As we wait and hope for an end to the NHL lockout, Canadiens fans can relive the 1992-93 season – the last year the Habs won the Stanley Cup – at HIO as we post game stories from that season.
The Habs took a 23-14-4 record into a game against the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 4, 1993 in Sacramento, Calif. Below is Red Fisher’s story from that game:
Habs regain lead in Adams
CANADIENS 4
SHARKS 1
RED FISHER
THE GAZETTE
SACRAMENTO – Canadiens general manager Serge Savard is thankful for little mercies – but he’s got a long memory.
“It’s not so bad,” said Savard after last night’s paper-thin 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. “We’ve got five points out of a possible 10 on this trip, and we could end up with seven out of 12. We’re back on top in the Adams.
“What still bothers me, though, is losing the last two games at home. You don’t lose games at home to Hartford and the New York Islanders. You don’t play at home the way we played against those two teams,” he said.
Last night’s game was the first time Savard has watched his gang that can’t shoot straight since the team left on its six-game road trip, which winds up tonight against the Sharks in San Francisco. His best moment, no doubt, came in the eighth minute of the final period when Mathieu Schneider lifted the Canadiens into the lead for the first time with a wraparound goal. Until then, though, it was tight-collar time, which loosened late in the period on goals by Stephan Lebeau and Kirk Muller.
Savard insists he wasn’t bothered by what he saw only hours after arriving in Sacramento, which may be true. On the other hand, whatever it was he was watching wasn’t a cause for celebration from time to time – particularly when it’s noted that the teams went into the third period locked up 1-1.
The Sharks had opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal from Neil Wilkinson late in the first period. On the other hand, only 3:01 remained in the second when the Canadiens finally got their goal from Vincent Damphousse.
Before and between goals, it’s imagined Savard was left dismayed now and then – largely because of scoring chances gone thataway.
What, for example, was he thinking when Kirk Muller missed an open side of the net with a backhander during a power play early in the first?
What went through his mind when Schneider rang one off the post in the 16th minute and again a little more than a minute later while the Canadiens were in the process of outshooting the Sharks 13-3?
At least half of the Canadiens’ first-period shots came during the first two of three Sharks’ penalties – the only minors assessed by referee Denis Morel in the period. So what was Savard’s reaction when the period’s only goal, Wilkinson’s first of the season, came while the Sharks were killing off their third penalty?
Pat Falloon and Wilkinson, who hadn’t scored since the final game of last season, made it look easy. It ended with Cement Hands Wilkinson racing in alone on Andre Racicot and flipping the puck beyond him.
It was San Jose’s fourth – and last shot – of the period.
“Their goaltender played well,” said Savard. “I know we missed a few, but he took away at least a couple.”
Savard has that right. Jeff Hackett, who was a major-league problem for the Canadiens in two of the three games involving the teams last season, was splendid during the first two periods. His work was rooted in excellence while his colleagues were being out- gunned 24-12, but some of the Canadiens’ problems were self- inflicted.
Good shooters don’t miss empty nets. Teams with a scoring touch don’t miss as many opportunities as the Canadiens did among the 36 shots they delivered.
Why can’t they shoot straight, Savard must have wondered. As straight, for example, as Todd Ewen, whose shot struck Hackett on the mask and bent its iron bars, opening a two-stitch cut on the San Jose goaltender’s forehead.
Trouble is, Ewen’s shot was delivered several seconds after time had expired in the second period.
(Photo by Marcos Townsend/The Gazette)
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It is sickening to hear all the criticism towards Galchenyuk. He just won a frickin Gold medal as a 18 year old and in 33 OHL games has scored 27 goals and 61 points. Some people are truly screwed in the head, jumping all over this kid because he only got 8 points in 7 games, again as a 18 year old. If this kid is a bust what about, Huberdeau, Strome, Scheifele, Morgan Rielly, Yakapov and every other player not named RNH. Many of these guys are 19 years old and won nothing and had less points then Galchenyuk. Really is sickening.
But not as sickening as those that sit in the bush every year hoping Canada doesn’t win so they can spew their nonsense about Canadian hockey being in trouble. We still, and always will, produce the most and best NHL quality hockey players. There is nothing wrong with Canadian hockey, there is something very wrong with the people that can’t wait to jump all over Canada every time we don’t win. Sickening.
Haters hate!
Doers do!
Winners win!
Drinkers drink!
I resemble that remark!
