the drive for gold is gone, at least we can take our best shot at winning bronze. You know, the loser’s winner. We’ve beaten Russia before, we can do it again. I hope. Guess I’m awake either way.
(Image courtesy www.Canada.com...oddly)
In today’s World Junior Vodcast, John Noon, Jake Goldsbie and I break down the gold medal game between Sweden and the US, and the bronze medal game between Canada and Russia, including:
* What gives the US the upper hand? Do they have one at all?
* Who’s favoured in the bronze-medal match-up?
* What are each team’s “keys to victory,” (as much as I hate that expression)
* Russia’s strengths and weaknesses
* Predictions!
* And oh, so much more. Enjoy!
You can listen to it here:
"Can't believe Subban didn't have that first one." - A moron
As much as I, like other Canadians, want to forget yesterday’s thorough butt-fumble of a World Junior hockey game against the Americans, I was goaded into doing this by a couple curious minds: an analysis of Jake McCabe’s first goal, in which, at one point, the Canadians were in the above defensive “formation.” Five of the six on-ice Canadians are packed into a lane slightly wider than the net (and as you’ll see farther down, they get tighter), along with three Americans, putting eight of the 12 humans on the ice in an area about seven feet wide. Actually, if we feel like drawing those lanes down 200 feet, nine of the twelve were in there. Presumably, this was not the game plan before the puck dropped.
Let’s take it from the top. This is a bit of a long one because I have to mention what starts the US breakout down at the other end of the ice, and because, y’know, the whole thing is a mess. Boone Jenner, this is not your finest shift.
First, take a look at it for yourself, if you dare.
This, to me, is a 50/50 puck. The problem, at least for Jenner, is that he’s probably going to get a touch on it first, which means he’s the guy who has to take the hit. Or, he could completely pull-up, forfeit the puck, and let US defenseman Mike Reilly grab solid possession and make a play. If he takes the hit there, at the very least there’s a puck battle and his linemate Phillip Danault can come in and help dig it out.
He doesn’t.
He pulls up. I know, it looks like he’s heading off to change, but I assure you, he’s not. You’ll see him again in a bit. Read the rest of this entry »
Jo Innes, Ryan Lambert, Daniel Wagner, Cam Charron, Ellen Etchingham, Jake Goldsbie, Darren Kritzer
