Monday LNN: Canada on the Ropes at 4 Nations
The Four Nations
As a hockey fan, unless you've been living under a rock for the last two days, you were likely tuned into the Team Canada vs. Team USA clash on Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal. In the lead-up to the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, I would have described my level of interest as "low", but damned if I don't suddenly find myself deeply invested in a showcase that the NHL made up out of thin air because they didn't like the idea of the players participating in an international tournament that they didn't directly benefit from financially. So let's go Canada, eh!
All that to say that for today's Links, News, and Notes, we're 4 Nations Face-Off Focused:
-If, like me, you were a bit bewildered by all the fights at the start of the game, apparently the Tkachuk brothers and JT Miller planned the whole thing out ahead of time. Make of that what you will.
-Justin Bourne's got a pretty comprehensive rundown of the clash of the titans for Sportsnet. There are some elements of what Bourne's saying that I disagree with, but this part about the quality of the US defending feels spot on:
It’s tempting to compare the Canadian offence being greatly slowed to the Toronto Maple Leafs in playoffs, who’ve typically had their dynamic offence dry up in big spots. This wasn’t that.
This was a U.S. team defending exceptionally well, and I truly believe it’s one of the best-executed systems games from a team that’s never all played under the same systems.
When the U.S. defence pinched a step, forwards fell back, everyone collapsed to the house then defended from the inside out, there was just nowhere to go. Jaccob Slavin was exceptional, and personified the steady, frustrating defending that never wavered.
Canada controlled the puck, but didn't get enough Grade "A" chances to beat Connor Hellebuyck. Against a goalie that good, it's not enough to just control play, or even just to get the majority of the opportunities. You need to get the good stuff. Some of that is on the Canadians, but credit must be given to the American's defending.
-Speaking of goaltending, Jordan Binnington has not been very good and one of Adin Hill or Samuel Montembault should be starting today against Finland.
-The math, by the way, on this afternoon's affair is that if Canada wins in regulation then they're through. Lose and they're out. Win after regulation and they could go through, but their fate would be in Sweden's hands. So: win in regulation.
-To have their best chance at victory, Canada could badly use Cale Makar, arguably the best defenseman in the world. Besides just Makar, though, Canada could use a few more things going their way. Luke Fox breaks it all down.
-Canada's pretty clearly the better team on paper, but it would be a serious mistake to underestimate the Finns.