Yes I do.Frequently ,with alarming regularity amigo.
jols: There is nothing wrong with being critical of Hockey Canada. People who refuse to ever make critical assessments are not patriots, they are lapdogs.
I think that Canadian hockey does a lot right. But we would be utter fools if we did not take lessons from each and every country we play. For example, how is it that Sweden continually competes at a similar level with Canada despite a population of ~9.5 million, that is a bit larger than that of Quebec.
I think it is absolutely fair to question a lot of things about the way hockey is coached in Canada. For example, I lose a ton of kids from my soccer teams in the summer because their hockey coaches don’t want them to play other sports. So the rep players sign up for hockey camps and skills camps. Yet people like Wayne Gretzky (softball), Joe Nieuwendyk (lacrosse) and various others have all said that they feel that having second or even third sports is imperative to development. The U.S. hockey development people have made a philosophy shift and are embracing their kids playing multiple sports. I think this is something we could learn from.
Canadian hockey also has far too much emphasis on tactics and physical play at too young an age. Let the kids develop their skill and have fun…we’ll produce even more superstars if we let the kids embrace what they are good at. And coaches have to stop giving so many roles to plugs that are only on the team because of their size.
Canadian hockey has an emphasis on size that borders on indecent. We produce a ton of skilled hockey players who are never given a chance to shine because of this strange obsession.
No country has everything right. But insisting that Canada is doing nothing wrong is just flat out immature.
Chris.
Just a quick preview because given this loss I am planning two articles this week.
The first is basically that this isn’t a national crisis. As far as skaters go, Canada is still producing more than any other country in the world. We’ve still produced a team that finished 4th this year, beat Russia and the US at this tourney, and has medalled for 14 consecutive years before this. Canada is still the #1 hockey power, but other countries can play the sport too, and that just means we win more than most, but not a guaranteed win every year. There are many contenders, and its a tough tourney to win. For the most part we are still doing a lot of things right.
Its not all rosy though, as I’ll show in my second article. Given that the last great goalie Canada produced is Carey Price and he’s a 2005 draft pick, thats a long drought for us. And that is the biggest reason for our not winning gold the last four years. We haven’t had strong goaltending like tournaments past. I’ve got a theory on what we are doing wrong, and how we can fix it, but I’m gonna make you wait to find out.
Just a couple things to think about.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Ben: I have never for a second though that a loss in the World Juniors in one year represents a national crisis. As you say, it does not. Canada is still doing a lot of things right.
But we DO have to take a look at the program every year and try to figure out what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. We also need to look at what other countries are doing right and wrong.
I think it is worth pointing out that Canada’s production of NHL players is perhaps misleading because the pool from which we produce players is so much larger. Canada does not have anything approaching the competition for athletes that we see in most other countries: hockey, although flagging, still reigns supreme by a significant amount.
I don’t think Canada’s goaltending is flagging so much as a huge advantage that we once had has now been neutralized as other countries have learned the importance of developing top-notch goaltending.
As a comparable, look at Finland. Through the mid 1990′s to the mid 2000′s, Finland did a remarkable job producing young, strong goaltenders: Jussi Markanen, Jani Hurme and Pasi Nurminen (1975); Miikka Kiprusoff (1976); Vesa Toskala (1977); Nicklas Backstrom (1978); Antero Nittymaki (1980); Pekka Rinne (1982); and Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen (1983). Over an 8 year period, a country of ~5 million people produced 10 NHL goalies, and a few of them were or are amongst the league’s best. But since Tuukka Rask (1987), the Finns haven’t really featured strong goaltending either.
Sports are cyclic. Soccer fans are familiar with the term “golden generation”, which relates to smaller countries producing a great group of players that can compete with the world soccer powers for a few years.
I think part of what you see at tournaments like the World Juniors is the effect that a particularly strong group coming up together can have.
One of the weaknesses of the major powers like Canada or Russia is that their best young players don’t play together very often. A country like Sweden can put its guys together and roll with very few lineup changes for a few years. The chemistry that can result can play a very big factor.
I’ve been pretty vocal that the World Juniors is a terrible tournament on which to base any sort of scouting impression as the kids simply aren’t familiar enough with one another to make much of a long-term judgement call. If anything, I’m always amazed that Canada does as well as it does because of the breaking up of its players (WHL, CHL, OHL, NCAA) that occurs. Many of these kids don’t even play against one another, let alone with one another.
I agree that there is always minor tinkering that needs to go on. If you aren’t evaluating and trying to get better then you are stagnating and have failed.
Even the US should evaluate what they did right, and what they can do better in future tourneys, and they won the gold. There is always that process. I just don’t think it needs to be done on the scale that happened in 1999 after the loss in Nagano and the 8th at the WJC that occured and the major hockey summit we had that year. I don’t think its the same.
As for Canadian goaltending, I think a 7 year period without a top prospect qualifies as more than just a cycle for a country like us. There is a major problem going on here because even in picking a 2014 Olympic team our choices (Luongo, Price, Ward, Fleury) are smaller, and less talented overall, than they have ever been. I do see this as an issue, and I’ve got a bit of a theory on it as well. Given your other posts, I think when you hear the theory, you might even agree with it.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
My observation was not meant to be inflammatory, but rather to generate discussion. One of the criticism’s of Galchenyuk is his speed, and I can certainly understand that criticism after watching him in this tournament. Like I mentioned earlier, this was most evident in the final game. He was under so much pressure and didn’t have the top end speed to evade his opponents that he mostly ended up turning the puck over or passing the puck prematurely to avoid being stripped of the puck. Of course he has PLENTY of time to get better, and I believe he will, but if he went to the NHL right now his lack of pure speed could be a detriment to him right off the bat. Time will tell.
Mike Milbury, Don Cherry, and PJ Stock….The three stooges of HNIC.
Galchenyuk was poor in the second period of today’s game, but in the first and third periods he was generating chances, and I didn’t see his skating as being an issue. I think there is a bit of overanalysis here.
Could’ve easily had 2 or 3 points today, but just didn’t catch a break on some of his better chances and set ups, and that is playing with less than ideal ice time.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Being a proud Canadian, I see the sport being changed in hockey where more skill and quality are being showcased by other countries.
It’s more sickening to see the cracks of Hockey Canada and the developments of our national junior teams and have others that can’t accept defeat lightly in this tournament.
If we don’t jump on the team, then expect the same selection team process over and over.
One last thought…..I would love to have that US goalie John Gibson as our franchise player, the kid is going to be awesome in the NHL. Watching him play in Kitchener, the kid is the real deal.
Where the heck were Timmins and Gainey doing when we could have selected this kid?
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
We took Nathan Beaulieu in the first round and then Gibson was taken before we got to the podium for our second pick.
We also have a young stud goalie in our nets that we really don’t need to be using the 17th overall pick on another one at this point in time.
Sure we could use another goalie prospect, but I’d like to draft a third/fourth rounder and develop one than use a high pick.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Dave_Stubbs – Just spoke w/ #Habs Lars Eller; headed back to Mtl from JYP of Finland’s Sm-Liiga w/ #Bruins Peverley. Fingers crossed for #lockout end – 6 minutes ago
What an emotional roller coaster this could be
Well since the Juniors kinda made hockey more depressing there’s the NFL GO Bengals haha
Take a look at my article if you’d like football related just a heads up its a bit biased haha
Leave feedback if you want, I’d like to make it better so your opinion does count
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
Thank goodness for the NFL play offs and the Tim Bit hockey players at our local rinks this winter.
It’s ya ya USA and nada for Canada.
Time to pay my beloved son the bet I owe him who was born in the United States by taking him for some famous wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo with the family and do some cross border shopping as well this weekend.
We were a very overrated Canadian team going into the tournament by the media and the fans.
As I’ve said many times on this site, the best of the elite players (along with some dirty players) you have assembled will fare no better than a group of hard, gritty no name players.
Hockey Canada needs to wake up and smell the Timmy’s coffee and make major changes to their program if we are to compete with stronger teams coming up like USA and Sweden along with those Russians.
Once we were warriors in this tournament, no more.
Congrats to our neighbors down south, the United States who rightfully deserved the title and to Sweden and Russia as well.
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
RenLavoieRDS – Its the mediator who told the NHL and the NHLPA that the process is worth continuing.
Really a sad comment as the two sides wouldn’t know, as they are not talking!
Okay the cynic in me thinks about the billing the mediators get to continue.
Well, it is only fair that we all help keep the US government solvent.
So in non-hockey news the NFL continues to make odd choices. I understand the Packers are a huge TV draw, but making the outdoor game in frigid temp’s be the night game, while a dome team plays in the late afternoon is just assenine. This produces lower quality football and increases injury, nevermind it is a kick in the teeth to the fans who sit through the cold. Oh well, this is far from the first time such decisions are made.
I watched both games this morning, and the States are a world power along with Sweden and Russia. We finished in 4th place and we are dropping slowly in the world rankings. Even Switzerland and Finland are nipping at our heels.
It reminds me of our Mtl. Canadiens competing for the Cup each year in the 50′s and 60,s, now not so much!
Yes! I miss the winning, but I still enjoy watching this wonderful game played by others who play the way it is supposed to be played. The intimidation comes only with speed, skill, discipline, intensity and heart, each and every shift.
Ian this is the first year in 15 years that Canada didn’t get a medal.
The US finished 7th last year.
There are 5 or 6 teams that can win in any given year, and 1 game eliminations mean that any team can win in a QF, SF, or medal game.
It is what it is, but its not a crisis for Canadian hockey. We are still a year in, year out contender, and over a big enough sample size still the best overall. That doesn’t mean winning every year, but it does mean that we will win more than others.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Commandant! We were not one of the best team’s for sure this year. We must make better choices for coaching and selection of players that will perform better at this European style of game!
We were 4-0 in the prelims including wins over Russia and the US.
We were one of the best teams in this tourney, but there are 5 or 6 best teams in this tourney and its hard to beat the same team two in a row.
Give it a 7 game series vs the US and/or Russia and you might see a different result.
A couple losses to good teams is not reason for a crisis.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
I blame this on the coaching. We were dominant in the preliminary round but weren’t peaking in the medal round as the USA and Europeans were.
I agree with the assessment of the coaching. I was not impressed with the way Spott handled his defence… nor with the system he played.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
The USA is producing players with tremendous speed – and that semi final game vs Canada the USA was simply much faster then us.
On the big European ice surface, the USA speed rose to the top and helped them win the Gold medal.
Also, Gibson was outstanding. And never underestimate how important goaltending is in this game.
So… who knows what about the OHL? Specifically, I’d like odds on the possibility of Sarnia trying to load up for a playoff run. Thx.
They should load up given their first half performance IMO.
I expect them to look for at least 1 D and 1 FWD (2nd line).
They have an overage spot available which is a big asset they can use to get a player that other teams can’t take on (only 3 overagers allowed per team).
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
thumbs up
I read below how Quebec is “abandoning” hockey, and then
“Last year the top Quebecois pick was Raphael Bussieres, at 46. There were all of 11 Quebec players picked in the 7 rounds of the draft!” (Hab fan 72)
First, what is your definition of a Quebecois? Does a perfectly bilingual player who graduates the Midget AAA program and then moves on to the USHL qualify as a “Quebecois”?
Because Mike Matheson was selected by the Florida Panthers at #23. He is now playing at Boston College and he’ll be an excellent NHL defenceman one day.
Furthermore, Stephan Matteau played almost all of his minor hockey here in Quebec as well, until he left for his grade 11 year. He was selected at # 29. Is he a Quebecois?
Since the draft has been reduced to 210 players and 7 rounds, the average number of Quebec born players selected has been around 20, or about 10% of the total players picked.
Isn’t it possible that the larger number of USA born players and European players selected in the NHL draft has made it more difficult for 1 province of 8 million to keep up their drafted numbers?
in 1980,
48 of the 50 top picks were from Canada,
2 from the USA,
0 from Europe.
in 1990,
35 of the top 50 were from Canada,
7 from USA,
8 from Europe.
in 2000,
17 of the top 50 were from Canada
7 from USA.
26 from Europe
in 2010
24 of the top 50 were from Canada
10 from USA
16 from Europe.
Does that mean, because fewer Canadian born players are considered by NHL scouts to be draftable, that Canada is “abandoning“ hockey.
And the same logic concerning Quebec born players who are drafted is equally false.
The NHL game has become a game featuring many international players over the past 30 years. It was never that way before.
The conclusion that because fewer Quebec players are being drafted today vs 30 years ago, Quebec is abandoning the game, is way off the mark.
IMO Quebec hockey is on the rebound. I definitely believe they dropped the ball with Hockey Canada’s Excellence program but correct me if I’m wrong, believe they are now participating (2003 -2004) ??
Yes Quebec plays a strong role in the U17, U18, and U20 program.
However, in addition to the players participating in these programs, many elite Quebec players are born and raised in the West Island of Montreal, leave the province after Midget AAA, skip Major Junior, and pursue the USA university route.
Several have attended Harvard lately (the Biega brothers and Alex Kilhorn), and others have had successful university careers elsewhere.
These players are not commonly invited to the U18 or U20 camps, although there are exceptions, but they are still products of the Quebec hockey program.
HabFab has it bang on.
Not participating in the program of excellence hurt hockey quebec at lower levels for years.
Now instituting it is bringing the rebound.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Ed, dont let facts get in the way of a good rant.
As Frank says, I think Quebec appears to have already had its lowpoint in producing talent and appears to be making strides.
I tend to look at development of hockey players by region, and the Q is producing some wonderful talent. Crosby and MacKinnon may not be Quebec, but they play in that regions CHL, as well we have this exciting Drouin to watch also.
I would like to see Quebec produce goalies again, seemed like for so long that Quebec was a goalie factory.
Good post Sir.
Years ago it seemed it was a given that the starting goalie for the wjc team played in the Q.
Fair enough re: Matheson and Matteau (I just looked for QJMHL in the draft list).
However, there is just no denying that Quebec is not producing as many players and not producing star players anymore. Compare Quebec draftees to Sweden, Ontario, & Western Canada.
Tell me that the players coming out of Quebec are roughly as good as the players coming out of those three regions (which have more or less the same population – give or take).
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
But we are not “abandoning“ the game.
Canada’ performance aside, the good news is that Galchenyuk gained some wonderful experience by being part of a championship team. Collberg may be licking his wounds but he also now has a great hockey experience to build upon.
Speaking of Collberg (2/23/94), will he qualify age wise for next year’s junior championship in Sweden? 2014 could be a memorable year for him in Sweden as he gets ready to tryout for the Habs in 2014-15 (assuming the lockout is over by then:-)
Yes, Collberg can play next year.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Last year USA finished in 7th place & this year won the tournament – Quite the turn around……
Could galchenyuk not play in this tourney next year considering he will be 19 when the tourney starts?
Most of these players are 19 with a few 18 year old like Gally and Collberg. My understanding is that you can’t be 20 before the tournament ends.
901. Junior Age for IIHF World U20 Championships
Players participating in all IIHF World U20 Championships must be not over 20 years of age and must have had their 15th birthday at the latest on the day the respective championship starts. No under age waiver is permitted
· 2008/2009 players born in 1989
· 2009/2010 players born in 1990
· 2010/2011 players born in 1991
· 2011/2012 players born in 1992
Frank – I just checked. Both of these guys were born in February. Hudon and Bozon would also qualify to play next season in Sweden.
Thats what i thought also,but i wasn’t sure since he turns 20 in feb.
I was big on Gally before this tournament, but he was hugely disappointing to say in the least. In my opinion he needs at least another year in Sarnia before the Canadiens even look at him.
I think it would be wise for us to tank for another top center prospect at the draft (Monnahan or Barkov) just in case Gally turns out to be a bust.
You can never be too careful………
I hope no one is paying you to scout.
He had as many points as Yakupov (8 in 7 games). He’s hardly a bust. Of course he wasn’t as dominating as Hopkins, but keep in mind he has no NHL experience, he’s one of the younger players in the tournament and that he played no hockey at all last year. He will be just fine.
A look at the Draft Eligibles who caught my eye (or had some hype) and what they did in the tournament.
http://lastwordonsports.com/2013/01/05/top-shelf-prospects-the-2013-draft-eligibles-at-the-wjc/
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
Good read as usual Ben.
Thanks
I just updated as my first draft overlooked two prospects I liked who didn’t come from the traditional powers… Marko Dano, Slovakia, and Mirko Muller, Swiss.
Go Habs Go!
Check out Top Shelf Prospects, my Team by Team prospect reports
http://lastwordonsports.com/
JSportsnet – USA wins Gold in Ufa.If you didn’t think the NHL in non traditional markets wasn’t important…players from 15 different states on team.
Interesting point.
Nobody on the team hitting a clear high c
Happy kids good for them.
The trophy lift sounded like the chimp sector at the zoo.
Proud of team USA but even more impressed with the quality of hockey from these teenagers. Amazing athletes. The top four teams are so evenly matched. It came down to who had the hottest goaltending. A celebration for the game for sure.
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Congrats to team USA. A bunch of good kids who played their hearts out! I’m envious.
Good for Gally, and always nice seeing Tretiak!
bummer..should have stayed in bed…
Good for Galchenyuk and the USA!
Congrats Team USA, well played and deserved.
What action….
Both teams with very disciplined play. Seems fitting these two teams are in the Final.
Some potential team buy -outs;
http://spectorshockey.net/blog/potential-buyout-candidates/
I don’t think we need to figure out who the Canadiens would buy out…
What a player that Forsberg
Swedish coach did some line juggling there and put Collberg with Forsberg.
Would like to see Sweden tie it up, just because I don’t want this hockey to end.
I see the poster child for the ignore button decided to troll us this morning.
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Hey Nike,
they did take hockey away from Canada, don’t believe me ask Gary….
Good morning, everyone.
One last homage to our junior team:
http://calsnhllockout2012songparodies.weebly.com/
How many times are they going to show that “Old Man Winter” commercial??
EDIT: ARRRRRRGHHHHHH!
OH and there it is again!!!!
Right before the game ends, they should show the guy beating the crap out of the old guy….
…comes back from his all-inclusive beach holiday and kicks the old guy right in the plums
“man, I love winnin’; you know, it’s like better than losin’?”-
Ebby Calvin “Nuke” Laloosh
Got to see a pretty good game last night, Junior AAA; St.Hyacinthe Laureats vs Montreal-Est Rangers. 7-6 St.Hyacinthe in the shootout…
It’s ok hockey, but you definitely see it’s a step or two below Junior Major.
A real positive is that beer is only $4; and it’s not crappy draught beer!
Sounds like a great evening Psycho. Glad you had a pleasant evening. My nephew works for Holy Cross’ hockey team and they were in North Dakota last night and tonight. I’ve asked him to provide a report on Kristo. I saw he scored once last night. Lots of hockey around.
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Cool! There is a lot of good hockey going on without the NHL.
Maybe those spoiled players and greedy owners should take a day off from “negotiating” to watch a minor game or two to remember what it’s all about…
So I have been watching Galchenyuk through this tournament (including this game) and had a view observations. Is it just me, or does he seem really slow? I have seen numerous plays where he is taken upon by an opposing team’s players, and he ends up either turning over the puck with an errant pass, or simply just gets rid of the puck as soon as possible once he gets it. I just compare it to the rest of Team USA. They are flying all over the place. This game especially, it seems like Galchenyuk can’t keep up with the pace of the game. I have seen him attempt to forecheck, but again the opposing team are easily able to evade him. I have also seen him float quite abit at the blue line waiting for a breakout pass. Anyways, just my observations. He really isn’t getting enough ice time to see what he is truly capable off either. He obviously has immense talent, but he definitely has some things to work on. That being said, all players too.
Mike Milbury, Don Cherry, and PJ Stock….The three stooges of HNIC.
I just love watching Seth Jones very good skater for his size.
He would be my number 1 pick.
Almost looks to me like he is trying to hard. I suspect it is strange for him not to be getting double shifted or at least 1st line time and he is trying to do as much as he can. I still see lots of positive, but as others have said, this is a 19 year old tourney and Housley is riding his 1st line and they are producing.
The U.S. Defence looks really solid.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he was nursing some kind of injury. He doesn’t look the same as he did earlier on in the tourney. Could also be the reason he is getting less icetime.
plus he looks small
“I was away so I didn’t have a chance to troll before.”
Sums up your statement.
_____________________________
“Access Forbidden” gettin’ ya down?
Hold down Shift while clicking refresh.
jcc10 is a Bruin fan living in NY state, who has become accustoming over his life, of cheering for the Habs after we eliminate his team.
Maybe he had a hard time finding a library which would let him in.
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I think this is a totally different ass.
Probably crawled out of the same hole!
Good hustle by Grimaldi, but Swedish goalie should have had that.
My first thought when Grimaldi took the monkey off his back was that it should be called, get the Gomez off his back because of his stature….
LOL, appears to have worked, now that he has picked up his 2nd goal. Pretty funny watching him do that, good for him.
So perhaps what you could do is go back to the threads on the date of the game and read them, then you can find out. It will involve reading and some patience on your part, but you will get the answer. Or you can just be an ASS! Somehow I think I know which option you will choose.
Your latest update on CBA reading material, only for the masochist or hard core fanatics;
http://spectorshockey.net/blog/nhl-lockout-morning-coffee-headlines-january-5-2013/
Re the National Post article. This is the third reporter to question Fehr’s intent regarding the timing of the info being released.
As a team Canada fan, I see no excuse, the USA has a better team
at this tournament. Defense and goaltending for sure and slightly better at offense as well. Without Nugent-Hopkins it would have been scary for the Maple Leaf. Now lets see if the USA is the better team, they still have to get by the Swedes who have not lost in the tournament yet.
Our WJP are good players. Just couldn’t get it done. we were a little weak on “D” at times same for Goaltending. finishing 4th is not the end of the world. you did OK Guys …..
Starting to sound like the management of the Habs. Its no longer about winning the Stanley Cup but about making the playoffs. Fourth place is not OK, only the Gold.
accp – Sorry, bu they didn’t do OK. This team was loaded with lockout talent. They handled the tournament just fine, but for Canada, that’s usually just an exhibition and team building experience. When the games counted in the playoffs, they just weren’t up to the task.
Think back to before the tournament started. What were the expectations for Team Canada? Most fans were totally jacked up for a gold medal. Alas, this team didn’t even come close. The fact they couldn’t even win bronze just makes it all the worse.
I don’t mean to point fingers here but some of the blame has to go to the coaching and mangement team.
BJ – if you think Canada is gonna win a Gold Medal every year. keep on dreaming. other country’s have good teams as well.
that’s what’s wrong with Canadian fans. because Hockey is our game. we’re suppose to win all the time. not anymore. other Country’s are catching up and we had better play our best every game for 60 minutes or you’ll see a lot more of what we seen today. it may not be good enough for you or Canada but they still did OK and I’m proud of them ….. I didn’t hear other Country’s putting their teams down.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1310914–nhl-lockout-players-expect-don-fehr-home-run-cox
Truly scary and too much of it is true I’m afraid.
For our American brothers/sisters on this site, I am cheering for USA. Go Galchenyuk, and Collberg as well.
Canada’s results in this tournament have been worsening steadily for 6 years now. I wonder if this means the rest of Canada is just a few years behind Quebec in abandoning the game.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Behind Quebec? Fill us outsiders in?
They Call Me Shane
“They never asked to be Canadiens, they were Chosen.”
Shane Oliver
Twitter @Sholi2000
http://www.Sholi2000.com
Custom Sports Figures
Quebec has stopped producing top caliber hockey players since the late 90s. The last hurrah was the 1998 draft year (Lecavalier, Alex Tanguay, Simon Gagné…). Last year the top Quebecois pick was Raphael Bussieres, at 46. There were all of 11 Quebec players picked in the 7 rounds of the draft!
From being the heartland of the game (more NHL hall of famers than any other part Canada) to essentially not playing hockey anymore, in one generation.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
1st non-medal year in 14 years in this tourney for Canada and the whole country is “abandoning” the game. Give your head a shake, man. Canada is no longer the be all and end all of hockey as far as talent goes, but not participating? Wow.
Maybe if Quebec didn’t have so much politics and bs in their junior system, more kids would participate and make it to the NHL.
5 years ago we squeaked into the final and won it.
3 and 4 years ago we were silver medalists.
1 and 2 years ago we were bronze medalists.
This year we are 4th (after getting pasted by the USA).
This year’s results might be a blip, but they could also be a sign of progressive decline in our game.
Also I don’t see why you have to be rude.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Again I can’t imagine the disaster of this team without Nugent-Hopkins, he did everything possible for the team. He reminds me of a young Steve Yzerman.
Yah he was a leader out there. Next year this team will be led by MacKinnon and Drouin, and hopefully some new Dmen. It is on big ice again, so they better learn from this.
How about that eh, goalie doesn’t even dress for game and gets voted one of the 3 best players for Russia. And people think the 3 star award in Montreal can be a joke at times.
Vodka and airplane fuel at work.
I believe that these are the three stars of the tournament and not the game, but I could be wrong.
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“Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”
Defense Ryan Pullock will be there. He’s offensive but an outstanding defenseman and he shoots over 100 mph on the clock. I was pretty bummed he never got the invite this year, but hey, you can’t have a Wheat King on the team every year showing the others up
They Call Me Shane
“They never asked to be Canadiens, they were Chosen.”
Shane Oliver
Twitter @Sholi2000
http://www.Sholi2000.com
Custom Sports Figures